Expert warns we should be changing bedding 'more often' to avoid bed bugs

28 October 2023 , 05:30

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Regularly changing your bedsheets can keep bed bugs at bay. (Stock Photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

If you haven't heard about the bed bug infestation that's been impacting Paris in the last few weeks, and have yet to start worrying about the blood-sucking creatures getting inside your home, it might be time to start. The deputy mayor of Paris has even said "no one is safe" from a potential infestation of the bloodsucking pests in the French capital city.

With anxiety rising that the UK is likely to be hit with a similar level of bedbug infestation too as hotspots arise, it's good to be prepared and learn what the best practices are to keep your home free from the pests, particularly because these pests are infamously hard to get rid of once they have managed to get inside your property. One expert has provided tips on how regularly you should be washing your bedsheets and linens to make sure you stay free from the pests, who, as mutants, are resistant to pesticides.

The experts speaking to the Daily Mail explained the optimum amount of times to change your bedding actually varies depending on the item. Pillowcases, for instance, they recommend should be changed more often than other components of your bedding, with the ideal length of time to leave them on your bed only two to three days.

Your sheets and duvet cover should be changed weekly to make sure you're keeping the likelihood of a bed bug infestation at bay and every month you should give your mattress protector or pad a wash. Your duvet itself should be cleaned every three months and your pillows once every six months.

It's recommended when dealing with a suspected bed bug infestation that you wash everything at the hottest temperature possible for the item, because the heat is a sure fire way to rid yourself of the bugs and their rice-shaped eggs. You should also seal any bedding or clothes that you think may have become infected in plastic bags to make sure none of the creatures escape and find hiding places around your home.

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Signs of bed bugs can include bloodstains on your bedding, where they have bitten you as you slept, and small brown stains, which could actually be their poo - according to the NHS. Pest experts at Rentokil also note that a sweet smell that has no obvious source could also be a sign that their are bed bugs in your home.

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Emma Mackenzie