How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs? Effective Tips to Keep Them Away

Bed bugs may seem like mythical beings, but they pose a very real harm to your health and wellbeing. Bed bugs often strike when you are at your most vulnerable - during sleep, hidden under the covers of your bedding.

Here's everything you need to know about preventing these pests - and how to get rid of them if your bedding is showing signs of infestation.

Bed bugs (sometimes written as bedbugs), according to the NHS, are small, difficult-to-spot insects that typically live on furniture or bedding.

Bed bugs are typically:

• half a centimetre (5mm) in length as fully-grown adults 
• red, brown, or dark yellow in colour
• six-legged, flat, with tiny hairs

Bed bugs, despite their name, can live in a number of places, including:

• on mattresses
• behind wall hangings
• in the gaps of your bedframe
• under carpets
• in piles of clothes
• in luggage or other types of storage

While bed bugs are very small and difficult to see, there are some telltale signs of their presence - and some pretty gross ones, at that.

• red spots on bedding or furniture(from crushed bed bugs)
• red, itchy, angry marks on the skin (caused by bed bug bites)
• brown spots (from bed bug poo)

Bed bugs are mainly brought to bedding by another person or other third party. Frequent travelers are most likely to have bed bugs, as hotel rooms and certain climates can be breeding grounds for bed bugs, clinging on to clothing or luggage.

Moving home or bringing items that are infested - typically secondhand items - are also common ways of bringing bed bugs into your home.

Regarding the advice above about the potential sources of bed bugs, it is best to properly sanitise any bedding, clothing, or furnishing that you are bringing into your home - especially if they are secondhand. If you're a frequent traveler, you shouldn't sit on your bed with outdoor clothes or place luggage on them.

More generally, keeping your bedroom and overall home tidy regularly will keep bed bugs away. Washing your bedding regularly will also help kill any germs before it becomes a big issue.

Certain scents, such as lavender, lemon, peppermint and tea tree also repel bed bugs. Using essential oils around your bedding is an effective way to prevent bed bugs.

Certain bedding types have been scientifically proven to repelling bed bugs. Mattress protectors, for example, give your bedding an extra layer of protection from bed bug contact. Bedding colours such as yellow or green have also been linked to discouraging bed bugs from settling.

Certain, more natural bedding materials, such as organic cotton, wool, or silk are not the kind of materials bed bugs like to cling to. Similarly, bedding made of tightly woven fibres, such as Egyptian cotton or bamboo, also help to keep bed bugs at bay. The same logic can be applied to the materials of your pyjamas and other sleepwear, such as socks.

If you suspect your bedding - or clothing - may have bed bugs, the NHS advises washing your clothing on a high temperature of approximately 60 degrees celsius - a high enough temperature to kill germs and bacteria. Affected fabrics should then be placed in a plastic bag then kept in the freezer for 3-4 days.

The easiest method, however, is prevention. Regularly cleaning your room, changing your bedding, and ensuring all secondhand or outdoor items are properly sanitised will help keep bed bugs away. Adapting your bedding, such as using specific colours or materials, or the introduction of essential oils, can also make a significant difference in keeping your room clean and safe from bed bugs.