Pests in your living area will not only disrupt your comfort but are also an eyesore, especially when guests are around. That’s where the unsung heroes, bug bombs, come into play.
Bug bombs, colloquially known as insect foggers, help take care of severe infestations with up to 80% efficacy while protecting your overall health. They work by releasing pesticide sprays into the air in aerosol form for several minutes before they settle on surfaces like chairs, cabinets, among others. Most residues in bug bombs usually lose most of their potency when the spray dies, but they are still harmful chemicals at the end of the day. If you are looking to bug bomb your home, below is a list of steps to follow to ensure your furniture looks spotless.
Contents
What To Do Before Activating The Bug Bomb
Read instructions carefully
Each bug bomb container comes with instructions that give precise details on usage and potency. Understanding the pesticide you have will ensure you take necessary precautions before setting it up in your home.
For example, some will require you to completely cover your furniture, utensils, among others, before releasing them, while others won’t. They also have their specified time limits when you can reenter the room after releasing the bug bombs; thus, you must pay keen attention.
Wear protective gear
Before embarking on this tremendous journey of restoring your house to the utopia it once was, you must first protect yourself. Stocking up on protective gear like face masks, gloves, goggles, long-sleeved tops, and jeans is a good start.
Remember that you’ll be handling chemicals that just sent several organisms to the afterlife, so a bit of precaution won’t hurt. Suppose you or one of your loved ones has respiratory illnesses. In that case, you should consider hiring a professional cleaner to do the job for you. Exposure to the lingering fumes could be detrimental to your overall health and end up making your symptoms worse or even causing death.
How to Clean Furniture after a Bug Bomb
Wipe down surfaces
Some bug bombs are not harmful even when left on surfaces after drying. But if you get the dangerous kind or aren’t willing to take any chances, then a good wipe down should do the trick. Some surfaces you can wipe include tables, stands, beds, couches, and stools. All you need is a sturdy rag and a bucket of warm, soapy water to get you started. You should ensure that all the wooden surfaces have been wiped down thoroughly to eliminate any pesticide residue that may be lingering.
If you own leather or vinyl seats, a good wipe down with a warm cloth should also do the trick. On the other hand, if you own cloth seats, then vacuuming them will help remove the chemical residues and the dead bugs that might be wedged inside. This cleaning will help prevent any accidental ingestion of the residual chemicals, especially if you have toddlers or pests in your living space. The cloth you will use to wipe down surfaces should also be thoroughly cleaned afterward to remove chemicals and aired out to dry. Then, if you don’t need it, you can discard it in an environmentally friendly way.
Washing
Suppose you are still unsure after wiping down your furniture. In that case, you can also opt to thoroughly wash the furniture before aerating in direct sunlight or under a shade. Warm soapy water and a sponge, cloth, or brush are all you’ll need for this process. First, ensure you gently but meticulously clean all the crevices and hard-to-reach areas to remove all residual chemicals. Then, after scrubbing with warm soapy water, you can rinse the furniture with clean water to wash off the dirt and grime. And since the third time is always the charm, repeat this process three times to be safe.
Once you are done, leave your clean furniture out in the open to completely dry before you can return them to your house.
If you had covered your furniture before the bug bombing procedure, care should be taken when handling clothing items. If they aren’t helpful anymore, you can wrap them up tightly in bags and dispose of them. However, if you will use them in the future, you should thoroughly wash them in warm soapy water, rinse them, and air them out to dry.
Vacuum or mop
Since the bug bomb is usually set up on the floor in the middle of the room, the residual chemicals can get underneath furniture. If you have seats made from cloth, then vacuuming and steam cleaning will remove all debris and dead bugs lodged inside. It would also be best if you vacuumed or mopped the floors, especially underneath your furniture, to ensure no chemical is left behind. If using a vacuum cleaner, you’ll need to repeat the process three or four times for an effective cleanup process.
However, if you are mopping, ensure you use warm soapy water and a sturdy mop to clean the floors. This is more effective compared to vacuuming as you’ll be able to access hard-to-reach places like underneath furniture with precision and ease. For effective results, you should wait for 24hours before mopping to not disrupt the working of the bug bombs.
Suppose you expose yourself to the pesticides and exhibit symptoms like burning skin, dizziness, seizures, headache, and nausea. In that case, you should immediately visit a doctor.
Ventilate! Ventilate!
While bug bombs are effective when trying to rid your house or car of pesky bugs hiding in cracks or crevices, they have their downfalls. Some leave behind chemical residues in the air, with some landing on surfaces like clothing, chairs, and cabinets, among others. After setting up and releasing a bug bomb, you are advised to keep away from the room for about two to four hours.
When you enter the room, first ensure you open all the windows and doors to let the room breathe. You can also employ the added services of oscillating electric fans to expedite the ventilation process. The added air circulation helps eliminate any chemicals lingering in the air, thus making it easier for you or the cleanup crew to breathe. It also helps hasten the drying process of pesticides. The ventilation process should last approximately one hour before you can start cleaning.
In Conclusion
Bug eradication is a highly elaborate process that requires patience, a bit of hard work, and a whole lot of protective gear. Always read instructions in leaflets within the bug bomb containers to get a clear grasp of the task at hand and how to clean your home effectively.
You should also use warm soapy water mixed in the ratio of your choosing to wipe down all the furniture surfaces. For the furniture that will require a thorough wash, ensure you use warm soapy water and leave them out to dry. The sun has bleaching properties and might help eliminate lingering pests that survived the extermination process.
Vacuuming afterward will help rid your furniture, flooring, and spaces underneath your seats or tables of any residual chemicals or dead bugs. If unsure of what to do, you can hire the services of professional extermination crews. With these cleaning tips at your fingertips, you can look forward to cleaning furniture after a bug bomb.