Shivers! Bed Bugs

[Tammy]

No, haven't run into any but CNN just had a long report on about how bed bugs are popping up all over.  They said they even found them in their building!  And of course they had to throw out the comment about thrift stores and garage sales.  They said you can bring them home not only in furniture, but they have also been brought home on clothing from thrifts.  If you get them in your house you have to call professionals to get rid of them.  Almost every couch we've ever bought has been from a Salvation Army store because new wouldn't last too long with our dogs.  Gives me the willies thinking about it. 

So has anybody ever heard about any of their thrifts having problems?

[valleythriftshopper]

I haven't heard any reports about bed bugs in this area but they are common in alot of cities.  My indoor cat has picked up fleas a few times over the years and I always wondered if it was from thrift store stuff.  He hasn't had any in a few years now though luckily. 

[Good Buddy]

We just had fleas from a plush toy bought at a thrift..
"Sorry baby girl, no more thrifted plushes"..

[elvisgurly]

We just had fleas from a plush toy bought at a thrift..
"Sorry baby girl, no more thrifted plushes"..

I remember when I first started to become addicted to thrift store shopping I was buying my infant niece a lot of different items.  After awhile my sister asked me to not buy her anymore thrifted stuffed animals, because she said you never know what happened to the stuffed animal prior to it being in the thrift store.  Plus just think about how many germs it could acquire at the thrift store.

[cheapjap]

i live in nyc, epicenter of bed bugs and all things icky, but i try not to let that stop me from getting my thrift on. here's a few tips designed to quell any germ/pest-related anxieties:

- plastic bag it
it's not uber eco friendly, but we've all got a few leftovers from cvs or whatevs lying around. after you purchase the goods, knot the plastic bag closed. don't open the bag again until laundry time. 
- change out of shopping clothes asap
as soon as you're able, change out of the clothes you wore on your thrifting excursion. plastic bag those too until they get washed. hey, ya never know.
- put it through the hot cycle
always, ALWAYS, wash, dry or steam-clean anything shopped secondhand before you wear it. extreme heat is the only thing that really kills bed bugs (they can be frozen to death, but most household freezers aren't cold enough to get the job done).
if it's machine washable, wash it on hot. if it's not, either steam clean it or put it unwashed in a hot dryer for 30 minutes.

three easy steps, and you should be able to shop sans-anxiety. happy thrifting!

[dewdrop_me_a_line]

We just had fleas from a plush toy bought at a thrift..
"Sorry baby girl, no more thrifted plushes"..

A quality plush should be washable . . . not in hot water, but use a heavy load of vinegar. Most could be dry-cleaned but that would defeat the purpose of thrifting it. Maybe those plastic dry clean bags would work. What do ya'll think?

dew

[thriftyinkentucky]

Not to be overly cynical or anything.....but I think a lot of the "news" about thrift store clothing etc. harboring bed bugs et al are press releases or 'news tips' sent out by full price retail stores in order to discourage people from shopping for clothing at thrift stores. I think they have seen the trend of folks turning to great deals and fashion finds at thrift stores, and are trying to scare folks away.  Obviously, one should use common sense and wash clothing and other items purchased at thrift stores, but I don't think we should be worried about it and continue to Keep on Thrifting!!