Buzz
Before bringing any used furniture into your home, be sure to do your research.
iStockphoto/ThinkstockRemember when Saturday mornings meant strolling through local garage sales, scoring hidden gems without breaking the bank? The deals are still there, but now there's a risk of picking up more than you bargained for—like bed bugs lurking in that charming old bedside table. Bed bugs are popping up everywhere, from movie theaters to high-end hotels. If you trust the news reports (and you probably should), we're right in the middle of a bed bug crisis.
These super-charged bed bugs aren't just any pests—they’re expert bloodsuckers. Even worse, they’re becoming resistant to many common extermination techniques, meaning their numbers continue to rise. So, what's a devoted bargain hunter to do? Abandon garage sales altogether? No way!
Here are five ways you can avoid bed bugs while still scoring great furniture deals.
5: Trust Your Common Sense
Bed bugs are experts at hiding in small cracks and seams, making them hard to detect and even harder to eliminate once they’re inside your home. It’s already challenging to check for them in seemingly clean items, so steer clear of furniture finds from questionable places like dumpsters or alleys. It might seem obvious, but you'll often see home improvement gurus on TV boasting about a hidden gem they found discarded somewhere. For now, if something looks like it's heading for the trash—leave it there.
If you're planning a trip or moving into a new apartment, make sure to check The Bedbug Registry ahead of time to see the latest updates on bed bug activity in hotels and apartments across the country.
4: Skip Upholstered Furniture
Purchase sturdy items secondhand, but always opt for new cushions.
Hemera/ThinkstockAs disappointing as it may be, upholstered furniture is a prime hideout for bed bugs. Once they’ve settled in, they can be nearly impossible to detect. Even if the person selling or donating the furniture cleaned it, the bed bugs might still be there without leaving obvious signs of their presence.
Unfortunately, steam cleaning won’t solve the problem. The intense heat needed to eliminate bed bugs and their eggs doesn't reach deep enough into the padding of upholstered furniture. While some over-the-counter pesticides claim to kill bed bugs, they often fail to penetrate thoroughly enough to do the job. Even if you try using chemicals, you'll end up with dead bugs inside the furniture and a persistent chemical residue that won’t wash out. It’s a tough situation.
If you think luck’s on your side and still decide to take the risk of buying secondhand upholstered furniture, inspect it carefully for bed bug signs (we'll go over how to do that in the following pages). Look for items that aren’t commonly used for sleeping or resting. Bed bugs tend to stay near places where people sleep, like beds or couches, and are less likely to be found in upholstered dining chairs or bar stools. But there are no guarantees, so this is one case where you should proceed with extreme caution.
3: Don’t Believe Everything You Hear
Most secondhand furniture sellers are honest, but that doesn’t mean you should take everything they say at face value—especially when they claim their items are free of bed bugs. It's incredibly difficult to be certain that used furniture is bed bug-free. Even with the best intentions, efforts to ensure safety can fall short because these pests are stealthy, adaptable, and incredibly resilient. Here are a few reasons why:
- Heat can kill bed bugs -- It requires a sustained temperature of at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit for at least three hours. That’s not easy to achieve. Smaller items can be disinfected on hot days inside a sealed dark plastic bag. (Make sure to use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature.)
- Cold can kill bed bugs -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises exposing bed bugs to temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of one week. Ouch.
- You can’t starve them out -- Bed bugs can survive without feeding for over a year (up to 18 months). A piece of furniture could sit in storage for months and still harbor bed bugs that are ready to feed.
- Bed bugs are masters of hiding -- Adult bed bugs are less than a quarter inch long, and their eggs are even smaller. They can slip into tiny cracks and crevices in furniture, making them nearly invisible.
2: Choose Hard, Simple Items
Just because there’s no fabric doesn’t mean it’s automatically safe from bugs.
iStockphoto/ThinkstockIf you’re willing to take a gamble with used furniture, opt for hard surfaces like solid wood and plastic over soft or porous materials like leather, fabric, pressed wood, or cardboard. Bed bugs have been found hiding in books, lamp pleats, seams, and even inside lamps, fans, and electronics like clocks. Hard, cleanable surfaces with minimal crevices or seams are the safest bets. Think bookshelves, nightstands, tables, and dressers. Be sure to inspect everything carefully and clean it thoroughly before bringing it into your home. We’ll share more inspection tips on the next page.
1: Thoroughly Check What You Buy
Bed bugs are difficult to spot, but they aren’t completely invisible. They leave traces that can sometimes be noticed if you pay attention and look closely. If you find an item from a trusted seller that seems worth buying, grab a magnifying glass and flashlight, then look for the following signs of bed bug activity:
- After feeding, bed bugs leave behind small black spots. These tiny dots can sometimes be seen on both hard and soft surfaces. Fabrics might also show reddish streaks or smears.
- Since bed bugs are skilled at hiding, check the backs and undersides of tables, shelves, headboards, and other furniture for live bugs or shed skins (exoskeletons they’ve discarded).
- Bed bugs often take refuge in furniture joints, seams, creases, cracks, and other narrow spaces. They might also hide in screw holes, nail holes, or small louvered vents. Shine a flashlight into tight spaces and inspect with a magnifying glass. You might even see a bed bug darting away from the light.
- If you're eyeing a painted piece of furniture, look under any loose paint for hiding bed bugs. They can conceal themselves behind peeling or uneven paint, as well as behind wallpaper.
- Sometimes bed bugs gather behind the paper backing on framed artwork, too.
These are just a few of the places where bed bugs can hide. There are many more. They can shelter inside hollow towel racks, curtain rods, and even small appliances. Plush toys are also a potential hiding spot. Bed bugs can conceal themselves in clothing, bedding, curtains, shoes, handbags, rugs, and almost anything else you can think of.
Once you’ve purchased a secondhand piece of furniture, consider heat treating it in a dark plastic bag to kill any bed bugs or their eggs. (Make sure the temperature reaches at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit for three hours or more.) If that’s not possible because of the item’s size, place it in quarantine in an empty bathtub. Bed bugs can’t escape up the smooth, slippery sides of a tub, so this will keep them contained and make it easier to spot them. If that’s not feasible, keep your new acquisition away from sleeping areas and periodically check it for signs of bed bug activity such as spots, exoskeletons, or eggs.
