LAUREL, Md. — The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) has issued a poster for member cleaners promoting drycleaning as the consumer’s best bet for sanitizing bedbug-infested items. The poster features a man cowering in bed at the thought of becoming a victim of the bedbug epidemic.
The poster highlights the fact that the heat used in the drycleaning process is more than sufficient to kill bedbugs. “We know how to solve this unhealthy pesky problem,” the poster reads. “If you suspect that any of your items are infested with bedbugs, bring them to us in tightly sealed plastic bags, and we’ll take care of the rest.”
Bedbugs have experienced a recent resurgence, affecting hotels, dormitories and other mostly high-occupancy buildings in cities such as New York, Louisville, Cleveland and Detroit. International travel, immigration and changes in pesticides use are thought to have contributed to a 70% increase in infestations over the last five years, according to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).
Bedbugs hide and reproduce in the seams of mattresses, suitcases and other fabric items. After dark, they emerge from their hiding places to feed on blood, often producing itchy welts on their victims. Only certain pesticides and heat of 120°F or higher is effective in eradicating bedbugs and their eggs.
For more information about the poster, visit the DLI website, www.ifi.org.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].