Does Washing Clothes Kill Bed Bugs

Washing at lower temperatures will kill adults and nymphs but most bed bugs eggs will survive.

Does washing clothes kill bed bugs. Instead of washing delicate clothing or pillows in a washer use a clothes steamer. But most people feel if they have washable clothes they feel more comfortable washing their clothes and laundering them. Washing clothes to kill bed bugs without caution can result in spreading the problem to another area of your home so be sure not to cut corners. Just make sure that the heat penetrates all the layers of the items you re cleaning.

And it s very likely that some bed bugs will be found on bed linens and mattress covers. Bed bugs don t live in clothes like body lice but they will hide in clothes or shoes. Washing clothes and bedding is a simple and cheap method of killing all bed bugs. The steamer temperature must reach between 160 and 180 degrees f.

Washing and drying with hot water dry cleaning and heat treating will kill bed bugs in bedding draperies pillows cushions area rugs and other household textiles too. It is a very important part of both do it yourself bed bug control and when you have professional pest control company apply insecticides. Sort before transport sort clothing in the infested area as you would any other laundry. It s also important to wash and dry any other washable fabrics in your home including items like couch covers.

Frequent washing and drying can kill bed bugs and eggs washing and drying your clothes and linens in hot water is an effective way to prevent and kill bed bugs and their eggs. After steaming use a vacuum with a hepa filter to capture any dead bugs. Your clothes are in sealed plastic bags now and what is for sure actually going to kill the bed bugs is the heat of your dryer set on high.