Bug Cleaners tools guide
Use the pesticide sprayer to kill bugs and destroy nests, the blowtorch for trash and the big spider, and the vacuum for quick clean-ups. The dry brushes clean laundry; the laundry baskets carry it.
Every tool in Bug Cleaners does one job well, and using the wrong one wastes time. The sprayer kills bugs and destroys nests, the blowtorch burns trash and the big spider, the vacuum clears a floor in seconds, and the dry brushes exist for the laundry chain that almost everyone misses on their first job.
The tool list
| Tool | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pesticide sprayer | Kills bugs; destroys nests | The only nest-killing tool in the game |
| Blowtorch | Burns bugs, trash piles and the big spider | Does not destroy nests |
| Power vacuum | Sucks up bugs in bulk | Fastest way to clear a floor of corpses and stragglers |
| Bare hands and feet | Squish and stomp individual bugs | For when the sprayer is across the room |
| Dry brushes | Clean dirty clothing | The brush itself gets dirty (about a quarter per item) and needs the sink or the pail of water |
| Laundry basket | Collects cleaned clothes so you can hang them | You cannot pick up dirty clothes by hand — the basket is the intended route |
| Crowbar | Opens the locked area where the surprise waits | Found somewhere on the property, not at the truck |
| Cat (Sniffers) | Detects nests you cannot find | Feed her first, then carry and use her |
Spray, flame or vacuum?
- Nests: sprayer only. Nothing else works, and players who tried the blowtorch on a nest late in a job wasted minutes doing it.
- Roach packs: all three bug tools work. The sprayer kills as you walk, the blowtorch is easiest on trash-heavy piles, and the vacuum is the fastest way to clear what is left.
- The big spider: the blowtorch does damage slowly but reliably. Players have also reported killing it with the sprayer. Either way it is a fight, not a one-click kill, and its health bar sits at 100 until you actually commit to the fight.
- Trash piles: blowtorch, mostly. It doubles as the fastest way to deal with anything that burns.
Inventory rules
Since the September demo update you can carry five items at a time, shown on the HUD at the bottom of the screen. That update replaced an earlier carrying limit that had been temporarily cut to one item while the multiplayer system was fixed. If you played an older demo build and remember juggling single items constantly, that is no longer how the current build works.
The cat counts as one of your carried items. The patch notes joke about not losing her in your pocket dimensions — but they also mean it: if you put her down somewhere strange, you may need the J tool reset to get everything back to the truck.
Where tools live
Tools spawn at the truck. If one disappears — a known issue through the demo period — press J to teleport every tool back to the truck and pick it up again. You do not have to restart the job.
FAQ
What kills nests in Bug Cleaners?
The pesticide sprayer. It is the only tool that destroys nests — the blowtorch, vacuum and stomping all kill bugs but leave nests alive.
Can the vacuum kill bugs?
Yes. The power vacuum sucks up bugs in bulk and is the fastest way to clear the floor once the sprayer has done the killing, or to mop up stragglers you keep clipping with the sprayer.
What does the crowbar open?
A locked area inside the property. Opening it is part of the surprise the demo teased, and it is worth finding before you finish the cleaning list rather than after.
How many items can you carry in Bug Cleaners?
Five, since the September demo update added the new inventory system with the five-slot HUD at the bottom of the screen.
