Bed bugs are small and tenacious. They are also very good at hitching a ride with other people and on your clothes or bedding. As they are very contagious it is important to eliminate them as quickly as possible before you pass them on.
It should be noted that bed bugs are not known to carry any diseases. However, their bites do become red welts and they are extremely itchy. In rare cases, they can also cause an allergic response which may need medical assistance.
Spotting A Bed Bug Issue
Bed bugs come out at night which means you don’t often see them. However, if you notice red welts on your body and marks on your bedsheets there is a good chance that you have bed bugs. You can click here for more information. But, the best bet, even if you just suspect bed bugs, is to get the exterminators to handle the issue for you.
Steam & Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are very resilient. They can survive a variety of things and are very good at hiding. In fact, they can even survive a turn in the washing machine. However, they can’t survive the dryer as the heat is simply too much for them.
That’s why, when washing bedsheets, you should dry them in a dryer for at least twenty minutes at high heat.
However, steam can also be fatal for them. The key is to make sure the surface temperature is at least 160°F after you have moved the steamer over an area. Test this with your steamer and a small area of your bed. Once you are happy that the temperature has been reached you’ll know how long to keep the steamer in place as you move across your bed.
Steam is a good choice as it can penetrate cracks and crevices where bed bugs like to hide. However, simply running it over your bed will not suffice.
Washing Soft Furnishings
The simple rule is that any soft furnishings in the room need to be washed and dried. But, you can’t just carry them through the house as you may inadvertently spread the bed bugs. Instead, you need to bag all the soft furnishings up before you take them out of your room. You can then put them straight into the washing machine and throw the bag away.
Make sure you do all the soft furnishings that can be removed.
Using the Steamer
The next step is to use the steamer. This will be on your mattress and pay particular attention to where it sits against the bed. It is essential to rent a dedicated steamer. The ones you get for steaming clothes or even cleaning carpets do not reach the temperatures you need to kill bed bugs. That’s why a dedicated bed bug killer is essential.
Checking The Room
Once you have steam cleaned every aspect of the room you’ll want to make it as dark as possible and then wait quietly. The bed bugs will start to come out of hiding and you’ll hear them moving around. This will help you to identify any area of the room that you’ve missed and allow you to target them with the steamer.
Using A Fan
Steam is effective at killing the bed bugs but it will leave your mattress, etc. damp. This is when you’ll want to put a fan on to move the air around the room. It will help it to dry faster and allow you to enjoy a bedbug-free space.
