Bed Bug Advice: How did you manage to keep things decluttered?
I saw my first sign of a bed bug three weeks ago. I wasn't sure if it was a bed bug or roach, so I contacted my landlord and he sent 2 guys over to check. Both said it was a roach, but I wasn't convinced. One of the guys even sprayed, so I thought the problem was solved. But, he didn't give me or have me follow ANY of the protocol which as y'all probably know to bag all of your worldly possession and wash EVERYTHING!
Then, on Tuesday I found one on my pillow. Contacted my landlord again and this time he said he was sending professionals (don't know who those other guys were then??). They had me bag everything in my living room, bed room and bathroom/vanity area as well as take all the outlets off of my walls. Then they did the first spray. All of my clothes, bedding and pillows have been dried on high heat, then washed on high heat, then dried on high heat again. And I am vacuuming everything religiously!
The advice was to keep everything bagged until the second spray, which is in 14 days. But, they also said it's very important to keep my space decluttered and have nothing, absolutely nothing touching the walls. I'm typically a very clean person, but I have NO IDEA how to keep my place decluttered when 75% of my apartment minus the kitchen are in plastic garbage bags in my apartment. Any ideas?
Also, a side note, how did y'all keep sane? I feel like I'm going crazy, I don't react to bites so I'm truly going to have no idea if/when they're gone unless I check every nook and cranny or see one live!!
Posted Aug 8, 2025, 5:00 PM UTC