steamer for bed bugs – Clothes Steamer

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are a nuisance and can be difficult to get rid of. One of the best ways is by using a bed bug steamer. A bed bug steamer is the fastest, most effective way to kill these pests. It is also one of the easiest methods because it doesn't involve any harsh chemicals or pesticides that could harm you or your children. Plus, bed bugs can and have developed resistance to chemical insecticides, making steam the best choice to kill bed bugs. There are many different types of steamers out on the market today. Whilst I primarily focus on garment steamers on this site, I wanted to give you other options when it comes to getting rid of bed bugs. If you have a handheld steamer, this will work. But there are also heavy duty steam cleaners that will make your life so much easier, and you can use them for chemical free cleaning all around your home. So, that's why I put together this blog post full of top picks as well as buying guides with information about each type so you'll know exactly what option will work best for you and your needs. But first, two important points to consider when treating bed bugs: What Temperature Steam Kills Bed Bugs? A 2012 study published in the Society of Chemical Industry used a Jiffy J-4000 garment steamer to treat bed bugs in a controlled environment. They tested the temperature of the environment during treatment which ranged between 67.38 degrees Celsius (153.284 degrees Fahrenheit) and 73.91 degrees Celsius (165.038 degrees Fahrenheit). All bed bugs exposed to the heat from steam and their eggs were eradicated during this trial. A follow up was conducted 30 days after the trial, which showed no bed bug eggs hatched after being exposed to steam. A study published in Insects, a journal of entomology by the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota showed that the lethal temperature for bed bugs was on average 118.94 degrees Fahrenheit and their eggs 130.64 degrees Fahrenheit. What Determines the Best Steamer to Kill Bed Bugs? The key point from the Insects study above, was that the lower the temperature of the heat, the longer the bed bugs needed to be exposed to the heat to die. Therefore, heat and steam pressure is a key deciding factor when recommending a bed bug steamer. Quality is also important, versatility and multipurpose use are essential. After all, who wants to buy a bed bug steamer then have no further use for the machine? High Pressure Steam Cleaner for Bed Bugs - Vapamore Ottimo [amazon box="B08CG4WM3R"] This is an excellent heavy duty steam cleaner by Vapamore. It comes with a lifetime warranty, but also a price tag to match. Aptly named "Ottimo" (model number MR-750) which in Italian means Ultimate. Indeed it is. Here are the key features: 1 Gallon Stainless Steel Boiler TankHeats to 280 Degrees Fahrenheit1600 watt heating elementOutputs steam at 75 psi3 Hours of use per fill25 Tools and Accessories to get into cracks and crevices Are there any downsides to this quality multi purpose steamer? It's higher priced than some of the other steamers on this list and also bulkier, standing at 24 inches at the tallest part. I do like the 4 castors on the bottom for stability and easy movement. With a 1 gallon water tank and all your attachments stored onboard, a slightly larger than usual steam cleaner is to be expected. Check Latest Price on Amazon What Consumer's Have to Say The steamer has been great for getting rid of bed bugs. The steam stays hot and the machine is easy to set up which makes it a plus! The water tank heats quickly so you can get right into cleaning in no time at all, making this one convenient purchase that will surely make your life easier. Polti Vaporetto Steamer [amazon box="B08F9YPCKP"] The Polti Vaporetto steamer is a steam cleaner that never stops. The water tank can be refilled during use and heats up in 2-4 minutes, so you'll never have to pause cleaning again for long periods of time. I really like the wide angled floor tool that allows you to get into corners and ultimately cover a large space relatively quickly. Here are the key features: 67.6 ounce stainless steel boiler tankTank heats to 280 Degrees Fahrenheit, Steam Output 212 Degrees FahrenheitOutputs steam at 58 psiContinuous use - can be refilled during use10 Accessories1 year warranty The one year warranty lets this steamer down a little, especially when comparable steamers have lifetime warranties on the boiler tanks. You can however, purchase 2 and 3 year protection plans on Amazon. Check Latest Price on Amazon Polti also make a commercial steamer specifically for bed bugs. This is the Polti Cimex Eradicator Steamer. If you have a large budget, this steamer creates superheated dry steam up to a massive 356 degrees Fahrenheit. Bed bugs won't stand a chance. During the steam delivery, hot steam is mixed with HPMed detergent (2 included with the initial purchase) to eliminate the characteristic smell of bed bugs and melt gluey substances which bind eggs. These aren't super expensive to buy replacement ones either, surprisingly! Here is the link. The water tank lasts for 4-5 hours. Feedback from consumers is 100% positive, one noting that very little water and moisture was left on surfaces after steaming. This is thanks to the nozzle design. The chamber rapidly dries and re-heats the steam that was fed from the boiler before pushing it out of the barrel, resulting in exceptionally hot and dry steam. Less moisture means greater penetration into porous surfaces, such as loose fabrics or bed bug hideouts like the cracks and crevices of your mattress or lounge. You can also purchase (separately) an accessories kit for the Polti Cimex Steamer to then turn the bed bug steamer into a multipurpose tool for every area of your home. If you have the budget for a bed bug steamer such as the Polti Cimex I'm sure you won't be disappointed. But as all steamers on this list heat up enough to eradicate bed bugs it isn't absolutely necessary to buy a machine such as this. If you're interested, please check it out via the link below: [amazon box="B01B6W09R4"] Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner for Bed Bugs [amazon box="B07C44DM6D"] In my blog post, can clothes steamers kill bed bugs, I mention the Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner as an excellent alternative to a clothes steamer for removing bed bugs. The reason for this is longer steaming time, larger head to cover a bigger surface area at once and reduce the potential for missing some of the bugs, as well as the variety of attachments to get into cracks and crevices. It's only natural that Dupray will make this list as well, as it is a competitively priced steam cleaner, from a reputable company with a lifetime warranty on the boiler. At around one quarter of the price of the Vapamore Ottimo it represents excellent value for money. Here are the best features: 54 ounce aluminum boiler tank with lifetime warranty (2 year warranty on other parts)Heats to 275 Degrees Fahrenheit1500 watt heating elementOutputs steam at 50 psi50 minutes of use per fill18 piece accessory kit It may not look like it, but this little unit is on wheels, as well as having a carry handle built into the top. It also has a steam lock function, so you don't need to continuously hold a trigger when steaming surfaces. The other great feature is the built in funnel! No more trying to use a tiny jug to fill up the steam cleaner and spilling water all over the place! Check Latest Price on Amazon If you're looking for something more powerful, also take a look at the Dupray Tosca which heats up to 316 degrees Fahrenheit, with a stainless steel boiler and 72.5 PSI of steam pressure. This is comparable to the Vapamore Ottimo above, but slightly more expensive. It also has a lifetime warranty on the boiler tank. Canadians, Dupray are also in Canada as well as the USA. This would be a better choice than Vapamore if you needed any repairs under warranty. Click Here to View on Amazon McCulloch Steamer for Bed Bugs [amazon box="B00G00BT72"] McCulloch are a trusted name in steam cleaners, and my top choice for effective bed bug eradication is the MC1375 cannister steam cleaner. The reason I have chosen the MC1375 McCulloch steam cleaner over the McCulloch MC1275 for bed bugs is the higher PSI for steam pressure, double the steam cleaning time per tank fill, 3ft longer power cord and an extra 2 attachments (all for not much increase in price). Here is a comparison of the two McCulloch steam cleaners: [amazon box="B00G00BT72" grid="1"] [amazon box="B0000DF0RB" grid="1"] McCulloch MC1375 48 ounce water chamberVariable Steam OutputHeats to 212 Degrees Fahrenheit1500 watt heating elementOutputs steam at 58 psiUp to 90 minutes of use per fill20 Accessories2 year warranty McCulloch MC1275 48 ounce water chamberNo Variable Steam OutputHeats to 212 Degrees Fahrenheit1500 watt heating elementOutputs steam at 43 psi45 minutes of use per fill18 Accessories2 year warranty Heavy Duty Bed Bug Steamer with a Mid Range Price - Vapamore Primo [amazon box="B004XVM19A"] The Vapamore Primo (model number MR-100) steam cleaner is the baby brother to the light commercial unit above. Primo, meaning first in Italian is a very good steamer for bed bugs, also with a lifetime warranty. Here are the Key Features: 54 ounce Stainless Steel Boiler TankHeats to 220 Degrees Fahrenheit1500 watt heating element1 Hour of use per fill20 Tools and Accessories to get into cracks and crevices This steamer has effectively been used by consumers to eradicate bed bugs and their eggs. The biggest complaint is that no extra steaming pads are included for the floor, but you can purchase these separately. Vapamore steamers are best suited to purchasing if you live in the USA. With a lifetime warranty on the boiler tank and internal parts, you will need to send the steamer back to the USA warehouse for any repair. The cost of shipping may outweigh the cost of repair if you live outside the USA. Check Latest Price on Amazon Budget Steam Cleaner for Bed Bugs - Simbr 1500 Watt [amazon box="B08XWGD4QY"] I'm a fan of the Simbr garment steamer (full review here) and was pleased to see this steam cleaner by Simbr pop up during my research. It's not perfect, but if you don't have a lot of money to spend it is inexpensive and has everything you need for killing bed bugs. Here are the key features: 37 ounce water tankNo Variable Steam OutputHeats to 226 Degrees Fahrenheit1500 watt heating elementOutputs steam at 4.5 bars (around 65 psi)30 minutes of use per fill13 Accessories18 month warranty What's the downside you ask? Coming from a Chinese manufacturer, the instruction manual isn't great, you'll need to work this one out for yourself. It also apparently has tiny castors on the bottom of the steamer, but appears to be more suited to carrying around, with the included shoulder strap and large carry handle. Some of the negative feedback on the Simbr steam cleaner is: not made for left handersmopping attachment goes left and right but not in a 360 degree circleinstruction manual and associated images are difficult to understand Most feedback is positive for the 2021 upgraded version of the steam cleaner, such as: It's compact, easy to store. Cleaning is fast and efficient! Overall, at the price point for this steam cleaner, I'd happily purchase if I had a small budget. For the same wattage as the McCulloch steam cleaners, you're getting slightly higher heating temperature and higher PSI to make sure that the steam penetrates into your mattress and lounge crevices, as bed bugs will try to hide from the heat. Check Latest Price on Amazon Using the Jiffy J-4000 Garment Steamer We mentioned above that the Jiffy J-4000 garment steamer was used in a trial to kill bed bugs, effectively eradicating all bed bugs and their eggs. The J-4000 is the commercial variety garment steamer that, like most steam cleaners, operates at 1500 watts. If you already have a Jiffy garment steamer (in particular the J-4000) you can use this around your home to kill bed bugs. The downside with buying a garment steaming machine over a steam cleaner is you won't get the included cleaning tools for other uses around your home. The floor cleaning tool and grout cleaning tools really do come in handy to steam clean your home. If you are interested in the Jiffy garment steamer, please read my full review here. Frequently Asked Questions What PSI Steamer Kills Bed Bugs? According to Buglord, a 40PSI steamer is the minimum PSI you should consider to effectively kill bed bugs. A steamer aroun 60PSI is preferable. How Long Does Steam Take to Kill Bed Bugs? A minimum of 10 seconds direct contact with steam will kill bed bugs and their eggs. If bed bugs are hiding in your furniture and don't come directly into contact with the steam, heat the area for a longer period of time. The ambient air temperature in the area you are treating should be at least 118 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are concerned that you are not heating the area hot enough, an infrared thermometer can come in handy to check the temperature. You can pick these up for under $25 such as this one here. Does the Wagner Steamer Kill Bed Bugs? Yes, the Wagner steamer has effectively been used to eradicate bed bugs and their eggs. The specific model used was the Wagner E915. Is a Clothes Steamer Hot Enough to Kill Bed Bugs? Yes, a clothes steamer can effectively kill bed bugs. It can be a longer and slower process, depending on whether you have a full sized clothes steamer or handheld steamer. I have written a complete article on this, which I linked to earlier in this article. You may also like to read how to get rid of bed bugs in clothes. Can You Use a Steam Iron to Kill Bed Bugs? A steam iron isn't the best choice to kill bed bugs. To effectively eradicate bed bugs you'll need to be able to position steam into seams, crevices in your lounge, onto carpet etc. You'll need to be very careful that the sole plate of the iron doesn't scorch your furnishings (especially nylon carpets) and because of the bulkier size of irons, you could miss steaming some of the bugs. The steam output may also not be strong enough to penetrate into mattress, lounge cushions and plush carpets. Miss a few bed bugs and your infestation can begin all over again.