You lock your front door at night, you arm your home with security cameras and other monitoring devices, you keep your most precious documents in a safe, and you probably even take the time to recheck windows and kid’s rooms before laying your head down at night. Speaking of laying your head down, what are you doing to safeguard your bedroom from unwanted invaders of the creepy crawly community? They are a bigger threat than you might imagine.
You might take the extra time to keep a clean and tidy room, but this is only part of the equation. It’s been long ago proven that even the cleanest and most organized homes can get invaded. So, what can one do to add even more protection?
Bed bug mattress covers!
What Are Bed Bug Mattress Covers?
Bed bug encasements,
bed bug mattress toppers, or bed bug covers, you’ll likely hear these products referred to a variety of names while conducting research, but they all indicate the very same product. A product that is virtually nothing more than a big plastic protective cover for your mattress. Sleeping without one of these protectors is equal to not arming your home with security monitoring devices, sleeping with your front door unlocked, or not taking the time to make the necessary safety checks of your property.
Since 90 percent of
bed bug infestations occur in the bedroom or end up in the mattress and box springs, it only makes sense to take these precautions. Back to
bed bug mattress covers. When you think of one of these products, you should think of a big protective plastic wrapper with a zipper. This is something similar to a plastic wrapper the dry cleaner might put are your best suit or Cashmere sweater. A bed bug protector virtually does the same.
It protects the mattress from exposure to outside elements, while also preventing anything from moving in and taking up residence. At least this is what a good mattress protector will do. The question now becomes, how do I make sure I buy a good mattress cover? That’s exactly what our qualified team of experts is here to help you with.
Choosing The Best Of The Best
Not only are
bed bug mattress covers referred to by various names, but they come available in various sizes, shapes, colors, and designs. Needless to say, there will be no end to your available selection. Unfortunately, this will only make the buying process that much harder if you don’t know exactly where to look and what to look for.
The Product Must Fully Encase
First and foremost, when you consider a
bed bug mattress cover at the most basic level, you need to consider its purpose of it. What did we state earlier as being the main purposes of a bed bug protector? What’s the product’s ultimate goal? To protect your mattress from outside elements, while also preventing anything new from accessing the mattress. The only way a protector can do this is if it fully encases your mattress. The slightest little rip, tear, or exposure will render the entire product useless.
The mattress protector you are choosing must fully encase around your mattress and protect it from outside exposure! For many, this might be as simple as choosing the right corresponding sizes. If you have a queen-sized mattress, choose a queen-sized protector. Simple as that!
The Product Must Offer A Durable Seal
Just fully encasing the mattress is only the start of the journey here. Remember earlier we also said that
bed bug mattress protectors were like a big plastic protector with a zipper for your mattress. The zipper allows for installation, removal, and maintenance of the product as well as your mattress. When you have your mattress installed inside the protector, you’ll need a way to safely secure it from the outside world. That’s where the zipper track and mechanism come in.
Both must offer an airtight seal. Once again, the slightest little exposure to the outside world will render the entire product pointless. Since you’ll likely be utilizing the zipper many times, you must ensure that it is built durably. Choose a protector that easily zips and unzips and consider reinforced seams for an added layer of protection.
Where And How Was The Product Tested?
Consumers are becoming more and more conscientious these days about making rash purchases. They are sitting down and taking the time to read reviews and studies before buying. This is good, as it will help keep manufacturers and others in check. That said, one needs to be careful when it comes to testing. A product that is not fully tested under a variety of field conditions can simply offer no guarantee whatsoever.
What’s even more, the product needs to be real-world tested by a third-party consultant. How easy do you think it is to skew test results when you are the one doing the testing? Pretty easy! This is where third-party testing comes in.
Opt For A Toxin-Free Design
A lot of manufacturers today will include chemicals inside their protectors to add an extra layer of security or as an offensive mean to kill insects. This might sound like a good preemptive attack, but you must remember that you’ll be sleeping with this product. Even though it completely seals, there is potential for such chemicals to get out into the air while you sleep. In addition to this, plastics and other materials sometimes are constructed with dangerous materials.
Make sure you are double-checking the list of materials used to ensure everything is safe and above board. Furthermore, it’s probably even a good idea to open the mattress, unzip it, and let it acclimate outside or in an open area somewhere for a few days before installing it.
Do These Products Really Work?
Now to the most important question, do bed bug mattress protectors work? You better believe they work. Professional pest specialists all across the globe have been using the products as a means to an end for years and still continue to use them. That said, some people have experienced negative results with them.