Getting a Child's Bedroom Ready for Treatment: Havering

The principle is the same as for any bedroom: very little needs to leave, the bed stays exactly where it is, and what does leave is bagged and cleaned before it comes back. The difference with a child’s room is volume, and feelings.

The Bed or Cot Stays Put

Do not take the cot apart, carry the bunk bed down to the garage or put the mattress out for collection. Bedbugs sit in the joints, slats and seams, and moving the furniture shakes them out along the way. We treat the bed where it stands.

Strip the bedding, bag it at the bedside and take it straight to the washing machine on a hot wash. The same goes for cot bumpers, sleeping bags and the blanket that lives at the end of the bed. A child who has been sleeping in the room keeps sleeping there until the day; moving them in with a sibling tends to give the bugs a second bed.

Toys: What Comes Out and What Stays

Hard plastic toys in a box on the floor are unlikely hiding places, but they get in the way. Soft toys, fabric play tents, beanbags and dressing-up clothes are a different matter, because they have seams and folds.

• Soft toys go through a hot wash or a hot tumble dryer cycle if the label allows, then into a sealed bag until the room is finished.
• Anything battery-powered is worth mentioning when you ring. Some electronics come out for heat, and we would rather go through them with you than have you guess.
• Play tents and beanbags stay in the room for heat, opened up. For chemical, tell the technician about them on the day.
• The toy box itself can stay, emptied and with the lid open.

School Things and Bags

Books, pencil cases and school bags usually sit near the bed, which puts them close to where bedbugs live. Empty the school bag, check the seams and pockets in good light, and wash it if it is fabric and the label allows. Books can be flicked through and wiped before they go back.

Keep the school bag out of the bedroom from now on. It is one of the routines our Havering page picks out as worth changing for good.

Heat and Chemical: What Each Means for the Room

With heat, the room and most of what is in it are treated together, so the clothes in drawers and the toys on shelves do not need to leave. Things heat would harm come out first: aerosols, candles, medication, vinyl, plants and some electronics. Wax crayons and modelling clay are worth adding to that pile. Everyone, pets included, is out for most of a day. The London heat preparation guide has the full list.

With chemical, the residual goes into seams, frames and skirtings, and children stay out of the room until the treated surfaces are dry. Clear the floor so the technician can reach the edges, and wash the bedding. There will usually be a second visit 10 to 14 days later, sometimes a third. Follow the instructions given on the day for when the room can be used again.

Talking to Your Child About It

Children pick up on worry far more than on facts. Keep it plain: some tiny insects have got into the bed, a person is coming to get rid of them, and everything that matters will be looked after. Avoid making it sound like their fault, or like the room is dirty. It is neither.

• Let them choose one comfort toy to go through the dryer first, so it is back with them that night.
• Give them a job, such as putting their own soft toys into the bag.
• If they are old enough to be curious, show them what the bug looks like, so they can tell you if they see one.

The First Night Back

After heat, the room is back in use once it has cooled. After chemical, it is back once dry, and you should not hoover or wipe the skirtings until the course of visits is finished; our London guide on what happens after treatment explains why. Put clean bedding on and bring back only the things that have been washed, dried or kept sealed.

If your child has had bites that are sore or look unusual, a pharmacist or GP is the person to ask. Call 999 if there are signs of a severe allergic reaction.

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