Buying Old Furniture
We wanted to buy a piece of used furniture. Is there any advice on how to ensure, that it does not bring bed bugs? Or in general we simply should not buy any second hand furniture?
We wanted to buy a piece of used furniture. Is there any advice on how to ensure, that it does not bring bed bugs? Or in general we simply should not buy any second hand furniture?
this would have never occurred to me.
bedbugs from a wooden table?
How about buy rugs/carpets? Any recommendations?
careful inspection using a flashlight if necessary to look in every crack. bed bugs can squeeze themselves into a space no thicker than a Metrocard. if buying from a used furniture store, ask what they are doing to make sure their goods are bb-free.
all coop boards — you should get out ahead of this, get educated, develop policy, educate your shareholders. it is a steep learning curve that you don’t want to go through when you actually have an infestation — as my building does!
Also, if you are buying from craigslist, and go see the piece in someone’s house, you may get a good gut feeling, even for upholstered pieces. A lot of people would NEVER sell something with bedbugs – they’d throw it out – they wouldn’t want to pass it on to another person. When you are dealing with the owner, rather than a used furniture dealer, you can get a good sense of them, if you have gut feelings. And you can still inspect closely.
Wow that’s weird CH Renter, unless you’re being snarky and I am clueless about irony. It’s like the biggest fear for everyone I know. I like antiques, but everytime I bring something new into the house, I get a little flutter of nervous stomach.. hoping the inevitable will not occur!
There are bed bugs everywhere!
Just inspect the furniture. Bed begs aren’t invisible. They’ll go in the cracks, but they’re not microscopic. Look for the (tiny) white egg sacks, any brown/black poop, and the insects themselves.
If you don’t see ’em, your fine.
I’d second the comment about the upholstered furniture. Not a great idea, mostly because it’s harder to see the little buggers and they can hide inside.
I thought the whole “bed bug” thing was over…you never hear about it anymore.
Murphy’s Oil Soap, followed, after it’s dry, by paste wax. Alternatively, Scott’s Liquid Gold. Turn it over and clean the underside as well.
we were looking at the wooden table. Any advice on how it can be cleaned?