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Unless you're talking about buying mattresses (ew, no) from thrift stores, I don't think bed bugs are really a concern. Clothes, tablecloths, etc can be washed in hot water to kill germs. I'm a little iffy about upholstered furniture myself, but I have bought a chair here and there and then cleaned it with my little Bissell steam cleaner.

If it weren't for thrift stores, I'd be naked and eating off the floor.

That sounded a little weirder than I intended.

I buy a lot of clothes and furniture from thrift stores is what I meant.

bed bugs can secret in anything. there's very little they can't fit into. i don't know if they tend to harbor in clothes, but it's possible.

Yes, bedbugs are a HUGE concern for those of us who used ot get our stuff primarily from thrift stores, clothing swaps, Freeecycle.

It would be a huge help to my peace of mind if Apartment Therapy would tackle the subject in a post -- can you ask any number of the design experts in your stable to weigh in on whether it is safe for NYers to get:
-- bedroom furniture (ex., wooden armoires, dressers, bedside tables, etc.

-- living room staples (ex., couches, wooden wall units, coffee tables)

and/or rugs from thrift stores, Craig's List or etc.?

Are there specific steps we should take to ensure that we don't get bedbugs from items we get from thrift stores or from the apartments of people we only know through Craig's List posts?

Or, do we just have to stop utilizing Craig's List and thrift stores if we want to make sure we don't get infested?

I'm moving soon and need a new couch/sectional, a new wall unit, bookshelves and a bedroom standing wardrobe/Pax-type closet -- but I can't afford these things new. In this economy, it's going to become harder and harder for any of us to find any extra cash for decorating and design... and as for me, I hardly had any money for such things even before the recession. So it's really not the time for me to be spending *more* money on retail furniture and decor than I used to -- I'm hoping that thrift and resale is still safe, but I'm freaked out about NY's bedbug situation.

Any advice AT has on this would be great - not just in a response in these comments, but as a post for the general audience.
Thanks!
JPLee

I only have two things bought new furniture wise, my mattress and dining table, everything else is hand me down or thrift store purchase. Some amazing stuff comes out of those shops!

I love to buy old children's classroom furniture. My latest scores are a old school chair that looks like it is from the '40s and a children's circular adjustable table like the kind from the early '80s. I love to buy children's books.

I fully agree with jplee. A bedbug post would most certainly be in order. I love any and all things vintage, especially furniture, but am TERRIFIED of a bed bug infestation.

Agreed! Do a post about bed bugs and used upholstered furniture. It would be interesting to know if any AT readers have experienced a problem.

Some of my favorite decor items and a few furniture pieces have come thrift stores. It's also a way to find things to add to your home that are very unique.