How to check second-hand furniture for bed bugs before it comes indoors

A free sofa from a neighbour, a bed frame from an online marketplace, a chest of drawers from a house clearance — all perfectly sensible, and all among the commonest ways bed bugs arrive in a home that never had them. The bugs do not care whether furniture is clean; they care about cracks, joints and fabric seams, which second-hand furniture has plenty of.

What to avoid altogether

• Used mattresses and divan bases. The risk is high and inspection is hard — if you must, treat it as suspect regardless of how it looks.
• Upholstered furniture left on the street or by bins. People rarely throw out a good sofa for no reason.
• Anything from a property you know has had a pest problem, even if it was treated.

How to inspect before you say yes

Take a torch and an old credit card. Inspect in good light, ideally outside or in the seller’s hallway rather than once it is in your living room.

1. Turn the piece over and check every joint, screw hole and the underside of frames. Bed bugs favour the dark side of furniture.
2. Run the card along fabric seams, piping and under cushions. You are looking for dark pinhead dots, rust-brown smears, pale shed skins, tiny white eggs or live bugs.
3. Pull out drawers and look at the runners, the back panel and the dust board underneath.
4. Check headboards especially carefully — the back of a headboard is one of the most common places bed bugs live.
5. Smell it. A heavy infestation has a sweet, musty odour.

One sign is enough to walk away. The cost of a bargain sofa is nothing against the cost of treating a home.

Making it safe once it is yours

• Keep it outside, in a garage or in a sealed bag for the first few days if you are at all unsure.
• Washable covers and cushions go through a hot wash and a hot tumble dry.
• Wooden and metal items can be wiped down and inspected again after a week — if bugs are present, new spots or skins will appear.
• A steam cleaner run slowly along seams and joints kills bugs and eggs on contact; it is the most useful tool for soft furnishings.

If something slipped through

If you start finding bites or spots within a few weeks of bringing furniture in, act early. Our free matching service connects you with a vetted, insured specialist near you who can confirm the problem and quote for treatment.