Remove what heat damages
Virginia Tech’s heat-treatment guidance: “All houseplants, pets, candles, lipstick, and combustibles (aerosol cans and cigarette lighters) should be removed from the inside of the home,” and electronics should be “disconnected from outlets.” Add to that list: medications that say store below a given temperature, vinyl records, crayons, wax, pressurized containers, musical instruments with glue joints, and anything you would not leave in a car in August.
Do not deep-clean, do not reorganize
Same source: “clutter removal should not be required as part of heat treatment preparation,” and “extreme cleaning, and clutter movement right before heat treatment has the potential to scatter the bed bugs into new locations.” Minimal prep is the modern standard. We will tell you if a specific pile blocks airflow and needs moving; otherwise leave the room as it lives.
The short checklist
- Pets out (including fish tanks — ask us about aquariums), plants out
- Candles, aerosols, lighters, lipstick, heat-sensitive medications out
- Electronics unplugged; TVs can stay, wrapped, or come out
- Do not bag your clothes in plastic and stack the bags — the heat cannot get in
- Do not spray anything the night before; it makes the inspection worse and can move bugs
- Plan to be out for the day; we will tell you the re-entry time
Laundry, if you want to do it
Not required for heat, but harmless and useful for items leaving the house: the Washington Department of Health’s March 2026 guidance is to “place affected items in a clothes dryer on the hottest temperature setting for at least 30 minutes. This will kill all life stages.” Bag items on the way to the dryer, not after.