Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 22nd May 2025 Issue no. 1163

Your industry news - first

The original and best - for over 20 years!

We strongly recommend viewing Cleanzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.

Control those pesky bedbugs with steam!

Press coverage of what appears to be a rise in bed bug infestations in several parts of Europe, has raised awareness to the extent that people are looking out for the creatures. This means that any facilities which may until now have been harbouring them unnoticed, need to ensure that their reputations aren’t damaged by accusations that customers have been bitten. This is where steam cleaning comes in.

Steam offers an incredibly effective method for killing bed bugs in all the stages of development, if applied correctly…

When using steam as a treatment, the quality of the steamer is very important. OspreyDeepclean’s CEO Thomas Stucken advises using a commercial steamer with a minimum boiler temperature of 150 degrees Celsius, with a steam volume control.

“The smaller type of steamer you use to steam clothing, or steamers with a boiler temperature below 150°C, will not be effective for bed bug treatment,” he warns.

“Do not use a carpet cleaning machine. Carpet cleaning machines do not reach high enough temperatures to kill bed bugs.

“Steamers work by delivering lethal temperatures to where bed bugs may be hiding. Steam is very effective when bed bugs are on the surface of items and can be effective up to 3/4 inches (19mm) into fabric surfaces. In cracks and crevices, steam will kill bed bugs up to 2 and 3/8 inches (46mm) into a gap.

“Use an infrared thermometer to monitor the surface temperature of the area being treated. To effectively kill bed bugs the surface temperature should be at least 60-70 degrees Celsius (160-180°F) immediately after the steam tool has passed.”

[email protected] | www.ospreydc.com

19th October 2023