The adult bed bug is a flat, brown insect 5 to 7 mm long that neither flies nor jumps. It spends the day in crevices close to the bed and comes out at night to feed. It enters a home with personal belongings; how clean the room is plays no part.
At first there are only a few individuals and tiny traces: the ideal window for a quick treatment. The people who clean see the bare mattress several times a week; this guide gives them a route, a reading grid and the right moves so they don't spread the problem.
The kit to keep in every cleaning bag
A proper check doesn't need expensive equipment, but it has to be within reach on every visit; otherwise it ends up being skipped.
- A head torch or wide-beam torch, held at a low angle to the surface.
- A thin plastic card, such as a loyalty card, to open folds and seams.
- Clear sticky tape to pick up an insect or a shed skin.
- Sealable plastic bags, kept for this property's linen only.
- Gloves, and a phone to photograph the sign next to an object for scale.
The spiral route, from the mattress out to the walls
Bed bugs hide as close as possible to where people sleep. So you start in the centre and work outwards, always in the same order so nothing is missed.
- First circle: sheets and pillowcases, then the piping, seams, handles and labels of the mattress, head end first.
- Second circle: base or slats, frame corners, screw holes, underside of the legs.
- Third circle: headboard (back and fixings), bedside tables (drawers and backs), lamps.
- Fourth circle: skirting boards, electrical sockets and picture frames around the bed.
- Outside the circles: luggage rack, armchair, top of the wardrobe, anywhere a suitcase has been put down.
Reading what you find: the three-level grid
The team doesn't have to make a diagnosis. It sorts what it sees and applies the matching response, without hesitating.
- Green level, nothing suspicious: note "all clear" with the date and make the bed.
- Amber level, a single uncertain sign (a dark dot, a small blood spot): close-up photo, report it to the person in charge, no new guest until it has been checked.
- Red level, a live insect, pale shed skins or clusters of black dots that mark the fabric like ink: touch nothing more, close the calendar and request a professional inspection.
The laundry circuit: carry nothing elsewhere
Linen and equipment move between properties: for a management company, that is the main way an infestation spreads.
Strip the bed by folding the sheets in on themselves, without shaking them, then seal them in a bag before leaving the room. A 60 °C wash or a hot tumble-dry cycle kills every life stage. Never put a bag of dirty linen on a bed or sofa, and keep one bag per property.
Training the team in fifteen minutes
A short session is enough. Show reference photos (adult, almost translucent nymph, white eggs about 1 mm long, droppings), have each person do the route once on a real bed and pin the grid up in the cleaning store.
Stress two reflexes: never use an aerosol insecticide, which drives insects into neighbouring rooms, and always take a photo before cleaning, so the evidence doesn't vanish with the cloth. As for equipment, light-coloured zipped covers and white bed linen make every check quicker.
The checked turnover in 6 moves
After the guest leaves, before you make the bed. Allow about ten minutes once it becomes a habit.
- 1
Move 1
Open the kit
Torch on, card, sticky tape and the property's linen bag within reach.
- 2
Move 2
Strip without shaking
Sheets folded in on themselves and sealed in the bag before any other task.
- 3
Move 3
First circle
Mattress under low-angle light: piping, seams, handles, head end first.
- 4
Move 4
Next circles
Base, headboard, bedside tables, then skirting boards and sockets around the bed.
- 5
Move 5
Suitcase zone
Luggage rack, armchair, wardrobe and the tops of furniture.
- 6
Move 6
Classify and record
Green, amber or red in the property log, with the date, your name and a photo if needed.
The tick list
Turnover cleaning: the checklistTick on screen or print the page: the list fits on a single sheet.
Your questions
Does a bed bug cover make the check unnecessary?
No. It stops the insect settling in the mattress and makes traces easier to see, but the frame, headboard and skirting boards remain accessible. It helps the inspection; it isn't complete protection.
The property has been empty for a month: are the bed bugs dead?
Probably not. A bed bug can go several months without a meal, all the longer in a cool room. A vacant period replaces neither the inspection nor the treatment.
Should we treat the other flat we manage in the building?
Not automatically, but it should be inspected if it shares a wall, a duct or the cleaning team with the affected flat. The technician will tell you how far to extend the checks.
What should we do with the insect we picked up?
Keep it stuck to the tape, in a sealed bag, with the date. It lets the technician confirm the species, and it will be useful if a guest raises the question.
Spotted a sign at the last clean?
Close the next few nights and book an inspection in a 2-hour slot: the photo report helps you decide on the day whether to treat or reopen.
