From spiralisers to cordless irons, I’m a sucker for useless gadgets. Now I want a steamer

I don't have bedbugs. I may never have bedbugs. So why am I lusting after the kit that would let me zap an infestation?

In the midst of all the bedbug brouhaha, and the worry that the wingless creatures might cash in their Club Eurostar points and invade the UK, a minor detail set my pulse racing.

According to bedbug specialists (a profession whose time has truly come), one way of eradicating the blood-sucking pests is by using a steamer on your sheets. Few things make me happier than the prospect of investing in a new gadget; 20 years on, I still mourn the demise of the Innovations catalogue.

Anita Chaudhuri is a freelance journalist