You Got Bedbugs While Travelling, Now What?

Despite all your research and precautions, you wake up one morning with itchy bites and realise you just spent the night with bedbugs. So now what?

First of all, don’t panic. Getting bedbugs can happen to even the most careful of travellers, so don’t blame yourself. And don’t forget that, apart from being a nuisance, bedbugs are not dangerous and are not known to transmit any diseases.

In this guide, we’ll go through all the steps you need to take to rid yourself of these annoying parasites. Also, be sure to check out our guide on how to spot bedbugs in your room, so that you can avoid them entirely!

Stay calm 

When first realising you’ve been attacked by bedbugs, it’s normal to feel scared and overwhelmed. It is extremely important, however, that you remain calm. Not giving into fear and anxiety will help you keep a level head and stop you from taking rash decisions you might later regret.

Just remember that bedbugs will not make you sick, and that you’ll get rid of them in no time if you just don’t panic.

Buy a new outfit

Step one, cancel your plans for the day, because you’re going shopping. You’ll need some new clothes to wear for a while, as you’ll be washing every single washable item that you brought on your trip, including shoes, backpacks, pouches, toiletry bags and the like.

This is because bedbugs don’t travel around on your hair or skin, but rather by hiding in your stuff. And not just what you’ve been wearing while sleeping, as they might have crawled into your shoes and inside your luggage during the night.

As for your new outfit, get something comfortable, basic and cheap. There is no need to go fancy, as you’ll only need your new clothes while the rest is getting washed.

Wash everything

Once you have your brand new clothes, take everything that might be contaminated and place it in sealed plastic bags. Bring any item that can be washed to a laundromat and wash them on the highest possible setting that won’t damage your clothes. This will be the first step in beating out any insects and eggs, as bedbugs are quite sensitive to the heat.

Pro-Tip:

When you put your clothes in the washing machine, drop them all inside the drum without anything spilling out, as this will insure that no bugs make it out of the machine. It’s also a good idea to pull up your sleeves to minimise contact with the contaminated clothing. Once you’re done, immediately dispose of the trash bag in an outdoor bin.

Put your clothes in the dryer

As we mentioned, bedbugs are sensitive to high temperatures. The next step will be to transfer all your clothes to a dryer, and run a cycle on the highest possible temperature.

This will kill any remaining insects, and destroy any eggs that might still be attached to your clothing. Once your clothes are dry, place them in new plastic bags to keep any bugs from getting back on.

Disinfect anything that can’t be washed 

Now that your clothes are taken care of, you’ll have to disinfect any items that you couldn’t put in the washing machine. Buy the highest grade of rubbing alcohol you can get your hands on, and use paper towels and a spray bottle to rub down all your gear. This will kill any live insect on contact, and will destroy any remaining eggs.

Remember that any nook and cranny could house a bedbug, so don’t skip anything. Chargers, mobile phones, power-banks, toiletries, they must all be properly disinfected to ensure the bugs don’t end up travelling with you to your next destination.

Your suitcase should also receive a proper alcohol scrubbing, given that it will almost surely be housing a few of the blood-suckers.

Throw out or seal the rest

Given enough time, bedbugs can get into every item that could potentially provide them with shelter. This includes items such as books, postcards and maps. If it’s not essential and it cannot be washed or disinfected with alcohol, throw it in the trash.

Any essentials that remain, such as money and passports, should be sealed in freezer bags and only taken out when necessary.

Alternatively, throw everything away

If you can afford it, the simplest option is to just throw all of your gear away.

If you feel unsure about following all the necessary steps, or simply do not have the time to go through with the cleaning process, this might be the best option for you.

It is also the only way to truly ensure that you won’t be taking anything with you when you move to your next accommodation.

Move to a new accommodation

Now that you have everything cleaned out, it’s time to grab your gear and move.

You’ll have to find another stay, as you obviously cannot remain in your current room without repeating the entire process the next day. While your accommodation’s management will probably offer you another room, we recommend you move to a new location, as there is no way of telling how many other rooms are infested.

Do it even if it ends up costing you more than what you’re comfortable paying. The risk of getting bedbugs again and potentially bringing them home is just too high.

Check if bedbugs are covered by your travel insurance

As far as we known, travel insurance companies do not compensate for any damages related to a bedbug infestation, including refunds from your accommodation, re-housing and missed transports. With that said, it's always worth checking with your operator if bedbugs are something that falls under their coverage.

Getting bedbugs is one of the most annoying and stressful experiences a traveller can go through.

It’s time consuming, potentially costly and anxiety inducing, but if you remain calm and stick to these simple steps you’ll have the situation under control in no time.

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