Traveling can be an enjoyable activity and seeing new places can rejuvenate you.  However, you really don’t know if your fine-looking hotel harbors some parasites- bedbugs.  Bedbugs are small, oval insects that bite humans.  If you think that bedbugs only live in a dirty, crowded environment, then you’re greatly mistaken.   They can thrive even in your spotless hotel room.  They are found in any area of the room, usually in the bed, mattress, box springs, and bed frames.  They may also live in furniture, curtains, edges of carpets and wallpaper cracks. And they can stick to your stuff.  So the next time you take a trip and stay in a hotel, be cautious and don’t bring an unwanted souvenir home.

Never mind the sparkling countertops or bleached sheets, the crumb-free floor or snug bath robe hanging in the closet. What lurks beyond the hotel room door that requires your immediate attention are the uninvited guests who remain there long after the last guest – bed bugs.

The increased prevalence of bed bugs has made headlines across the country in recent months. Escaping the wrath of the bugs’ bite is easier if you know what to look for. The Maids (http://www.maids.com) encourages travelers this holiday season to be on the lookout for the parasitic hitchhikers to avoid an outbreak in your own home.

Bed bugs affix themselves to clothing, furniture and bedding and are transported from place to place by humans unaware. In an effort to keep homes clean and healthy, The Maids, the experts in home cleaning, offer these simple steps to minimize exposure to bed bugs.

• Before you embark upon your journey, troll the Internet for bed bug registries that list affected hotels. Check travel websites that catalog travel reviews; travelers who’ve had a run-in with an infested hotel will likely “talk” about it online.
• Upon entering a hotel room, place luggage in the bathtub or atop the toilet seat. Wayward bugs can’t crawl up these surfaces and keeps them from unwittingly spreading to your home. While in the room, keep luggage on the luggage rack, off the floor. Hard-sided luggage lacks the folds and creases of its soft-sided cousin making it more difficult for the pest to hide in your bags.
• Since bed bugs are large enough to see, check the mattress and bed frame for any signs that the pests have been comfortably hiding. Do you notice any tiny black spots? Spots and stains are good indicators of either a current or prior presence. Pull back sheets, inspect mattress seams and examine any other upholstered items in the room. Bed bugs are drawn to wood – don’t neglect the nightstand and dresser. If it appears as though the critters have invited themselves into your hotel room, ask the management for another room.
• Before packing the car for the trip home, place luggage in large plastic bags and knot securely. Once home, immediately wash all clothing on the hottest temperature setting suggested by the care labels. Dry on high heat for at least 30 minutes. Avoid packing items that can only be laundered on a cold-water setting.

Keep in mind that the presence of bed bugs is not a condition of an unsanitary environment; bed bugs are carried from homes to hotel rooms and back by people. The recent resurgence of bed bugs offers travelers an opportunity to learn all they can about prevention. Bagging luggage or engaging in diligent inspections may seem like overkill, but eradicating the bugs can be timely and costly. As is often said, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Good sleep is important for excellent physical condition, proper functioning and welfare. Sleep restores our energy and gives our body time to rest and repair. It also maintains our immunity and protects us from infections. On the other hand, lack of sleep affects your physical and mental performance. It also dulls your reflexes so you respond more slowly to obstacles and leads you to make wrong choices. You also are easily irritated and moody.

For some of us, we experience sleep difficulties because of bed bug infestation. Bed bugs can be found in our beds and they often hide within seams, tufts, the crevices of the mattress, the bed frame and headboard. Their bites can cause an allergic reaction and itchiness which disturbs our slumber and causes insomnia.

So get rid of bedbugs before it affects your sleep and your life.

Bedbugs are not known to carry disease, but an infestation at a hospital or nursing home does not bear thinking about.  For healthcare institutions seeking to prevent or contain outbreaks, specialty barrier bedding such as The Bedbug Solution™ healthcare mattress and box spring covers from Bargoose Home Textiles (www.bargoosebedding.com) provides a good night’s sleep for patients and peace of mind for risk managers, facility directors and patient families.

Featuring Bargoose’s patent-pending Zip-N-Stick™ tape closure, The Bedbug Solution mattress and box spring covers are engineered to prevent bedbugs from getting into or out of the mattress.  This is especially important following any exterminating treatment, since the covers act as protection against eggs or mature insects that may have been missed.  Bedside staff knows the Zip-N-Stick seal is engaged when the tape is fastened securely over the zipper pull –an important visual safety check.  The rust-proof Zip-N-Stick barrier is lab-certified for 100% effectiveness and washability.

The covers are available in two fabrications: six-gauge vinyl and stretch polyester knit with a urethane barrier.  The heavy-duty six-gauge vinyl cover is not only bedbug proof, but also waterproof, fire retardant and treated with Ultra-Fresh® antimicrobial.  This economical model is designed for easy maintenance between linen changes and long-lasting wear.

The stretch polyester knit fabrication is part of Bargoose’s extensive family of barrier fabrics.  These covers feature a hydrophilic membrane, which allows air to pass through for a cool and comfortable sleep, but completely blocks bedbugs, water and dust allergens.  With a urethane lamination, the stretch polyester knit style is more pliable than the heavy-duty covers but provides the same level of bedbug protection.

Both fabrications are available in a variety of depths to fit all standard institutional mattress sizes.

“The healthcare industry is particularly vulnerable to the impact of an actual or potential bedbug infestation.  Reliable protection not only mitigates this risk, it also contributes to a positive patient experience.   The Bedbug Solution bedding from Bargoose is engineered to perform to the highest standards and to meet the extreme demands of the healthcare industry,” said Diane Rattner, President of Bargoose Home Textiles.

For more information about The Bedbug Solution healthcare mattress and box spring covers from Bargoose, call your distributor or contact Bargoose at (516) 255-1736 for a list of distributors.

Sleep is precious to each of us, and all the more so with our hectic schedules and stress at work. But what will be your reaction if you are in the middle of a good night sleep only to find that you are sharing your sleep with intruders? No, these aren’t gorgeous vampires but insects living on human blood – “bed-bugs”. These insects usually live in areas of a particular room or in particular pieces of furniture, including beds.  The most common bed bug victims are travelers because they often sleep in different hotel rooms and small spaces. So how do we protect ourselves from these insects?

They’re BAA-AACK! Thirty years after bed bugs were believed to be exterminated nationwide, the teeny, insidious bloodsuckers—which feast on sleeping humans—are making a comeback of epidemic proportions.

They’re being spotted in hotels from coast to coast. And not just the expected “fleabag” motels, but posh resorts and upscale chains. In a recent study of 700 mid-priced hotels, 25% were found to host uninvited guests. That gives you a 1-in-4 chance of bunking down with some unexpected roomies on your next trip.

If you awaken with red, itchy welts and irritated skin, you’ve been punked, bed-bug style. Some people even experience allergic reactions.

So, what’s a thoroughly creeped-out traveler to do? You don’t have to cancel your plans. Instead, arm yourself with Rest Easy, an all-natural spray that keeps bed bugs at bay. Made from time-honored essential oils (cinnamon, lemongrass, clove, and mint), it’s people-safe, earth-friendly, and even smells of minty goodness.

Good to know: the presence of cimex lectularius, aka the common bed bug, has nothing to do with cleanliness and everything to do with a transient population. Formerly wiped out in the U.S. by the now-banned pesticide DDT, bed bugs continued to flourish in other parts of the world. As global travel increased, they’ve hitchhiked their way back in on airplanes, luggage, and yes, travelers.

Found wherever people come and go—like hotel rooms, airports, and dorms—the 1/4″ inch long nocturnal pests hide in furniture seams, box springs, and even tiny floor cracks, patiently awaiting a host. (They can live without eating for up to a year.)

The solution: spray Rest Easy around your hotel room when you arrive. It will kill some of them outright, and keep the rest deep in their hidey-holes.

Rest Easy comes in a 2-ounce spray bottle that’s carry-on friendly. A twin pack is available at stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond and Duane Reade pharmacies in the New York area. You can buy it online at www.resteasykillsbedbugs.com, where it’s also sold in larger quantities for home use.

In 2006, the city of New York received more than 4,500 bed bug complaints…which, come to think of it, may be why it’s called the city that never sleeps.