Bed bugs are small oval-shaped insects that infest animals and humans. They can quickly hop from one place to another and are mostly found on floors, furniture like beds or couches, garments, curtains, or on the ceiling. These insects usually hide themselves during the day and attack at night. A bed bug bite can be very irritating to the skin often involving continuous scratching which can too sometimes develop into a rash and redness.
Being as small as the size of a small dust particle, a bed bug can hardly be seen through our naked eyes. So it is always difficult to know or to catch a bed bug feeding on your skin. They usually feed on blood for 3-10 minutes by piercing through the skin with the help of their beaks and then crawl or hop away unnoticed.
Treatment:
Using steam is the best way that can be used to eradicate bed bugs. Using steamers at extremely high or low temperatures, like around 120 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, is enough to get rid of all the bed bugs at once.
How effective are clothes steamers?
Clothes steamer can be a cost-effective method to eradicate the infestation quickly. Keeping the steam at 131 degrees Fahrenheit or even more is enough to get rid of the bed bugs.
However, it is always advisable to use a proper steaming machine to kill these insects.
Since sometimes it has been noticed that the ordinary clothes steamer cannot produce a high amount of desired steam, for which it is unable to kill these insects using them.
Thus, an ordinary clothes steamer that isn’t producing the desired temperature will not be a hundred percent efficient to kill the bed bugs completely.
Also, be cautious while steaming your silk garments. Keeping your steamer very close to the silk garment may cause damage to the texture. Therefore hold the steamer away or at a distance while steaming. And fabrics like leather cannot be steamed.
However, it is always recommended to call any pest control authority to help you in getting rid of them.
Things to keep in mind before using a steamer;
Know your fabric– This is important since all fabrics cannot be used for steaming. Cotton, woolen clothes, or silk can be steamed. However, leather jackets or couches, suede, or materials made out of plastic cannot be steamed. It will get destroyed if tried.
Be alert- Allow the steam to reach every single corner. Make sure you are steaming hidden areas on the material susceptible to bed bugs. Since bed bugs love to hide.
Be prepared– Plug in the steamer 2-3 minutes before, instead of using it directly. All the steam accumulates and reaches the desired temperature. This will give the best results to your approach.
How to choose the right steamer?
Choosing the right steamer which will give you efficient results is tricky and difficult.
It is often recommended to use an upright steamer for this purpose. These steamers have a long neck that allows them to reach an in-depth corner. Therefore, it is convenient to use. Even though they are expensive, they can provide you with 90% of efficient results. They range between $50-$200.
You can also use a handheld steamer. They are portable and range in between $30-$100.
Best steamers to use for bed bug infestation:
Rowenta DR8120 X-Cel 1600 Watt Professional Steamer-
Provides a power of 1600 watts at a rate of $55. 26. It is portable and small. Steams a wide range of materials, including delicate, large, and thick ones, and has strong steaming power.
Vapamore MR-75 Amico Handheld Steam Cleaner
Disinfecting without the use of harsh chemicals is possible. It can kill bed bugs, bacteria, and dust mites. It works on a variety of surfaces, including textiles, plastic, laminate, granite, and others.
Steamfast SF-370WH
Cleans and sanitises a wide range of surfaces effectively and naturally. Heating Time: 8 minSteam Duration Min: 45 min
Pure Enrichment PureSteam XL Standing Steamers
Can effectively sanitise clothes and get rid of troublesome pests like bed bugs and dust mites. Heats up in a matter of seconds.
Rowenta Expert Style Garment Steamer, IS3421U1
Fabric brush provided for greater steam penetration through thicker fabric fibres. The water tank is removable and may be refilled indefinitely, providing up to 40 minutes of intense steam. It heats up in about 45 seconds, saving you time.
Conair Handheld Garment Steamer with Turbo GS38R
Steam freshens clothing and upholstery, kills bedbugs, and does a lot more. This freestanding steamer has a 40-second heat-up time and a 7. 3-ounce water tank that can provide continuous steam for up to 15 minutes.
Bable 350ML Handheld Steam Cleaner with 9-Piece Accessory Set, Pressurized Steam Cleaner,
Rate of $45. 99Chemical-Free Cleaning
These are some of the best types of steamers that can be used to get rid of bed bug infestation.
Conclusion:
Even though a commercial steamer is highly recommended to eradicate bedbugs from the surface of your home, a clothes steamer can too meet the purpose. They are chemical-free bed bug treatments that can successfully kill bugs of all stages. Although the success rate solely depends on the quality and the type of steamer that you may be using.
Can vacuuming help to get rid of bed bugs?
No, Vacuuming isn’t an effective method of getting rid of bed bugs. Although it can remove bed bugs from a place but doesn’t kill them. So the chances of reinfection are high.
What is the rate of success of using steam to kill bed bugs?
It has been noticed that there are 95% chances of getting rid of bed bugs by steaming.
