Lending a steamer to a friend with bedbugs?? « Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums

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Lending a steamer to a friend with bedbugs??

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Started 2 years ago by marigold
Latest reply from Sleepless in NYC
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marigold

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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Nov 30 2010 19:51:44
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Hi, I could really use some advice. I've almost made it a year without bedbugs, except for two times I seemed to get bites but I think these happened while I was out as they were on exposed skin and weren't followed by any subsequent bites/hives or blood on bedding etc. A friend has bedbugs right now, I haven't even seen her since before my bedbug infestation, she is having her third experience with bedbugs (I think, a third residence, over a period of 3 years with time in between without them, I suspect she's either opening stored items and releasing them or getting reinfested by friends who have them too). Anyway she asked if she could borrow my steamer. I lent it to another friend who had bedbugs earlier in the year, but now I'm more cautious, she's had them so many times I'm worried that she will return it with bedbugs. I don't want to be an unsupportive friend and I can't even image the economic toll of having bedbugs so many times, she's had a lot of pco treatments etc. Still I can't handle getting them again myself. Should I say no or let her use it and take precautions to clean it myself before bringing it back in my place?
MyWorstFear

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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Nov 30 2010 20:36:25
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Was it an expensive steamer? Would you miss it if you just gave it to her? If she's got bed bugs for a third time (and I mean a third time, independent and unrelated to the other two times) either she's out and about in very risky/infested places, or she isn't doing the weekly "checking for bed bugs" that I think I'll be doing until my dying day. I doubt you'd be comfortable having the steamer in your house after it's been in hers.
SearchandDestroy

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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Nov 30 2010 20:57:14
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Tough question..

Or maybe her source is from another unit? Assuming she is in an aptment. Feel badly for her but it is a pickle. What to do? Hmmm...I guess the question really is, how does one treat a steamer when you get it back? Do you steam a steamer? Sorry I don't have an answer, maybe a pro can chime in here.
bbbattle

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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Dec 1 2010 12:50:12
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I would really like an answer to this too having borrowed a steamer myself. I would really hate to give it back with bedbugs in it. I was planning to do a visual inspection and spray it down with alcohol/oil soap. Would it be best to keep it in my bedroom (where it currently is) while I'm being treated by a pco? Would this increase the likelihood that any lurking bbs would crawl out of it?
Sleepless in NYC

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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Dec 1 2010 22:46:16
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Interesting topic. I was going to rent a carpet cleaner, now I'm wondering if I could get bbs from someone that rented it before me and had bbs.

In Response to your question, I would give the steamer to her. I would be very paranoid about it being in my him once she used it.
marigold

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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Dec 4 2010 1:06:43
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I decided not to lend her the steamer. She has had bedbugs in three separate apartments, so I do not think the problem is other units. The steamer was expensive and my father who is a pensioner bought it for me. I know her situation well enough to know that it would be about an equal burden for her to buy one. I feel very bad not helping a friend, but I wouldn't be able to handle the reprocussions of getting bed bugs again right now. Also, after 3 years and 3 apartments with bedbugs it might be time for her to invest in a steamer of her own, she has paid for a lot of PCO treatments.
Sleepless in NYC

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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Dec 4 2010 19:49:27
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Totally understandable.