Nearly all owners feel the same about their homes, they should be protected at all costs. It is their most valuable asset, after all. Even if it means, putting the home in a bubble, there is no end to what the owner will do to keep it safe. What many people do not know is their home’s biggest threat is the weather, followed by pests. While you are protecting your home, you are leaving yourself open to one of your biggest predators, the
bed bug.
What Are Bed Bugs, Where Do They Come From?
Bed bugs are tiny parasites that feed on blood from animals and humans, preferably the latter. These tiny insects have been known to hang out in motels, inns, hospitals, hotels, bed & breakfasts, college dorms, and skilled nursing facilities.
Bed bugs are just sitting idle, waiting on their opportunity to take an unsuspecting host. If you happen to fit the criteria, you will be the next victim.
Unfortunately, most bed bug victims are not aware of it until their home is infested. Being a victim of these parasites for any amount of time will lead to depression, anxiety, paranoia, and in severe cases, suicidal ideation.
Knowing where bed bugs take refuge in commercial and residential settings will definitely help. Once the insect has a host in its grip, it is not going to let go so easily. You have at your disposal, one of the best anti-bed bug tools. This tool is no other than the mattress cover. Ask yourself, where do bed bugs take refuge in their hosts’ homes. The answer is no other than the mattress.
Evidence shows, 90% of bed bug infestation cases begin in the host’s bedroom. Bed bugs infest mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and bedside tables or nightstands.
Buying A Bed Bug Mattress Cover?
The main purpose of a cover is to create a barrier between the bed bugs and the mattress. There are various mattress protector designs, all of which offer partial or full protection. Some of designed from high-quality cotton, while others are made of vinyl. Depending on the brand, it is possible to buy a mattress cover for less than what consumers spend on a set of sheets.
Since the cover is needed to fight against bed bugs, experts recommend a full encasement. This design fully engulfs the mattress. To create a seal, the mattress encasement has a zipper or Velcro fastener. Once the mattress encasement is installed, you simply close the zipper or Velcro fastener to create a complete seal.
Partial protection covers the top of the mattress, leaving the bottom exposed to bed bugs. This is not a good design for bed bug infestations because it leaves half of the mattress exposed.
How To Eradicate Bed Bugs Infesting A Mattress?
When it is determined your mattress is already infested with bed bugs, you need a safe extermination option. Unfortunately, chemical pesticides are not a suitable option for bed bug mattress infestation. There is no safe way to eradicate bed bugs without risking damage to your mattress or your health.
Besides natural pesticides, a full encasement mattress cover is your best option. Instead of utilizing potentially harmful chemical-based pesticides, you turn to the mattress cover, which will trap the bed bugs inside. Within two weeks, the bed bug adults, eggs, and larvae will perish, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota.
Overview Of Mattress Cover Designs
It cannot be stressed enough, the importance of knowing the available mattress cover designs in advance. To help jumpstart your research, a list is provided in the content below.
What Is A Full Encasement Mattress Cover?
A full encasement encapsulates the mattress, leaving zero openings, in this case, bed bug access points. To install a full encasement cover, you simply start at the top of the mattress, working your way downward. Continue unrolling the cover until the entire mattress is encapsulated. Seal the bottom of the cover, utilizing the provided zipper or Velcro fasteners.
What Is A Partial Encasement Mattress Cover?
This mattress cover offers partial protection from bed bugs. The insects can still infest the mattress by accessing the exposed bottom. Pest control experts do not recommend the partial encasement mattress cover to fight against bed bugs or dust mites.
Does The Mattress Cover Create A Full Seal?
You must ask yourself if the cover offers 100 percent protection by creating a perfect seal around the mattress. Full encasement cover designs with zippers do create a full seal around the mattress. Even Velcro fasteners are not enough to keep bed bugs from accessing your mattress. Adults do not grow larger than 7 millimeters in length, allowing the bed bugs to access the mattress through gaps between the Velcro fasteners.
Third-Party Mattress Cover Testing
Mattress covers are utilized for a variety of purposes, including bed bug infestation prevention. These devices are utilized to add a layer of protection between young children and their mattresses during potty training exercises. They are great for seniors with urinary incontinence due to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
When manufacturers guarantee consumers their mattress covers are 100 percent waterproof, third-party testing is a necessity. Designs made of quality vinyl offer 100 percent waterproof and bed bug-proof protection.
Free Of Toxins
It is not recommended to invest in brands that utilize materials known to be potentially toxic. Organic cotton is your best option when there is no need for waterproof protection. In these cases, vinyl designs are your best option. However, a downside of a vinyl mattress cover design is a potentially harmful product process. To reduce your carbon footprint while protecting your mattress from a bed bug infestation, experts recommend a vinyl design free of plasticizers.
The plasticizer production process may cause cancer in factory workers.
Low Maintenance Mattress Cover
Most mattress cover designs are low maintenance, requiring routine cleaning only. Plasticizer-free vinyl mattress covers need to be wiped down with mild soap and water bi-weekly. Cotton, linen, satin, silk, and flannel mattress covers need to be machine washed and dried (when applicable) bi-weekly.
