In order to answer the question of how to get rid of bugs with a steam cleaner, you need to find out how to use this device correctly when processing an apartment. Having chosen the optimal temperature of the steam and the time of its exposure to parasites, it is possible to ensure not only the destruction of adult individuals, but also their eggs and larvae.
Steam Effectiveness
A steam cleaner is a household appliance that is designed to perform indoor cleaning, cleaning clothes, as well as disinfection in both cases. Thanks to its use on surfaces and things that have been processed, all microbes and bacteria are destroyed, fat and dirt dissolve almost instantly. Today, steam cleaners with various technical characteristics are offered to the consumer, the main of which is power. It is the numerical value of this quantity that determines the quality of the final result and the time to complete the work. Therefore, before abandoning disinfection services, you need to decide which steam cleaner to choose to destroy bugs from a number of existing models, the power of which will be enough to fight insects. The design of this device includes the following main parts:
- water tank;
- heating element;
- flexible hose;
- nozzles in various designs for changing depending on the type of work and the surface to be treated.
Understanding the exact purpose of the device, and faced with the problem of the appearance of insects in the house, a person immediately raises the question of whether it is possible to get rid of bugs in this way. The answer in this case will be positive, but when using a steam cleaner it is necessary to understand that its use is possible only if the surface is resistant to steam. It should be borne in mind that the steam produced by the device has a fairly low humidity indicator, namely equal to 5% and a high temperature indicator equal to almost 90 degrees. This ensures that expensive upholstery or the surface of the floorboard will not be damaged during use of the bedbug cleaner. But it should be borne in mind that using this device at home should be very careful, as its inappropriate use can lead to burns.
As a result of experiments carried out by scientists, it was found that the death of bugs is already possible at a temperature of 45 degrees, while when exposed to steam with a temperature of more than 50 degrees, their death occurs in a few seconds. Based on this, we can conclude that even using a steam generator not at full capacity, you can quickly get rid of such "living creatures" in the house.
Treatment
In order to destroy the bugs completely in the whole house, it is recommended to steam-process all the objects in the room, as well as those surfaces on which they could move. Initially, it is necessary to determine the exact location of the places where the bedbugs are most, since, having completed its processing, it is possible not only to destroy adult individuals, but also their larvae and eggs, from which new individuals subsequently appeared, feeding on human blood and capable of reproduction.
The most "favorite" places of accumulation of parasites in the house are upholstered furniture and mattresses. In the folds and junctions of these objects, bugs are collected in groups and are there, throughout the entire time, periodically going out in search of food.Bed bugs choose night as the most active time of day for food searches. After all, it was at this time that a person was mainly without movements and thus did not threaten their life. That is why furniture infected with parasites is best processed during the day, at a time when all individuals are in their permanent habitat.
In addition to furniture, floors and skirting boards require more thorough exposure, in the gaps between which insects can also be. Also, very often they can be found in fur winter things and shoes, which requires processing and them. Despite the fact that it is quite difficult to see them during a visual inspection, when exposed to steam, that is, the creation of adverse conditions for insects, they will immediately start running out of there, which will significantly affect the simplification of the destruction process.
After steaming all of the above places and objects, the last thing to do is process all sets of bedding, curtains and other textiles available in the house. The rear walls of cabinets and chests of drawers, cornices, as well as carpets that lie on the floor also require careful processing. Bed linens, curtains and clothes that can be washed should be cleaned first using detergents and high temperature water. After drying, they must either be treated with a steam cleaner or ironed.
After the entire room is disinfected, it should be borne in mind that a one-time exposure will not be enough and after a short time it will be necessary to repeat the procedure. This can be explained by the fact that the larvae and eggs of bed bugs have a fairly strong shell. Steam is also fatal to them, but it takes a longer exposure time to destroy them. Very often, due to the efficiency of work, a person does not reach eggs and larvae as a result of death. And after they are born, they again begin to go hunting, multiply, which leads to the emergence of new numerous groups.
Among other things, in order to achieve a good result in the process, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules, which include:
- minimum steam temperature, which should be at least 50 degrees;
- a steam source, i.e. the nozzle of the device or nozzle should be located as close to the treatment site as possible;
- the effect of steam on the same place should be at least 10-15 seconds.
Steam Method Benefits
Like any other method of controlling insects that have appeared in the house, using a steam generator has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of this method primarily include:
- environmental safety, which consists in the fact that this type of treatment does not imply the use of harmful chemicals from all other possible ones. This may be the most important argument when bugs or other insects appeared in a house with small children or animals;
- economic benefit, since the purchase of any substances is not needed. If in the house in which the bugs appeared there is no steam generator, then you can buy it not only for this purpose, this device is very practical and will help to solve many other problems;
- the possibility of using bedding, clothes and shoes for processing, while the use of chemicals is impossible;
- simplicity and efficiency of work even when a person first encounters this procedure.
Disadvantages of the steam method
The main disadvantages of using a steam generator against bedbugs are:
- the impossibility of reaching areas that are in very narrow, inaccessible places, as well as a decrease in the efficiency of the device when processing through a layer of matter is necessary;
- the inability to use the processing of objects for which exposure to steam is fatal. This is most often encountered when cleaning books or other paper items;
- the inability to process electrical appliances.
Due to deficiencies, killing all the insects in the house at one time will not work. In addition, those individuals that live inside mattresses, in books, as well as inside electrical appliances, will reproduce in these places for a very long time. That is why, simultaneously with the use of a steam cleaner, it is best to use another method at the same time.
Thus, answering the question of how to get rid of bedbugs using a steam cleaner, you can answer with confidence - easily and quickly. It should be understood that the quality of the final result will depend entirely on the thoroughness of processing all places of accumulation of insects, as well as other surfaces in the room, as well as their quantity required for the complete destruction of all generations of parasites.
