Don’t Ignore Bed Bug Droppings And Blood Stains – Do This Instead
Bed bugs are the most troublesome insects that can heavily infest your sweet abode. Most of us are aware of the nursery rhyme, “Good night, sleep tight and do not let the bedbugs bite”. Once the bed bugs enter your bedding, you might wake up having red, itchy marks all over the skin. One thing that bed bugs are good at is hiding. It is tough to spot bed bugs around the house.
They will feed on human blood and leave brown and yellow stains on your mattress, bedsheets, furniture, and other surfaces. These large blobs are from the feces and blood of bed bugs. Not only the stains are gross to look at, but they are also gross to clean. You can take a professional’s help to clean off the infested areas.
As I was telling you earlier that the hardest part of having an infested home is cleaning the bed bug stains. So, I thought of sharing my experience of how I got rid of the bed bug stains on bed sheets and kept my space clean.
How Can I Spot Bed Bug Droppings?
Looking out for bed bug stains and droppings that they leave behind is the only way of spotting them. You can start to clean and disinfect the house only when you find the infested area. The droppings could be easily confused for dirt or ink stains.
Here is how you can spot bed bug droppings:
● Color: Black or reddish-brown stains. The color is darker than the fresh blood.
● Size: Small spots that look like a ballpoint mark.
● Shape: Looks like a blob; more like smeared ink absorbed in the fabric
List of spaces where bed bugs usually hide:
● Creases of bed and mattress
● Underneath the bedframe and bedboard
● Between couch cushion
● In furniture joints
● Under loose wallpaper
● Underneath wall frames and posters
How To Clean Bed Bug Dropping Marks At Home?
Steps to remove bed bug stains from sheets and mattress:
Treat the bloodstains and dropping spots as soon as you see them. Here are the steps to get rid of bed bug stains on sheets:
1. Spray the dirty area with an enzyme-based laundry cleaner and leave it there for at least 30 minutes.
2. Wash it in the machine like you wash your usual laundry using a regular detergent.
3. If the spots are still visible, then use ammonia and hydrogen peroxide solution to clean the stain.
4. Rinse the bedding and dry as usual.
To clean bed bug stains on the mattress, here are the steps to follow:
1. Spray the ammonia and hydrogen peroxide solution on the stain and let it soak for at least 10 minutes.
2. Blot the treated area with a cloth.
3. Apply some borax powder to let it absorb the solution and rub it using a cloth.
4. Repeat the steps for all the stains.
Steps to remove bed bug stains from carpets and upholstery:
Bed bugs are smart and can hide away in any small cracks or creases. Do not assume that bed bugs can hide in and under the bed and mattress only. If your home is infested with bed bugs then keeping your upholstery clean and stain-free can take up most of your time. Here is how I remove stains from carpets and upholstery when my home gets infested with bed bugs:
1. Take some cold water and dab it onto the dirty area using a clean sponge
2. Do not brush the stain as that can penetrate the bed bug blood or poop
3. Use a liquid laundry detergent and apply it on the wet spot and let it sit for sometime
4. Clean again using a clean sponge
5. If the stains do not go away, use hydrogen peroxide
Steps to remove bed bug stains from fabrics:
Bed bugs do not bite through the fabric but they certainly hide in the smallest crevices and leave stains of poop and blood. Removing bed bug rust stains from fabric can be tricky. Here are some steps to help you clean a fabric:
1. Soak the dirty fabric in a mixture of water (1 quart), liquid detergent (1 ml), and ammonia (1 tbsp).
2. If you cannot wash the fabric in the machine then spray the solution on the stained area.
3. Rinse or clean with cold water.
4. Use a dryer to dry the stain or air dry the fabric.
Steps to remove bed bug stains from walls and wood:
Bed bugs can make their nests inside the cracks of walls and wooden surfaces. It is important to keep them off the tiny holes and crevices. However, if the bugs have infested the area then you would not want to see bed bug residue and fecal stains on your walls or wooden surfaces.
Here is what you can do to clean the stained walls and wood:
1. Spray some cold water on the wall and dab with a clean sponge
2. Further, make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the stain. Let it rest for some time and then wipe it off with a clean tissue.
3. To clean poop stains from wood, you can use a stain remover. Usually, stain removers have hydrogen peroxide. Hence, do a patch test before applying it to the entire area.
4. You can also use oxalic acid and water to clean the stain on the wood. Oxalic acid can also discolor the area applied upon. Use sandpaper to scrub the area to match the surrounding shade of wood.
10 Points To Keep In Mind When Removing Bed Bug Stains
Identify the infected area and prepare to act fast, as bed bugs reproduce rapidly. Smaller infested areas are sometimes harder to identify, so it is important to find out all the areas before you start the treatment.
1. It is important to contain the infestation as it helps in getting rid of them easily.
2. When using hydrogen peroxide on fabric or upholstery, remember to do a patch test.
3. Never use a brush to scrub the stains as this will help the blood seep in the fabric.
4. Clean the clutter. This will reduce the number of hiding areas for the bugs.
5. For those linens or fabrics that cannot be washed, simply put them in a dryer at the highest setting for around 20 minutes. Bed bugs are intolerant to high heat.
6. When sorting the clothes for laundry keep them in separate trash bags so that the remaining area of your home does not get infested.
7. Use soft laundry detergent to clean the stains.
8. Use bed bug repellent spray to keep bed bug stains out of clothes.
9. It will take several washes to remove the bed bugs completely. Hence, keep the washed laundry separately in a plastic bag or box till the next wash cycle.
FAQs – Bed Bugs & Bed Bug Stains
1. What do bed bugs look like?
They are small, oval-shaped, brown insects. Bed bugs feed on human and animal blood.
2. Where are bed bugs found?
They are commonly found in the seams of mattresses, bedsheets, and beds. You can also spot them in the cracks of walls and wooden furniture.
3. Do bed bugs leave marks on the wall?
Yes. Bed bugs leave a trail of poop or bloodstains.
4. What does bed bug poop look like?
It looks like dark brown or black spots. Often found in clusters, bed bug poop stains can be spotted in cracks of beds, walls, or wooden furniture.
5. Do bed bug poop on wood furniture spread infection?
Bed bugs or their poop is not known to spread any infection. However, an allergic reaction to bed bugs can lead to severe skin infections.
6. How to remove bed bug urine stains?
Look for enzyme cleaner for bed bugs if treating at home. Make sure you buy a cleaner that is specifically for urine stains. If bed bug infestation increases, it is wise to contact a professional pest control service provider.
7. Can bed bugs infest on walls?
Yes. Bed bugs can infest many places apart from the bed. They can be found in cracks of wood or walls.
8. How do I know if a bed bug bit me?
It is hard to identify a bed bug bite mark. Usually, it takes days for a bite mark to appear. It looks similar to a mosquito or flea bite mark. If your skin is not sensitive, you might not even see a bite mark. However, some people might be allergic to bed bugs and can develop adverse reactions.
9. How to prevent and treat bed bugs?
An insecticide spray is effective in preventing bed bugs from infesting an area. If you suspect bed bugs then immediately get in touch with a pest control center. In case you are bitten by a bed bug, apply an antiseptic cream to treat the affected area.
