Video:How to Seal Your Mattress From Bed Bugs

Transcript:How to Seal Your Mattress From Bed Bugs

Hi, I'm Adam Kochanowicz for About.com. If you haven't already awoken scratching at bite marks after a night's rest, count yourself lucky. Unfortunately, bed bugs are a serious and persistent problem, especially for those living in the Manhattan area. Bed bugs will actually live in your mattress and clothing and it's no walk in the park to remove them. Fortunately, mattress covers go a long way for keeping these unwelcome guests out. In this video, I'll show you how to seal your mattress from bed bugs.

Warnings Before Sealing Mattress From Bed Bugs

Before sealing your mattress, there are a few important things to consider. You may think it's necessary to spray your mattress with a pesticide to kill the bugs potentially already living in the mattress. This is not necessary and is also dangerous to you. Remember, you're sleeping on this surface. A good mattress sealer will prevent existing bed bugs from getting through. Second, bed bugs can live in your clothing and in other furniture. Before you invest all that money in your mattress cover, thoroughly wash your clothes with an emphasis on the dry cycle. Otherwise, bed bugs could still get into your bed sheets without going through your mattress.

Mattress Cover Must Cover Entire Mattress

Choosing a mattress cover is all about the potential space a cover might leave for bed bug entry or exit. You may be tempted to purchase a regular mattress cover to save money. However, these fabrics are not as tightly woven as covers specialized for blocking bed bugs. These covers also don't completely cover the mattress. A good bed bug cover will cover both the bottom and top of the mattress as well as sealing around the mattress with a combination of a fine-toothed zipper and velcro. Ensure your purchase has this feature. Remember, bed bugs are about a quarter of an inch in size and rather flat. No matter how tightly-woven the cover is, if the seals are not as tightly enclosed, you may just be wasting your money.

Types of Bed Bug Mattress Sealers

Popular choices for bed bug mattress sealers include Protect-A-Bed, JT Eaton, Royal Heritage, and Eco Living Friendly, which range from $40-80. The more expensive choices will also come with covers for your pillows. Find someone to help you before applying your mattress cover as you will need to completely lift the up the mattress and box spring. Sweep well around the area of the bed to make sure you don't pick up hitchhiking bugs after sealing the mattress.

Cover Your Mattress and Wash Your Sheets

Cover the top and bottom of both the mattress and box spring and ensure the zipper is fully closed. Wash your sheets and any clothes you might wear when sleeping that night. Take caution when removing the cover as bed bugs have been known to live up to a year without feeding. Once you've figured out which solution is the best for you, you can rest easy knowing you made a wise investment. While you may have to put down some money for a cover, it's a far better solution than throwing out your mattress and box spring just to buy a new one which may eventually have the same fate.

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