After being careful where you stay when you travel, you need to take the next step to protect your home when you return from your trip. Although you may have been very careful about checking out your hotel room, you may have still brought home a bed bug egg or two. Taking this extra careful step when you return home may protect your furnishing, your family, and your pocketbook.

When we return from a vacation the first stop when we get into the house is to the laundry room. No suitcases go upstairs, they go right into the laundry room for a complete washing. I even wash hoodies and jackets that go on vacation too. If pillows went on the trip, into the washing machine they go as well. After having gotten lice from an extended airplane trip, I even send the entire family up to shower for a wash down right after entering the house. Hair should be washed as well!

You may think that I am paranoid, but the alternative is to bring bed bugs home and have to wash all your bedding, possibly even replace furnishings, buy encasements for all your bedding including box springs, and then call the bed bug exterminator. A wee bit of prevention will help to protect you and your family from the awful bites and incredible trouble and distress that these small yet persistent bugs bring.

So play it safe, bed bugs are out there, be careful that you don’t unknowingly bring them home from your trip.