When most folks hear the words “bed bugs,” they naturally think about beds, right? The sad truth, however, is that beds aren’t the only place these hungry parasites will take up residence. Couches, loveseats, recliners and other furniture pieces are favorite hiding places as well. The great news is that if you have a bed bug problem (or if you’re just trying to avoid one, because neighbors or other nearby buildings have them), protection is available for your sofa in the form of bed bug couch covers.
Be advised that simple slip covers, while pretty, will do absolutely nothing to protect your sofa from bed bug infestation. What you need is the rugged, purpose-built type of cover which seals all the way around in order to prevent a bed bug infestation. These handy couch covers are available in a one-size-fits-most configuration, so be sure to check the measurements of your couch against the dimensions of the bed bug couch cover in question. The only brand of couch cover we here at The Bed Bug Blog recommend is SofaSafe
SofaSafe Bed Bug Couch Covers are the best solution for folks who are fighting a bed bug infestation and want to protect as much of their home from these pests as is possible. These covers measure 96 inches x 42 inches x 40 inches, which is large enough to fit almost every couch up to 8 feet long. One point of minor confusion that some have run into, though, is that the material SofaSafe is currently making their couch covers out of is a light tan or beige color, rather than the pure white they use in some of their marketing pictures (see below). While even on their best day, these covers aren’t much of a home fashion statement, we did want to warn you about that small difference so that you won’t be surprised when your cover arrives and it is slightly different from what is pictured. To our knowledge, the white version of the cover is no longer sold anywhere, though you might have luck looking for it on eBay (we would recommend avoiding covers which have already been used, though, so make sure you’re buying new, wherever you buy).
In addition to being completely sealed, and made from a fabric which bedbugs cannot chew through, these covers are also waterproof. Because it can be nearly impossible to remove bed bugs from a couch once they’ve taken up residence there, this cover encases the entire piece of furniture in one easy step. While you might think encasing each individual piece (for example, each seat cushion, each back cushion, and the supporting frame) separately would give a better result, the reality is that enclosing the entire furniture piece at once gives you the best protection. This way, there is no chance of bed bugs laying eggs on one or the other encasement, and having them dumped off into the couch during removal.
As you can see above, this may not be the most attractive couch cover you’ve ever bought. However, they are absolutely essential if you wish to be able to use your couch once you’ve beaten your bed bug problem. Prettying up your home is something you can worry about once you’ve won the bed bug war! While the cost may at first seem a little steep, when you realize that you could easily lose your couch(es) to infestation, it winds up being a very reasonable investment. Even the cheapest new couches run $400+ these days, so even if your couch is a $5 yard sale special, we strongly recommend you invest in one of these couch covers to protect it.
One final point to ponder is that you should never, EVER, place a couch into storage without one of these covers on it. Unlike a couch in your home, where you are around every day to monitor the area for signs of insect infestation, a couch in storage is a sitting duck for whatever pests – be they bed bugs, fleas, lice, termites, or any other type – happen to already be in residence. Even if your storage unit is brand new clean when you move your items in, you never know what sort of infestation will subsequently be moved into nearby units! Please learn from my experience on this one and encase your couch and your mattress