Please—take a moment to read. Am I over reacting?

2 days ago, my brother went to go pick up a used couch from someone. He went to their house, loaded it up in a rented box truck, and came back home. He called me to come outside to help him unload it.

Before we unload it, we spent about half an hour cleaning the garage, moving stuff around, throwing boxes outside, etc. We made one or two trips down to the unfinished basement to put a box or two down there.

We start unloading the couch into the garage, and I say hold on I want to check it quickly. Within 20 seconds of inspecting the couch, I spot a bedbug shell (confirmed 100%). Immediately we load it straight back into the truck, and take it to a dump to get rid of it. I got my other brother to clean the whole garage floor (concrete) with boiling water, gasoline (excessive I know), and bleach, TWICE. Once we got home, we take all our clothes off in the garage, including underwear, shoes and socks, put everything in a garbage bag and threw the garbage bag outside permanently, not even going to put anything in the dryer after. We entered the house butt naked (with towels). And went straight to shower. The garage floor was cleaned once again after this.

Is it reasonable to assume we are safe? Nothing was brought in the house in terms of clothing, shoes or furniture, no one went in and sat down or anything. My only fear was the quick minute or two down to the basement (unfinished) when HE went down, if something was still on HIS clothing after driving home for an hour and working in the garage, if it fell off during his trip to the basement (the garage provides direct access to the basement through the laundry room so he did not go far into the house just the basement, what are the odds that would happen, and that it would be a fertilized female? Am I just over reacting? I am constantly panicking and imagining every worst case scenario. I haven’t been able to sleep after this. Please help/advise, this has been stressing me in unimaginable ways.

To add, I also immediately vacuumed the whole laundry room, basement stairs, where we walked in the basement, and discarded the vacuum bag outside.

Posted Dec 29, 2025, 3:06 AM UTC

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