How to Prepare Your Apartment for Bed Bug Treatment — The Complete Checklist

Published April 7, 2026 · Extermination DMP

You booked the bed bug treatment. The exterminator said "prepare the apartment before we arrive." Then they sent you a list that looks like you are moving out.

It is overwhelming. But preparation is not optional — it is the difference between a treatment that works and one that fails. An unprepared apartment can reduce treatment effectiveness by 50% or more.

Here is the complete checklist, in order, with explanations for why each step matters.

2-3 Days Before Treatment

Laundry (The Biggest Job)

This is the most time-consuming part. Plan for 4-8 hours depending on how much you own.

What to wash:

• All bedding — sheets, pillowcases, blankets, comforters, mattress pad
• All clothing in dressers and closets within 2 meters of the bed
• Curtains and drapes in affected rooms
• Throw pillows, decorative cushions, stuffed animals
• Towels stored in the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom
• Coats and jackets stored in bedroom closets

How to wash:

• Hot water cycle (minimum 55°C)
• Hot dryer cycle for at least 30 minutes — this is the kill step. The heat, not the water, kills bed bugs
• Items that cannot be washed (dry-clean-only) go in the dryer on high for 30 minutes
• Items that cannot go in the dryer should be sealed in plastic bags and placed in a chest freezer at -18°C for 4 days

After washing:

• Seal clean items in new plastic bags (not the bags you transported dirty items in)
• Label bags by room
• Store sealed bags away from infested areas until after treatment is complete

Declutter

• Remove items from under the bed — everything
• Clear nightstands — empty drawers, remove items from surfaces
• Clear the floor along all walls in affected rooms (baseboards must be accessible)
• Remove items from closet floors
• Bag or box loose items — books, papers, electronics — and seal them

The Day Before Treatment

Vacuum Everything

• Vacuum the mattress — all seams, piping, and surfaces
• Vacuum the box spring — especially the fabric on the bottom
• Vacuum along all baseboards in affected rooms
• Vacuum under and behind the bed, nightstands, and dressers
• Vacuum closet floors
• Vacuum upholstered furniture in affected rooms

After vacuuming:

• Remove the vacuum bag (or empty the canister) immediately
• Seal the contents in a plastic bag
• Dispose of it in an outdoor garbage bin — not your kitchen garbage

Move Furniture

• Pull beds away from the walls (15-30cm gap)
• Pull dressers and nightstands away from walls
• If bed bugs are in the living room, pull couches and chairs away from walls

Kitchen and Bathroom

• No special preparation needed for kitchen or bathroom unless bed bugs have been found there (rare for early infestations)
• Cover or store exposed food and dishes as a general precaution
• Remove pet food bowls

Treatment Day

Before the Technician Arrives

• Remove all people and pets from the unit
• Fish tanks: cover and turn off the air pump
• Open closet doors in affected rooms (allows treatment access)
• Strip the bed — mattress should be bare
• Leave the apartment unlocked or arrange key access

During Treatment

• Stay out of the unit for 4-6 hours (chemical treatment) or 6-8 hours (heat treatment)
• Do not enter until the technician confirms it is safe to return
• Take essentials with you — medications, phone, wallet, keys
• Pets should be at a friend's house or boarded for the day

After Treatment — Same Day

• Open windows for 1-2 hours to ventilate when you return
• Do not vacuum treated areas for at least 14 days — the residual product continues working
• Make your bed with clean linens from sealed bags
• Sleep in the treated bed — this is important. Your presence attracts remaining bugs to cross treated surfaces
• Do not move to a different room or couch — this can spread bugs to untreated areas

Between Treatment 1 and Treatment 2 (10-14 Days)

• Continue sleeping in the treated bed
• Do not vacuum baseboards or treated surfaces
• Do not rearrange furniture
• Keep clean clothing in sealed bags until the second treatment is complete
• Monitor for activity — check mattress seams every few days
• Report any new bites or sightings to your exterminator immediately

After the Final Treatment

• Wait 14 days after the last treatment before deep cleaning
• Vacuum thoroughly — all areas
• Consider installing mattress and box spring encasements (bug-proof covers)
• Monitor for 4-6 weeks — if no new activity, the treatment was successful
• Keep the encasements on permanently as prevention

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to throw away my mattress?

What about my electronics — laptop, TV, game console?