How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs? Methods That Work, Step by Step
updated 11 July 2026
Quick answer
You fight bed bugs with a combination of high heat and mechanical removal. Wash textiles at 60°C (140°F), go over the mattress and bed frame with a steam cleaner, vacuum the crevices, and dust them with diatomaceous earth. Once the infestation spreads, home methods are rarely enough and you need professional pest control.
Step by step
- 1
Recognize the signs of bed bugs
Look into the mattress seams, behind the headboard, and into the crevices of the bed frame. Watch for tiny dark dots the size of a poppy seed - these are droppings, and they appear in clusters. On light bedding you may also spot small rusty or brown stains and shed, translucent skins. The insect itself is flattened, brown, and about the size of an apple seed.
- 2
Wash textiles at 60°C
Collect the bedding, pillowcases, curtains, and clothes from around the bed into sealed bags so you do not spread the insects through the home. Wash everything at a minimum of 60°C (140°F), because lower temperatures do not kill the eggs. Anything that cannot be washed that hot goes into a tumble dryer on the highest setting for at least 30 minutes.
- 3
Vacuum the seams and crevices
Thoroughly vacuum the mattress, seams, bed frame, baseboards, and furniture crevices with the crevice tool. The vacuum picks up adults and eggs but does not kill them. Right after vacuuming, remove the bag or empty the canister into a sealed plastic bag and take it outside.
- 4
Steam the mattress and frame
Go over the mattress, seams, headboard, and bed frame with a steam cleaner - steam above 60°C kills insects and eggs where the wash could not reach. Move the nozzle slowly, because what matters is the contact temperature, not speed. Focus on folds, mattress buttons, and the joints of the frame.
- 5
Dust the crevices with diatomaceous earth
Spread a thin layer of diatomaceous earth along the baseboards, in the frame crevices, and behind the headboard. The powder damages the shell of bed bugs that walk through it and keeps working long after application. Use a minimal amount, because insects simply walk around a thick layer. Leave it for a few days, then vacuum and apply a fresh layer.
- 6
Freeze small items
Things you cannot wash or steam - books, electronics, toys - go into sealed bags and then into the freezer. Keep them at -18°C (0°F) or below for at least 3-4 days so the item chills all the way through. It is a safe method for small objects from around the bed.
Why home methods often fall short
Bed bugs hide in inaccessible crevices - behind baseboards, in outlets, under wallpaper, and inside bed frames. The eggs resist many treatments, and a single female lays hundreds of them, so even a small overlooked cluster rebuilds the population within weeks.
Home methods work best early, when the infestation is small. If after two or three weeks of systematic work you are still finding fresh signs, DIY control is failing and it is time for professional pest control.
What professional bed bug treatment costs
Companies usually use heat treatments or sprays with long-lasting residual products, often in two rounds 2-3 weeks apart. As a rough guide, expect around 300-600 PLN per room, and usually 800-2000 PLN for a whole apartment, depending on the floor area, the extent of the infestation, and the number of treatments.
Before the visit, pull furniture away from the walls, wash the textiles, and pack your things according to the company's instructions - good preparation makes the treatment more effective. Afterwards, do not wipe the product off the baseboards and crevices right away, because it is what keeps working on the insects that come out of hiding.
How not to bring bed bugs home from a trip
Bed bugs most often travel in luggage. In a hotel, pull back the bedding and check the mattress seams and headboard for dark dots before you unpack. Keep your suitcase on a luggage rack away from the bed, never on the floor or the bedspread.
When you get home, unpack right away, ideally in a bathroom with a smooth floor, and put your clothes - including the unworn ones - straight into a 60°C wash or a hot dryer. Vacuum and wipe out the empty suitcase, and if in doubt, store it outside the bedroom.
Frequently asked questions
›Where do bed bugs in a home come from?
You usually bring bed bugs in from outside - in a suitcase after a trip, in used furniture, clothes, or secondhand equipment. In apartment blocks they can also wander over from neighbors through crevices, outlets, and utility shafts. They have nothing to do with dirt and show up in spotless homes too.
›How do I get rid of bed bugs for good?
Combine several methods at once and repeat them over several weeks, because the eggs hatch in batches. A steam cleaner alone or washing alone is usually not enough. With a stubborn infestation, only professional pest control in two rounds delivers a lasting result.
›Can you freeze bed bugs to death?
Yes, -18°C (0°F) kills bed bugs and their eggs, but it takes at least 3-4 days for the item to chill all the way through. It is a good method for small things you cannot wash - books, electronics, toys. You will not decontaminate large furniture this way.
›How can I tell it is bed bugs and not other insects?
Bed bugs leave distinctive clusters of dark dots in mattress seams, behind the headboard, and in the crevices of the bed frame. The adult insect is flattened, brown, and about the size of an apple seed, becoming longer and darker after feeding. You will also find translucent shed skins and small rusty stains on the bedding.
›Is diatomaceous earth safe to use indoors?
Diatomaceous earth in the pest control version works mechanically and can be used at home, but apply it wearing a glove and avoid inhaling the dust. Go for thin, minimal layers in crevices, out of reach of children and pets. Do not confuse it with the pool-grade variety, which has different properties.