To answer the question of how to get rid of bedbugs with a steam cleaner, you need to learn how to properly use this device when processing an apartment. By choosing the optimal steam temperature and the time of its action on parasites, it’s possible to ensure not only the destruction of adults but also their eggs and larvae.
How to Use a Steam Cleaner?
To completely destroy bedbugs throughout the house, it’s recommended to steam treat all objects in the room, as well as those surfaces on which they could move. Initially, it’s necessary to determine the exact location of the places where the bugs are concentrated. By processing it, you can not only destroy adults but also their larvae and eggs, from which new individuals subsequently appear, feeding on human blood and capable of reproduction.
The most “favorite” places where parasites accumulate in the house are upholstered furniture and mattresses. In the folds and joints of these objects, the bugs gather in groups and stay there throughout the entire time, periodically going out in search of food. Bed bugs choose the night as the most active time of the day to search for food. After all, at this time that a person is predominantly motionless and thus doesn’t threaten their lives in any way. That is why furniture infected with parasites is best treated during the day, at a time when all insects are in their permanent habitat. To achieve a good result in the process, it’s necessary to adhere to certain rules, which include:
- the minimum steam temperature, which must be at least 70 degrees;
- the source of steam, i.e., the nozzle of the device should be located as close to the treatment area as possible;
- the effect of steam on the same place should be at least 10-15 seconds.
In addition to furniture, floors, and baseboards require more careful exposure, in the gaps between which insects can also be found. Also, they can be often found in fur winter things and shoes, which require careful processing as well. Even though it is quite difficult to see them during the visual inspection when exposed to steam, they will immediately begin to run out of there, which will significantly affect the quality of the destruction process.
Having completed the steam treatment of all the above places and objects, the last thing to do is to process all sets of bed linen, curtains, and other textiles available in the house. The wardrobe items that can be washed are best cleaned using detergents and warm water. After drying, they must either be treated with a steam cleaner or ironed.
