How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Permanently:16 Easy Ways

Few household pests trigger as much anxiety as bed bugs. These tiny, nocturnal insects have made a remarkable comeback in recent decades. It can infest homes across socioeconomic boundaries and create sleepless nights for countless homeowners and renters.

Unlike many household pests, bed bugs don’t discriminate. They’re equally comfortable in immaculate luxury hotels and modest apartments. They don’t indicate poor housekeeping, but rather bad luck—hitching a ride home on luggage, used furniture, or even clothing after a visit to an infested location.

The good news? With the right approach, bed bugs can be eliminated permanently from your home. This article will explore 16 effective methods to get rid of bed bugs permanently.

16 Ways to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Permanently

1. Heat Treatment: The Most Effective Solution

Heat is bed bugs’ kryptonite. These pests, along with their eggs, die when exposed to temperatures above 118°F (48°C) for 90 minutes or 122°F (50°C) for immediate kill.

Professional Heat Treatment

Professional exterminators can heat your entire home to lethal temperatures using specialized equipment. This method offers several advantages:

• Reaches bugs hiding in walls, furniture, and other inaccessible areas
• Kills all life stages, including eggs
• Chemical-free approach
• Often achieves elimination in a single treatment
• Penetrates deep into furniture and belongings

While professional heat treatment is typically the most expensive option (ranging from $1,000-$3,000 depending on home size), it’s also the most consistently effective, with success rates above 95% when properly conducted.

DIY Heat Options

While whole-home heating requires professionals, you can apply the heat principle to specific items:

• Clothes Dryer: Run infested clothing, bedding, and fabric items through a dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
• Portable Heaters: Some companies sell or rent portable heating chambers for treating furniture and belongings.
• Steam Cleaners: Commercial-grade steamers (reaching at least 130°F) can be effective for treating mattresses, upholstery, and carpet edges.

Sarah from Portland shares: After discovering bed bugs in my son’s bedroom, we immediately bagged all his bedding and clothes, running everything through the dryer on high heat.

2. Cold Treatment: Freezing Them Out

While not as universally effective as heat, extreme cold can kill bed bugs if the temperature is low enough for a sufficient duration.

To effectively kill bed bugs with cold:

• Maintain a temperature of 0°F (-18°C) or lower
• Sustain this temperature for at least 4 days
• Ensure the cold penetrates to the core of items

Practical Applications:

• Home freezers can treat small items like books, shoes, toys, and small fabric items
• Place items in sealed plastic bags to prevent condensation damage
• Monitor freezer temperature with a thermometer, as some home freezers don’t reach 0°F
• Not practical for large items like mattresses or furniture

3. Thorough Cleaning and Decluttering

While cleaning alone won’t eliminate bed bugs, it’s a crucial component of any effective treatment plan. Reducing clutter eliminates hiding spots and improves the effectiveness of other treatment methods.

Essential Cleaning Steps:

1. Vacuum thoroughly: Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter on mattresses, box springs, bed frames, baseboards, carpet edges, and furniture. Empty the vacuum contents into a sealed plastic bag immediately after use and dispose outside your home.
2. Launder all bedding: Wash bedding, curtains, and clothing in hot water (130°F minimum) and dry on the highest heat setting. For non-washable items, dry-clean or run through a hot dryer if possible.
3. Declutter: Remove unnecessary items, particularly from under and around beds. Dispose of heavily infested items that cannot be treated, but be sure to clearly mark them as infested to prevent others from bringing them home.
4. Seal cracks and crevices: Use caulk to seal baseboards, electrical outlet covers, and other potential hiding spots.
5. Encase mattress and box spring: After treating your mattress, encase it and your box spring in tight-woven, zippered covers specifically designed for bed bug prevention. These traps bug inside (where they’ll eventually die) and prevent new bugs from establishing.

4. Chemical Treatments: Professional Application

Professional exterminators have access to stronger insecticides than consumers and know how to apply them safely and effectively. Professional chemical treatment typically involves:

• Residual insecticides: Applied to baseboards, bed frames, and other surfaces where bed bugs travel
• Contact insecticides: For direct application to visible bugs
• Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs): Disrupt the bed bugs’ life cycle, preventing reproduction
• Dusts: Long-lasting powders like diatomaceous earth or silica gel for wall voids and cracks

Note: Professional chemical treatment usually requires 2-3 visits spaced 2 weeks apart, costing between $300-$1,000 depending on home size. Most companies offer a 30-90 day guarantee.

5. DIY Chemical Treatments: Over-the-Counter Options

If professional services are beyond your budget, several consumer-grade insecticides can help control bed bugs:

Effective DIY Chemical Options:

• Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids: Most common bed bug insecticides, but resistance is developing in some bed bug populations
• Desiccants: Products like diatomaceous earth and silica gel that destroy the bugs’ protective outer coating
• Plant Oil-Based Products: Neem oil and other botanical insecticides offer a less toxic alternative
• Insect Growth Regulators: Disrupt the bed bugs’ development and reproduction

When using chemical treatments, always:

• Read and follow label directions exactly
• Never apply to areas where people sleep directly (mattresses should only be treated with products specifically labeled for this purpose)
• Focus on cracks, crevices, and hidden areas where bed bugs hide
• Repeat applications as directed, typically every 7-10 days for 3-4 treatments

Lisa from Atlanta reports: “After getting quotes of over $1,000 for professional treatment, I decided to try DIY chemical treatment. I used a combination of diatomaceous earth in wall voids and cracks, along with a pyrethrin spray for visible areas. It took three thorough applications over six weeks, but I haven’t seen a bed bug in two years now.”

6. Diatomaceous Earth: A Natural Alternative

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural powder made from the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms. For bed bugs, it’s a slow but effective killer:

How Diatomaceous Earth Works:

1. The microscopic, sharp edges cut through the bed bugs’ exoskeleton
2. The powder absorbs the insects’ oils and fats
3. The bugs gradually dehydrate and die over 7-17 days

Application Tips:

• Use only food-grade DE for indoor pest control
• Apply a thin layer in cracks, along baseboards, under furniture, and around bed frames
• Avoid applying to mattresses or areas with direct skin contact
• Reapply after cleaning or if the powder becomes wet
• Wear a dust mask during application to avoid respiratory irritation

While DE works slowly, it remains effective for long periods as long as it stays dry, providing ongoing protection against reinfestation.

7. Bed Bug Traps and Monitors

Traps serve two important purposes: detecting bed bugs early and reducing populations by catching bugs as they travel to and from their hiding places.

Types of Bed Bug Traps:

• Interceptor Cups: Place these under the bed and furniture legs to catch bugs climbing up or down. They create a slippery moat that bugs cannot escape from.
• Active Monitors: Use heat, CO2, or chemical lures to attract bed bugs.
• Passive Monitors: Simple devices placed in likely hiding spots to check for bed bug presence.

Strategic Placement:

• Under each bed leg
• Near baseboards in sleeping areas
• Under furniture legs in living rooms
• Along walls where bed bugs might travel

8. Mattress Encasements: Protection and Prevention

Specially designed bed bug mattress and box spring encasements are a crucial component of both treatment and prevention:

Benefits of Quality Encasements:

• Trap existing bed bugs inside, where they’ll eventually die
• Prevent new bugs from establishing in your mattress
• Eliminate many hiding spots
• Make detection easier (bugs show up clearly against white covers)
• Protect your investment in mattresses

When shopping for encasements, look for these features:

• Specifically labeled for bed bugs (not all waterproof covers work)
• Fine-toothed, secure zipper with no gaps
• Tear-resistant material
• Lab-tested effectiveness
• Good reviews from actual users

Once installed, leave encasements in place for at least a year—bed bugs can survive that long without feeding. Quality encasements cost $20-$80, depending on bed size, but are well worth the investment.

9. Isolation Strategies: Creating Safe Zones

Isolation techniques create safe sleeping areas by preventing bed bugs from reaching you during the night:

Effective Isolation Methods:

• Pull beds away from walls: Maintain several inches of space between your bed and walls, furniture, or hanging bedding.
• Install interceptor cups: Place under all bed legs to prevent bugs from climbing up.
• Remove bed skirts: Eliminate this “bridge” that bugs can climb.
• Encase box spring and mattress: As discussed in method #8.
• Create a perimeter: Apply diatomaceous earth or other residual treatments in a perimeter around the bed.
• Elevate belongings: Keep clothing and personal items off the floor, using luggage racks or shelves.

Many people find that creating this “safe island” allows them to sleep peacefully during the longer process of completely eliminating the infestation.

10. Steam Cleaning: Precision Heat Treatment

Steam cleaners deliver lethal heat directly to bed bug hiding spots without the chemicals or cost of whole-home heat treatment:

Effective Steam Treatment Requires:

• A quality steam cleaner that reaches at least 130°F (54°C)
• Slow application (move the nozzle about 1 inch per second)
• Focus on seams, tufts, and folds in mattresses
• Treatment of baseboards, carpet edges, and furniture joints
• Regular repetition (every 2 weeks during treatment)

Commercial-grade steamers with low moisture output work best to avoid excess humidity or water damage. You can rent professional equipment or purchase a consumer-grade steamer for $200-$300.

11. Vacuuming: Daily Defense

Regular, thorough vacuuming significantly reduces bed bug populations when done correctly:

Vacuuming Protocol:

1. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and strong suction
2. Attach a crevice tool for reaching into seams and cracks
3. Focus on mattress seams, box spring edges, bed frames, and baseboards
4. Vacuum slowly to ensure maximum bug removal
5. Immediately after vacuuming, remove the bag or contents, seal in a plastic bag, and dispose outside your home
6. Clean the vacuum thoroughly after use

For maximum effectiveness, vacuum daily during active infestations and continue for at least two weeks after seeing the last bug.

12. Laundering: Washing Away the Problem

Regularly washing and drying bedding, clothing, and fabric items at high temperatures is one of the most effective ways to kill bed bugs:

Effective Laundering Procedure:

1. Place items directly into plastic bags in the infested room to avoid spreading bugs
2. Transport sealed bags directly to the washing machine
3. Wash using hot water (130°F/54°C minimum)
4. Dry on the highest heat setting for at least 30 minutes
5. For items that can’t be washed, dry-cleaned, or run through a hot dryer cycle
6. Store clean items in sealed plastic bags until the infestation is eliminated

Even items that don’t need washing can be run through the dryer on high heat to kill bed bugs. This works particularly well for pillows, stuffed animals, and other items that can withstand heat but are difficult to treat otherwise.

13. Furniture Isolation and Treatment

For infested furniture that you want to keep, isolation and targeted treatment can be effective:

Furniture Treatment Steps:

1. Move furniture away from walls and other furniture
2. Thoroughly vacuum all surfaces, crevices, and undersides
3. Steam clean if possible
4. Apply appropriate insecticide products labeled for furniture use
5. Place furniture legs in interceptor traps
6. For wooden furniture, consider a light application of food-grade DE in cracks and joints
7. Cover with tight-fitting furniture encasements when available

For heavily infested pieces that cannot be adequately treated, disposal may be necessary. If disposing of furniture, clearly mark it as infested and damage it to prevent others from taking it home.

14. Structural Modifications: Eliminating Hiding Spots

Modifying your living space to eliminate hiding places can significantly improve your chances of eliminating bed bugs permanently:

Effective Structural Modifications:

• Seal cracks and crevices around baseboards, moldings, and electrical outlets
• Repair or remove peeling wallpaper and paint
• Fill gaps in wood floors
• Seal joints in bed frames and other furniture
• Remove switch plates and electrical outlet covers for treatment, then seal gaps with caulk
• Minimize clutter that provides hiding spots
• Consider removing headboards that cannot be effectively treated

These modifications not only help eliminate current infestations but also make your home more resistant to future bed bug problems.

15. Professional Fumigation: The Nuclear Option

For severe, persistent infestations, professional fumigation offers a comprehensive solution:

How Fumigation Works:

• Your home is sealed and filled with gaseous pesticides that penetrate all spaces
• The treatment kills all life stages of bed bugs throughout the entire structure
• You must leave your home for 24-72 hours
• All food items must be removed or sealed
• Plants and pets must be removed

Fumigation costs $2,000-$8,000 for an average home, making it one of the most expensive treatment options. However, it offers the highest success rate for eliminating even the most severe infestations. This method is typically used as a last resort when other approaches have failed.

16. Ongoing Prevention: The Long-Term Strategy

After successfully eliminating bed bugs, implementing prevention strategies is crucial to avoid reinfestation:

Essential Prevention Practices:

1. Travel Precautions: When staying in hotels or vacation rentals:
   • Inspect beds and furniture before unpacking
   • Keep luggage elevated on luggage racks
   • Use the bathroom, not the bedroom, for luggage when possible
   • Upon returning home, launder all clothing in hot water
   • Inspect and vacuum suitcases before storing
2. Home Vigilance:
   • Maintain mattress encasements permanently
   • Keep interceptor traps under the bed legs
   • Perform periodic visual inspections of sleeping areas
   • Respond immediately to bites or other signs of bed bugs
3. Second-Hand Items:
   • Carefully inspect used furniture before bringing it home
   • Heat-treat or thoroughly inspect second-hand clothing
   • Avoid picking up discarded furniture from curbs or dumpsters
4. Social Awareness:
   • Be cautious when visiting locations with known infestations
   • Consider bed bugs when having overnight guests from affected areas
   • Educate family members about prevention
5. Quick Response:
   • Keep monitoring devices in place
   • Act quickly at the first sign of bed bugs
   • Don’t wait for an infestation to grow before responding

When to Call a Professional？

While DIY approaches can be effective, certain situations warrant professional intervention:

• Severe or widespread infestations
• Failed DIY treatment attempts
• Infestations in multi-unit buildings
• Presence of health issues that might be complicated by insecticide use
• Limited mobility that prevents thorough DIY treatment
• Lack of time to commit to the intensive DIY process
• Recurring infestations despite treatment efforts

Professional pest control companies offer expertise, access to commercial-grade products, and systematic treatment plans that may be more effective for challenging infestations.

FAQs

1. How can I tell if I have bed bugs or something else?

Bed bugs leave distinctive signs, including rust-colored spots on bedding (their excrement), small bloodstains from being crushed, visible bugs along mattress seams, and itchy welts on your body that often appear in lines or clusters. If uncertain, capture a specimen with clear tape and consult a pest professional or use a bed bug identification app.

2. How long does it take to completely get rid of bed bugs?

Complete elimination typically takes 1-3 months with proper treatment. Light infestations might be resolved in 3-4 weeks, while severe cases can take 6 months or more. Consistency in treatment is crucial for success.

3. Can bed bugs live in your hair or on your body?

Unlike lice, bed bugs don’t live on humans. They feed for 5-10 minutes and then return to their hiding places. They’re not equipped to navigate through hair and don’t remain on the body.

4. Will painting my walls kill bed bugs?

No, painting alone won’t kill bed bugs. However, preparing for painting (removing switch plates, filling cracks) combined with treatment can help eliminate hiding spots.

5. Do bed bug bites always itch?

No, approximately 30% of people show no reaction to bed bug bites. Others may develop itchy welts within days. The absence of bites doesn’t necessarily mean bed bugs aren’t present.

6. Can bed bugs climb metal bed frames?

Yes, bed bugs can climb metal, wood, and most other materials. While metal doesn’t provide hiding spots like wood, it doesn’t prevent bugs from climbing unless interceptor traps are used.

7. How do I prevent bringing bed bugs home from hotels?

Inspect hotel beds before unpacking, keep luggage on metal racks away from walls, check the mattress seams and headboard for signs of bugs, and launder all clothing in hot water immediately upon returning home.

8. Do ultrasonic repellers work against bed bugs?

No, scientific studies have consistently shown that ultrasonic devices do not effectively repel or kill bed bugs. Save your money for proven methods instead.