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All rooms to be treated must be clutter free.
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All draws and closets must be emptied.
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All clothing, blankets, comforters, rugs, linens, curtains, etc. must be taken to the Laundromat / cleaners, before the treatment. Do not carry these items through your home ! Place these items in a laundry bag prior to removing them from the room.
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Launder all items according to the manufacturer's instructions, however, if possible use the highest allowable heat settings in both the washing machine and dryer.
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Any clothes that can not be machine washed need to be dry cleaned.
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Also clean and dry the laundry bags used to transport the bedbug infested clothes and linens.
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All items removed from a room that is infested with bedbugs, must be bagged, or wrapped in plastic. So, if you opt to get rid of a mattress wrap it in plastic before dragging the mattress through your home. Alternatively, if possible discard unwanted items out of the bedroom window. This will eliminate the possibility of contaminating additional rooms of your home with bed bugs.
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Stay in your bed! Do not sleep on the living room couch etc., the bed bugs will find you and infest additional rooms of your home. They are attracted to heat and carbon dioxide.
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Do not return the cleaned items to the room until after the room has been chemically treated.
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Pets - Both cats and dogs can harbor bed bugs. Therefore, these animals need to be taken to a groomer and given a flea bath while the residence is being chemically treated for bed bugs.
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Bed bug mattress covers, bed bug box spring covers and bed bug pillow cases must be purchased and be in place prior to treatment. These covers will serve to seal bedbugs in and allow you to monitor your sleeping area. Purchase high quality covers, so that you will not have to worry about them ripping. Protecta Bedbug covers are a good quality cover that can be ordered online.
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Following the application of chemicals and dust, DO NOT mop the floors for 30 days. Bed bug eggs are impervious to all chemicals. These chemicals and dust will serve to kill newly emerging bedbugs. The bedbug egg gestation period is two weeks.
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If you vacuum, following the treatment, be sure to discard the vacuum bag outside of your home.
