Eradicating bed bugs can be complex and last some months. Living with these pests can cause stress and disturbance in your life. One of the best tools you could use to end this nightmare is a steamer.
What you do not want is getting one of these machines that is not a right match with your needs.
We’ve picked for you the Best Steamers for bed bugs to ease your selection.
Most old steamers will not do the job. Keep on reading to look for the key features required in a steamer for bed bugs extermination.
Reasons Why You Need a Bed Bug Steamer
- One of the most effective methods to eradicate bed bugs, at any stage of their life – from eggs to adults.
- A non-toxic solution against bed bugs. There is no usage of chemicals when steaming unlike other methods involving insecticides.
- Another benefit: dust mites and other allergens will be eliminated from the treated area.
- A tool with many purposes: such as chemical free deep cleaning, sanitizing different items or refreshing outdoor furniture.
- Long lasting item: On top of being a cost-effective solution against bed bugs, a steamer is a long-lasting item that will be a precious ally in taking care of your home.
- Environmentally friendly: By not using harsh chemicals you are not only health conscious but you are not harming mother nature.
Things to consider to pick the best Steamers for Bed bugs
There are so many models of bed bug steamer available, which could make your selection difficult. That is why we prepared for you an exhaustive review of the top-rated models, taking into account important features such as heat output, water tank capacity, steam pressure, and numbers and quality of accessories included. Additionally, we will review our selection based on the size, portability, price and warranty of steamers.
Best is to pick the steamer that caters the best to your situation and needs.
Temperature/ Heat Output
According to professionals, steam needs to reach the temperature of 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit (71°C to 82°C) to ensure they die on contact.
Preventing any case of heat loss, best is to pick a steamer which can reach temperatures over 200 degrees Fahrenheit to produce steam hot enough to be effective in eradicating them.
Luckily most commercialized steamers are able to generate steam reaching temperatures of around 212°F to 230°F (100°C to 110°C).
Water tank Capacity
Water tank Capacity is an essential factor to make your selection. It will indeed impact your steam cleaning experience. A large water tank is an important criteria when selecting the best steamers for bed bugs
The advantage of a large water tank is that you can steam with very few interruptions to refill water.
The downside is that you will lose portability with a heavier steamer when its water tank is full. It will also take more space in your storage.
Steamers with a small water tank will require more regular refilling in the process however the heat-up time (to convert water in steam) will be shorter. Steamers and small tanks will also be compact and lightweight and usually cheaper.
Steam Pressure
What matters here is the amount of pressure delivered by the steamer.
Too little pressure will prevent steam from getting in the fabrics and in cracks and crevices.
Too much pressure can blow bed bugs away, so they can crawl to another area and propagate the infestation. It is not recommended to use a pint point nozzle when using a steamer as its small opening will create too much pressure and can worsen the situation.
In summary it’s best you choose a steamer with adjustable pressure to prevent those two scenarios and adapt to different surfaces. For instance, clothing and bedding require little steam pressure to be penetrated, while cracks and crevices demand more pressure to fill the gaps with steam.
Heating Time
Heating time is the time necessary to transform water in steam. It can last from a minute to 15 minutes depending on the steamer. A short heating time will mean that you can get to work faster.
As we mentioned it will usually correlate with the size of the water tank. The smaller the tank the shorter the heating time should be.
Accessories
Steamers can be used for bed bugs as well as other tasks. So, they usually come with several accessories.
What you should look for is a triangular nozzle (or broad rectangular nozzle) to handle larger surfaces like a mattress or a carpet. A wide nozzle will save you energy and time for such surfaces.
You should also have included smaller nozzles in order to steam crack, crevices and other gaps in your home. But only use smaller nozzles for such areas only, as otherwise it could blow bugs and their eggs away and propagate the infestation.
Another thing we considered for this bed bug steamer review is the Length of Cord and Hose as well as the noise emitted. We have also taken into account the price and the length of warranty of the steamers.
Tips for Killing Bed Bugs with Steam
Even though you would possess in your arsenal the best steamers for bed bugs, you need to use them correctly and at the right places to get rid of bed bugs. This is what we will focus on here.
- Focus your steaming where bed bugs like to hide: in mattresses, headboards, box springs, and other furniture close to your bed
- keep hot steam away from electric outlets and appliances
- Allow areas to dry fully to avoid excess humidity and mold
- Use the smallest nozzle extension to steam into the cracks and crevices (A place they like to hide)
- Repeat the process until total extermination of bed bugs
FAQ
Is a Clothes Steamer Enough to Kill Bed Bugs?
A clothing steaming could help you in the process of exterminating bed bugs by killing a few of them.
But the steam output of a clothes steamer will not be strong enough to penetrate all surfaces. On top of that, some places where they like to hide, such as cracks and crevices, would be difficult to fill with steam from a clothes steamer.
What else can steam cleaners be used for?
Steamers are multi-purpose tools.
You can sanitize any surface with a steamer due to the high temperature of its steam. Steamers are a non-chemical way to deep clean your home in a variety of surfaces: Flooring, ceiling fans, BBQ grills, sinks, windows, tile and grout, garden tools, ceramic or patios. A steamer could also help you remove wallpaper, get rid of mold spores in bathrooms and basements. There is just no way you cannot find a good use of a steamer cleaner in your home.
You should pick a steamer with an adjustable steam pressure in order to modify the steamer settings for different tasks.
What not to clean with steam?
Not every material can endure excessive moisture or contact with high temperature steam.
Here are the surfaces you should avoid steaming:
- Delicate items, such as silks or velvet upholstery
- Porous surfaces like stucco, paper or cardboard
- Electronics
- Leather
- Musical instruments
- Walls covered with water-based paint
Can Using a Steam Cleaner Help with Allergies and Chemicals in your home?
Steam cleaning not only kills bed bugs and their eggs on contact, it will also help to eradicate dust mites, fine dust, pollen, and pet dander and other allergens. You can use your bed bug steamer to decrease allergens of many kinds in your house.
Steaming will also help remove chemicals previously used when cleaning.
How Long Does Steam Take to Kill Bed Bugs?
When in contact with temperatures above 180 °F (82°C) bed bugs and their eggs will die instantly.
Steamers usually produce steam at a temperature around 180-200 °F (82 – 93°C). However, you need to apply the steamer slowly to be sure its heat penetrates fully the fabric you are steaming. You should steam at a speed of around 20 inches (50cm) per minute to ensure best results against bed bugs.
Reviews of the best Steamers for Bed bugs
Our best pick: The McCulloch MC1375 Steam Cleaner
The McCulloch MC1375 Steam Cleaner is the perfect tool to eradicate bed bugs from your home. The steamer is sold with 20 accessories including:
- Mop pads
- Large brush head
- Nozzles of different sizes (large to small)
- Scraper
- Scrub pad
- Floor mop
With this arsenal you will be able to handle any kind of surface in your room such as mattresses or carpets to cracks and crevices in the box spring or in furniture.
The McCulloch MC1375 Steam Cleaner can produce steam over 200 degrees Fahrenheit to successfully kill bed bugs.
The pressure of the steam is adjustable with a gauge, so you will always be in control of the intensity of the steam to adapt to the surface treated.
With its 10-foot steam hose and 18-foot power cord this steamer has a better reach compared to the other steamers we tried.
The large 48-ounce water tank will be heated under 12 minutes to produce steam for 90 minutes, which will be more than enough to treat a room without interruptions.
Not only can you kill bed bugs, the McCulloch MC1375 is also a top-notch multi-purpose cleaning tool which will help you for many household jobs.
Pros:
- 20 included accessories that offer huge versatility
- Long power cord and hose that will allow you to steam any cracks and crevices
- Adjustable steam control
- Ergonomically designed handle and steam wand
- 2-year warranty
Cons
- Lacks pressure control for the steam jet nozzle
- No water level indicator
Best Lightweight Steamer for Bed Bugs: Wagner Spraytech 915 Steamer
First thing we noticed is the compact design and light weight of this steamer, which makes it easy to transport it across different rooms.
Despite having an acceptable water tank capacity of 48oz the Wagner Spraytech 915 Steamer is very lightweight and has good portability. The heating time of around 10 minutes is quicker than the average. During our test, we were able to maintain 40 minutes of continuous steam which is more than enough to treat a room for bed bugs. Its steaming heat output is 212°F (100°C) which is above bed bug lethal temperature so you are good to go.
The Wagner Spraytech 915 Steamer comes with 18 accessories and attachments so you can use it for many other cleaning household jobs.
Attachments and accessories are easy to replace and offer good multi-usage variety such as the included wallpaper steam plate which will help you strip wallpaper with no chemicals involved.
If you are looking for a lightweight and easy to use steamer with good versatility, then the Wagner Spraytech 915 Steamer might be the one for you.
Pros:
- A lightweight and portable model
- Good versatility for many different kinds of cleaning households’ jobs
- 18 accessories and attachments that are easy to replace
- Comes with a storage compartment for nozzles
- Presence of an orange light which will turn off when ready to go
Cons:
- Distilled water needs to be added for cleaning steaming
- The cord of 8 feet is long but can get twisted at times
Best value for money: PurSteam World’s Best Steamers PS581X
Accessories and attachments included:
- 3 Brushes of different kinds
- A Measuring Cup and a Funnel
- 2 Nozzles
- A Squeegee
This steamer is very good value for its price and will do the job for bed bugs. You will have with this PurSteam PS581X a steaming time of around 20 minutes due to its small water tank of 5 oz.
The positive side of this small water tank is that it heats up quickly. With a power of 1100W the steam produced will be lethal to bed bugs.
So even though there might be interruptions to refill the tank when steaming for bed bugs, those interruptions should not last long.
The cord is also on the short side, so you might have to replug the steamer to another outlet, to reach all desired areas in a room. Also, what may be annoying to you is the absence of a lock-on steam button. So, it means that you have to push the trigger constantly when steaming which can be tiring at times.
The unit is made of thick plastic and is built solid, which are the features of long-lasting items.
There’s also a safety cap that automatically locks when excess pressure builds up when reopening the steamer to refill the tank.
The PurSteam PS581X is good quality for its price even though it is definitely not the most convenient one.
Pros:
- A low price
- The presence of a safety cap
- Good numbers of accessories for this pricing
- Compact design
Cons:
- Small water tank
- No Lock-on steam Button
- Short cord
- Absence of Water Level Indicator