I'm a big promoter of buying things second hand as well as dumpster diving as a means of saving money.Unfortunately, in some places of the world, rampant bed bugs infestations make doing so problematic. Fortunately, bed bugs are definitely rare in my neck of the woods.
A reader emailed me, asking me what to do about bed bugs when buying things second hand. For the most part, washing things on hot will kill any lingering bed bugs, but some items are too delicate to go on a hot cycle without being ruined.
How can you kill bed bugs without a hot wash cycle, she asked me, so that you can feel safe about using second hand clothing?
I try not to buy any delicate clothing that needs to be washed on a special cycle. Knowing myself, I'm sure to wash it in the wrong load and ruin it anyhow, making the purchase an utter waste of money, so this issue most likely wouldn't come up.
If you're not like me and do buy delicate clothing, here's some options that may help eliminate the bedbug issue.
[Edited because I don't have any personal experience with this, and was told that the ideas I had don't work.]
How about you- do you have any ideas for this reader? What do you do about buying items second hand when there is an issue with bed bug infestations? How do you kill bed bugs?