Eliminate Bed Bugs Fast with Dry Steam

The first myth to throw out is that you only get bed Bugs if your home is not clean.  This is completely untrue.  Bed Bugs are quite happy to live with you whether your house is clean or grimey.

The truth is that you can pick up a bed bug from just about anywhere and transport it back to your home.  Forget the name for a moment, bed bugs do not just live in beds.  They will be quite content to set up home anywhere that is warm and cosy and has a regular supply of food - thats you!  Once established they will start to breed and before you know it they are living in just about every soft furnishing in your home; beds, rugs, sofas, carpets and curtains.

The nasty little critters tend to hide away in folds and seams and then come out when all is quiet to feast on your blood and leave those nasty itchy bites.

So where might you get them from?

• Hotels are a favorite, the bugs hide in hotel furnishings and then get onto your clothes or into your luggage where they wait for a free ride to your home
• Been to the theatre lately?  Bed bugs love cinema and movies, so many people to transfer between
• Public Transport is as fast a way as any to move rapidly across the country
• What could be better after a hard day on an office chair than hitching a lift to a completely new home.
• Nice antique furniture - the perfect residence for a bug
  

As you can see the bugs will live just about anywhere we go, so it is no surprise that many families get the occasional infestation.  The key is to act as soon as you spot the first signs

Spotting a Bed Bug Bite is as easy as looking for the spots.

If you suddenly notice spots appearing on you body, particularly if they are in a tight group, it is possible you have an unwanted visitor.

Just so you don't miss them they usually itch as well

So just how do you get rid of bed bugs

There are many products on the market to help you eliminate bed bugs. Chemical sprays and powders are available from the store or online - the problem with chemicals is that you may react to them and many don't work that well.

There are mattress covers, but these only work for new mattresses and as we have already dicovered bugs can live in any of your soft furnishings.

By far the best way to eliminate bed bugs is by using super heated steam.

Steam heated to above 200 degrees has a very low moisture content and the heat will kill bugs and their eggs on contact. Just make sure you buy a machine that is easy to use and will produce steam heated to very high temperatures.

1. Firstly strip the bed and launder the bed linen at the highest temperature that is suitable for the fabric.
2. Starting at one corner of the mattress. Hold the steam nozzle close and move slowly across the surface. Overlap your passes so that no part of the mattress is missed.
3. Pay particular attention to seams and the edges.
4. Steam each side of the mattress thoroughly.
5. Flip the mattress (you may need help) and repeat on the other side
6. Steam the base of the bed
7. While the mattress is airing use the carpet attachment to steam the bedroom carpets, make sure you direct steam into any cracks in woodwork such as door frames.
8. Ideally continue through your home and steam all sofas and carpets

Its a fairly lengthy and physical job, but if you do the whole home you can sleep confident that you are no longer sharing with unwanted visitors.