Secondhand pillow: Would you?

amother

Thu, May 03 2012, 1:45 am

I've been having trouble sleeping comfortable and would like to try using a "pregnancy pillow" (snoogle or the like). I don't have enough hope in it to shell out $60+ for one, though. I wouldn't buy one used on Craigslist or the like because I worry about bedbugs and maybe other nonspecific hygiene issues, and these pillows are a distinctive shape so they don't make covers for them (even the brands that do sell pillowcases separately, those are just for looks or for washing, I don't think they'd keep in bedbugs or whatever).

So I was considering posting here on imamother asking if anyone has one of these that they'd sell used for a lower price. My instinct is to trust a frum lady who tells me she doesn't have bedbugs over some random internet stranger. But my logical side tells me a stranger who says she's frum and trustworthy is still just a stranger. Even people you do know could potentially be dishonest, how much more so a stranger you met online even if she claims to be frum.

I'm terrified of bedbugs, I know someone who had some and they just take over the whole house before you know what hit you and then it takes a ton of time, effort, expense, stress, bother, etc to get rid of them again. We once had a really close shave in a motel, but fortunately DH spotted the bug on the bed before we sat down or unpacked anything and we beat it out of there in an instant (leaving our deposit behind, but fortunately no bugs came back with us either) and since then I'm really wary.

Is there any way to check well enough to be sure something doesn't have bedbugs, just by looking at it before you take it? Then maybe I'd start by trusting and then look it over myself to be sure... but I'm sure if it were obvious then there wouldn't be so much worry about epidemics?

amother

Thu, May 03 2012, 10:44 am

sky wrote:

You can buy a body pillow or king sized pillow from Marshalls that does the same job for pertty cheap.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll see what they have.

I don't think killing bedbugs is as simple as putting things in the dryer. They have an awful reputation for being impossible to get rid of.

Actually the motel was more like $30, it was a genuine dive and not in America. lol.

sky

Thu, May 03 2012, 11:39 am

amother wrote:

sky wrote:

You can buy a body pillow or king sized pillow from Marshalls that does the same job for pertty cheap.

unfortunately you can pick it up in 5 start hotels in America. We have a bed bug spray (from an exterminator) we use on all our luggage when we travel. We check mattresses and box springs before bringing in our stuff and don't put suitcases on the floor, only on suitcase racks or dressers.

I do think high heat on the dryer will kill them. I know when people use non-heat treatment they are told they can keep anything that can go in the dryer on high. Everything else should be tossed.

You can put a bedbug cover on it and that would keep any bedbugs in from coming out. But the cost of a good one makes it worth it to just buy new.
I also think used pillows are yucky. people sweat or drool when sleeping and that gets absorbed into pillows.

amother

Thu, May 03 2012, 11:44 am

First of all, the pregnancy pillow I have really really helps. It's better than a body pillow because there are a lot more positions you can sleep in with it, and it's two sided so you can roll back and forth and still have support...
But a body pillow would help also I'm sure.
(I have the Leachco All Nighter btw.)

I wouldn't buy it used...