In short
Changing the sheets is the best moment to spot bed bugs: the mattress is bare and the flat is empty. At every changeover, check the mattress seams, the headboard and the skirting with a torch, and treat any suspicious black spot as an alert.
An adult bed bug is 5 to 7 mm long, about the size of an apple pip. It doesn't jump or fly, and spends the day hidden within a few dozen centimetres of where people sleep. It gets into a home in luggage, clothing or second-hand furniture: cleanliness makes no difference.
What makes the difference is how fast you spot it. In the first few days there are only a handful of insects and faint traces. A few weeks later the eggs have hatched and the colony has spread to the bed base and skirting. Your cleaning team is best placed to see the first signs, so here is how to equip them.
What exactly you're looking for
You'll rarely see the insect itself on a first pass. Mostly you're looking for its traces, which build up where it hides.
- Black or brown dots, alone or in clusters, that bleed into the fabric like a felt-tip pen: digested blood droppings.
- Small, pale, empty husks in the shape of an insect: skins shed by the young as they grow.
- White eggs about 1 mm long, stuck in crevices and seams.
- Tiny blood spots on sheets or pillowcases, on the sleeper's side.
- Live insects: brown and flat when unfed, rounder and reddish after a meal; the young are almost see-through.
The five areas to check at every changeover
Always follow the same order: it saves time and nothing gets missed. A head torch or strong torch held at a low angle makes traces stand out.
- The mattress: piping, seams, handles, labels and corners, on both sides if you can.
- The bed base or slats: frame joints, the underside of slats, screw holes.
- The headboard: take it down if it's wall-mounted, as it's a favourite hiding place.
- Skirting boards and sockets near the bed, and picture frames above it.
- The luggage rack, the top of the wardrobe and the armchair, wherever guests put their case.
Cleaning without carrying the problem
Linen and cleaning kit move from one property to another. Without precautions, they can move bed bugs too.
Strip the sheets by rolling them inwards, without shaking, and put them straight into a sealed bag. Wash at 60 °C, which kills every life stage, or tumble-dry on a hot setting. Never put a bag of dirty linen on the clean bed of another property.
Making every inspection easier
A few furnishing choices cut down hiding places and speed up each check.
- Zipped, fully encasing bed bug covers on the mattress and base: insects can't settle inside and show up on the pale fabric.
- White or light bed linen, on which traces jump out.
- A metal luggage rack away from the bed, so the case doesn't end up on the mattress.
- As few decorative textiles and upholstered pieces in the bedroom as possible.
When in doubt
A single clue isn't proof, but it should never be ignored. Photograph it up close with an object for scale, lift the insect onto sticky tape if you can, and pause bookings until a professional has inspected.
Avoid aerosol insecticides: they scatter bed bugs into neighbouring rooms and make the treatment that follows harder.
The 10-minute check, step by step
Do this after the guest has left, before you make the bed.
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the kit
A torch, gloves, a stiff card to probe seams, and sealable laundry bags.
- 2
Step 2
Strip the bed without shaking
Roll the sheets and duvet cover inwards and seal them in a bag before leaving the room.
- 3
Step 3
Inspect the mattress
Shine a low-angle light along piping, seams and corners; run the card through folds to flush out any insect.
- 4
Step 4
Check the frame and headboard
Joints, screw holes, the back of the headboard, then the skirting for a metre around the bed.
- 5
Step 5
Check the luggage area
Luggage rack, armchair, the back of the wardrobe: anywhere the case has been.
- 6
Step 6
Log it
Write the date, your name and “all clear” in the property log, or describe the clue and attach a photo.
Printable checklist
Bed bug changeover checklistTick as you go, or print the page: the list fits on a single sheet.
Frequently asked questions
Are bed bug mattress covers enough?
They stop insects settling in the mattress and make inspection easier, but they don't protect the bed frame, skirting or furniture. They're a prevention tool, not a treatment.
Can a spotless flat get bed bugs?
Yes. They feed on blood, not dirt. A perfectly kept flat can be affected from the first infested suitcase; only early detection makes the difference.
Will leaving the flat empty for a few weeks solve it?
No. Bed bugs survive several months without feeding, especially in a cool flat. You need treatment, then a follow-up check.
How do I train the cleaning team?
It takes minutes: show photos of droppings, shed skins and insects, and set one rule, “in doubt: take a photo and report it”. Print the checklist on this page and keep it in the kit.
Worried after a check-out?
Book an inspection in a 2-hour slot: the photo report tells you the same day whether the flat can reopen.
