So, you’ve found carpet beetles in your home. You’re sort of panicking. You’re frantically searching how to get rid of them. Don’t worry – it’s understandable.

However, having carpet beetles isn’t as bad as bad as you first think. And it’s pretty easy to eject the intruders and restore your house back to its tidy, tranquil state.

Once you’ve overcome that initial stress, take a deep breath and read through our guide on how to get rid of carpet beetles. We talk you through the steps you can take to eliminate them at the source and provide tips for prevention.

When you’ve conquered the pests, get in touch with our experts to finish off the job with our professional carpet cleaning service. Our powerful tools will take care of any remaining toxins or bug remains, restoring peace and tranquility to your home.

Spotting the signs

Before you can learn how to get rid of carpet beetles, you’ll need to know how to identify them and where to look for them in your home.

What are carpet beetles and what do they look like?

Carpet beetles are bugs that feed on the soft furnishings in your home, such as carpets, curtains, furniture, linens, and clothing. They’re irritating pests because they eat and breed quickly, which means it doesn’t take long for them to spread across your home.

Both adult beetles and carpet beetle larvae can cause damage, so look out for signs of either:

• Adult beetles are about the size of a pin, oval-shaped and brown in colour.
• Larvae are longer than adults and can be either hairy or smooth, with brown, red, white, or striped markings.

How do I know if I’ve got carpet beetles in my home?

If you think you’ve seen carpet beetles in your home, it’s time to investigate further. They like to hang out in dark, secluded areas of the home, such as in closets, beneath furniture, and underneath rugs – pretty much anywhere that’s hard to reach with your vacuum.

Do a tour of your home and look out for:

• Skin sheds, which are brown, bristly, and shell-shaped.
• Waste pellets, which are about the size of grain of sand and brown.

Carpet beetle removal

Once you’ve located the intruders, it’s time to show them what you’re made of. Depending on the severity of the infestation, it can be a rigorous process, but if you are meticulous in your approach you should be able to eliminate the pests from your home. To effectively get rid of carpet beetles, you’ll need:

• Vacuum cleaner
• Washing machine
• Steam cleaner
• Sealable garbage bags

How to get rid of carpet beetles

1- Do a deep clean

When it comes to getting rid of carpet beetles, it’s all about cleaning – you need to clean every inch of your home to remove the source.

Start by vacuuming the area where you notice the most damage. Clean it thoroughly and then seal the vacuum bag completely and throw it away.

Carry on with this process through your entire home, being careful to use the nozzle of the vacuum to get into all the nooks and crannies. It’s also important to vacuum any furniture that doesn’t have removable covers.

If possible, steam clean your carpets and furniture – just check the manufacturer label beforehand to make sure it’s okay to do so.

2- Do a ton of laundry

Use a hot water cycle to wash all linens and clothing that may have been exposed to carpet beetles. If you notice that certain items have been particularly effected, throw them away in a sealed garbage bag.

3- Do some damage control

Pay attention to the hard surfaces in your home as well, such as cupboards, tables, and windowsills. Wipe down these surfaces using a cloth and spray bottle that contains a mixture of water and white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

If you don’t have pets or small children in your home, you can also sprinkle boric acid over the areas of infestation. This is a mild insecticide that will kill off the remaining larvae. Leave it for about 2 hours then vacuum the area. Put the vacuum bag in a sealed garbage bag and dispose of it carefully.

4- Keep it up

For a week to 10 days, you’ll need to continue to vacuum regularly – at least once a day, and perhaps several times a day if the infestation is heavy. Be rigorous and your efforts will pay off – the signs of unwanted guests will lessen, and soon your home will be yours again!

If you’ve tried everything listed above and you still can’t rid your home of the intruders, it might be time to call in the experts and get in touch with a local exterminator. Once they’ve tackled the problem, a professional carpet cleaning service will clean up the toxins and any remaining mess, so your home truly feels like yours again.

Carpet beetle prevention tips

To keep your home safe and free from carpet beetles, make the following practices part of your regular routine:

• Keep your doors and screens closed as much as possible: Carpet beetles can fly, so keep your home sealed off to prevent them from finding their way in.
• Remove debris from around your home: Carpet beetles love living in places like old birds’ nests, piles of dry twigs and leaves, and old spider webs. Keep the area around your home tidy to deter carpet beetles from congregating nearby.
• Put unused linens and clothes away in sealed boxes or containers: Store your textiles in a safe, sealed space so that carpet beetles can’t access them.

Carpet beetles are a nuisance, but regular care and attention will help keep your home fresh and pest-free. Our professional carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning services will give you peace of mind and a beautifully clean home. Fill in the form on the side of the page to request a quote today.