Bed bugs are not a new epidemic, but given the continuing consequences of a certain worldwide pandemic, the thought of another healthcare matter keeping us from jetsetting doesn’t feel comforting.
In case you missed it, toward the end of Paris Fashion Week and fashion month, reports circulated of bed bugs spreading around the city. As the news broke, concern in the fashion community spread as the likelihood of carrying the bugs back to other major cities like New York and London was high. TikTok influencers abandoned discussions of OOTDs and were instead requesting tips on cleaning techniques for getting rid of bed bugs.
Unfortunately for luxe jet-setters, bed bugs don’t discriminate. They populate high end and lower end accommodations equally. Emmanuel Grégoire, Paris’ deputy mayor, said: “No one is safe.” Underpinning his words is the fact that because bed bugs are microscopic, they are near impossible to get rid of once you have them.
If you fear a bed bug infestation or need peace of mind from a professional, it’s best to contact a pest control specialist who can treat your home for bed bugs and also can check your belongings for bed bugs too.
Preventing Bed Bugs
It’s not exactly the first thing you think of doing when checking into a hotel room, but it is always a good idea to check the bed. That’s particularly true now while this situation still unfolds around the world. So what does that entail? According to Forbes, first, you should strip your bed down to the bare mattress. Get out your phone flashlight, and look for brown insects, translucent egg shells or reddish-brown stains. The latter usually hints at blood.
Additionally, you should check drawers and closets. The general advice from the NYC Department of Health is not to unpack your clothes from your suitcase if you’re concerned about bed bugs. Additionally, don’t put your suitcase or purse on the bed before you check it.
Of course, even with this checking, you may not catch them all. Bed bugs feed on human blood. If you don’t check the above, you’ll know you have bed bugs if you wake up with small itchy red spots all over your body – these are bed bug bites.
What To Do If You Have Bed Bugs
Fortunately, bed bugs are not known to spread diseases to humans. However, they can unknowingly end up in your belongings. So, if traveling back from a city where bed bugs are known to be an issue – upon your return, open up your suitcase outside or in a bathroom, as this can be easily scrubbed clean.
As for clothing, immediately tumble dry everything on high heat. Bed bugs can live through a washing cycle, but will die instantly when exposed to high heat, so if you do need to wash your clothes, it’s best to sandwich this between a tumble dryer cycle.
If you usually take your clothes to a laundromat, tie up all your clothes in garbage bags, and be sure to tell staff beforehand that you may have been exposed to bed bugs, they can then treat the clothes appropriately. The same goes for “dry clean only” clothing items. Dry cleaning involves chemicals and, contrary to popular belief, isn’t actually dry cleaning at all. Luckily, these chemicals are perfect for killing insects like bed bugs.
Bed Bugs in handbags
Unfortunately, bed bugs can end up anywhere, and that includes handbags and shoes. The corners and crevices of handbags are the perfect hiding place for bed bugs and also mean they are difficult to detect. So if you haven’t been convinced to keep your purses clean before, maybe you will now.
Please consult your handbag brand aftercare specialists first before attempting to clean your bag on your own.
First use a handheld vacuum in your handbag, even if it’s a minibag – the suction of the vacuum is a great way to initially clean out the bag. Then, gently use the edge of a metal nail file in the crevices to flick out any hidden insects or eggs.
Of course, putting your expensive purses in the dryer isn’t exactly an option – but using the heat of a hairdryer means you can control the temperature. Bed bugs can’t withstand any temperature extremities, including the cold. An alternate option is to put your purse in a sealed freezer bag, then put it in the freezer overnight, after which you should repeat the above steps of vacuuming and checking crevices.
The best advice is to stay diligent. Netizens once made fun of Naomi Campbell for cleaning her airplane seat, and soon it became the norm; perhaps this will be the next.
Read related:
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Updated: November 10th, 2023
Comments
1 Responses to “Can Bed Bugs Live Inside Your Handbag?”
I wouldn’t advise freezing handbags for a bedbug problem. Freezing and then thawing an exotic skinned bag could ruin it. Freezing and thawing could cause condensation. The droplets of water could permanently stain it.