Exterminating bedbugs with Pest Control Professional is the best option, but it’s expensive. If your home is infested with bed bugs, and searching for home remedies to avoid the high costs and chemicals, then using alcohol may be an appropriate alternative. For the best results, you may combine the alcohol with other home remedies, like a steam cleaner. Because steam cleaning is another method of bedbug removal. Now you need to know how to apply this alcohol.
Does Alcohol Kill Bed Bugs?
Yes, Alcohol kills bedbugs. Now you need to know how does alcohol kills bed bugs. Read and follow the instruction or step-by-step guidelines to apply alcohol for killing bedbugs effectively.
Things You’ll Need
Vacuum cleaner,
Steam cleaner (Optional),
Chemical pump dispenser or spray bottle,
Rubbing alcohol &
Water.
Instruction:
01. Clean all infested areas
Clean all the infested areas with a Vacuum cleaner thoroughly. Bed Bugs are more likely to be in carpets, draperies, mattresses, box springs, pillows, and other fabric in your bedroom. Frequently remove the vacuum bag, because there will be a lot of dead and live bedbugs, their eggs, and nymphs. So, keep the vacuum bag in a plastic bag, seal it & throw it out immediately.
02. Wash all fabric items
Wash all fabric items like bedding including pillowcases, sheets, blankets, etc in hot water, and dry on the highest heat. Since Bed bugs cannot survive at temperatures above 110 degrees; wash the above items at an optimal temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure their removal. For items that can’t be washed or dried, apply a hand-held steamer or professional steam cleaner.
03. Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
Dispense 91% Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol into a chemical pump dispenser if you need to cover a large area. Instead, use a small spray bottle if you don’t have a chemical sprayer. While you need to cover more areas you can dilute the solution, and then mix up 9 parts rubbing alcohol with 1 part of water.
04. Spray all infested areas
Now, Spray all infested areas with the above alcohol solution. Treat also hard surfaces as well, such as headboards, etc. If you have a chemical sprayer that is fine to cover a large area. But for a small area or a few rooms, a spray bottle is enough.
05. Repeat the same procedure
Repeat the same procedure with alcohol whenever possible & wherever you suspect bed bugs are existing. Even if you don’t see any bed bugs, you can still apply the treatment, as alcohol treatments with steam cleaning will improve your likelihood of eliminating bed bugs entirely from your home.
Tips & Warnings
Remember, to make this treatment effective, Bed bugs must approach into direct contact with the alcohol. Repeat the treatment after 2 weeks. Any eggs that exist will have hatched by this time if they’re not killed in the previous treatment.
Alcohol can damage some finishing of materials, do a Test Treatment at first to ensure they are not damaging any surface. Other than this alcohol treatment you can kill bedbugs instantly with bedbug spray.
Disclaimer:
No warranty of accuracy for any information provided here. This is not medical advice anyway but can be used for information purposes only. Always ask your doctor for medical treatment while necessary.
Sources of Information:
01. How to Kill Bed Bugs for Good – Bed Bugs Removal Guide,
2. Insecticides/Treatments – Bed Bugs,
3. University of Kentucky: Bed Bugs,
4. University of California: Bed Bugs,
5. The United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Thanks for the information, interesting article.