To kill bed bugs in clothes, put them in a clothes dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes. That kills bugs and eggs even without washing. For washable items, wash in hot water first, then dry on high. Items you can’t wash can go in the dryer alone, be frozen at 0°F for several days, or be sealed in a plastic bag until treatment. Always bag clothes before carrying them to the laundry so bugs don’t drop off along the way.
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Step by Step: Getting Bed Bugs Out of Clothes
- Bag it at the source. Put clothes, bedding and fabric items straight into sealed plastic bags or dissolvable laundry bags in the infested room.
- Sort without unbagging. Keep a separate bag for dryer-only items (shoes, stuffed toys, delicate fabrics that tolerate heat).
- Wash washables hot if the fabric allows, then move straight to the dryer.
- Dry on high heat for at least 30 minutes after the load is fully dry. Don’t overload the dryer; heat must reach every item.
- Bag clean items in new bags and keep them sealed until the rest of the home is treated.
- Throw out the used bags in an outdoor trash bin.
Does Washing Kill Bed Bugs?
Hot water washing kills many bed bugs, but a wash alone isn’t reliable, especially on cool or eco settings. The dryer does the real work. Heat of about 118°F held for 90 minutes, or 122°F for a shorter time, kills all stages, and a dryer on high reaches this quickly.
Items You Can’t Wash or Dry
| Item | What to do |
|---|---|
| Delicates, wool, silk | Low or medium heat for longer, if the label allows; or dry-clean and tell the cleaner |
| Shoes, bags, stuffed toys | Dryer on medium or high, 30 minutes or more |
| Leather, electronics, books | Portable heat chamber, or freezing |
| Small items that fit in a freezer | Seal in a bag and freeze at 0°F for at least 4 days; check the freezer temperature with a thermometer |
| Anything else | Seal in a plastic bag or bin until the home is treated; bed bugs can live months, so keep it sealed |
Can Bed Bugs Live on Clothes?
Bed bugs don’t live on your body the way lice do, because they don’t like heat and movement. But they do hide in clothing piles, drawers, laundry baskets and luggage, and they can survive there for weeks to months. That is how they travel between homes. Clothes worn during the day are rarely a hiding place; clothes left on the floor or bed are.
Do Bed Bugs Bite Through Clothes?
No. Bed bugs can’t bite through fabric. They crawl under loose pajamas or along edges, which is why bites often line up along the waistband, collar and cuffs. Tight-fitting clothing doesn’t stop bites entirely; treating the bed does.
What Doesn’t Work
- Sun drying: clothes on a line rarely get hot enough, long enough, to kill bed bugs and eggs.
- Rubbing alcohol and sprays on clothing: the EPA warns against rubbing alcohol because of fire risk, and sprays don’t reach eggs in seams.
- Laundry alone without bagging: carrying loose clothes spreads bugs through the house.
Preventing Bed Bugs in Your Clothes
- After travel, unpack straight into the washer and dryer.
- Keep clothes off the floor and bed in infested rooms; store clean clothes in sealed bins until treatment ends.
- Dry second-hand clothing on high before bringing it into closets.
- Use shared laundromats carefully: bag clothes and fold at home.
Clothes are only one part of the job. See how to get rid of bed bugs, where bed bugs hide and bed bug heat treatment.
Laundry tools for bed bugs
- Dissolvable laundry bags go straight into the washer
- Portable heat chamber for shoes, bags, books and items you can’t wash
- Sealed storage bins for clean clothes during treatment
- Freezer thermometer to confirm 0°F before freezing items
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FAQs
Yes. Drying clothes on high heat for at least 30 minutes kills bed bugs and their eggs, even without washing first.
Hot washing kills many bed bugs but isn’t reliable on its own. Follow the wash with at least 30 minutes in the dryer on high.
Bed bugs can hide in stored clothes, drawers and luggage for weeks to months, especially in cool conditions, which is why sealed bags should stay closed until treatment is finished.
No. Bed bugs can’t bite through fabric. They crawl under loose clothing and bite along waistbands, collars and cuffs.
Dry them on medium or high heat if the fabric allows, use a portable heat chamber, freeze them at 0°F for at least 4 days, or keep them sealed in a bag until treatment ends.
Sources
Facts in this guide are checked against the sources above and reviewed when they change. See how we research in our editorial policy.
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