Bed bugs are small, flat, parasitic insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals. They are a big nuisance as they can infest homes, hotels, schools, and anywhere else where humans sleep. Their small size and ability to hide in tiny crevices allow them to hitchhike in personal belongings, like clothing and luggage. This allows bed bugs to spread from place to place as people travel. So can bed bugs travel on clothes? Let’s take a closer look at the key facts.
Can bed bugs live on clothes?
Yes, bed bugs can live on clothes. Clothing provides the perfect environment for bed bugs to survive for extended periods when away from their main habitat. Here’s why:
- Clothes are soft and provide good hiding spots in seams, folds, and pockets where bed bugs can nestle.
- The fabric fibers give bed bugs something to tightly cling onto as clothes are moved around.
- Clothes retain heat from the human body, keeping bed bugs warm even when away from bedding.
- Clothes carry human scent that bed bugs are attracted to.
These factors allow bed bugs to comfortably survive on clothing for multiple days without needing to feed. The bugs just patiently wait until the clothing returns to an environment with a human host.
How do bed bugs get on clothes?
There are a few ways bed bugs can end up on clothing items:
- Crawling on from infested areas – Bed bugs in infested beds, furniture, etc can crawl onto nearby clothing on the floor, bedside chair, etc.
- Hitchhiking from contact – Clothes touching infested beds, luggage, furniture allows bed bugs to transfer onto the fabric.
- Dropped from the body – Bed bugs can drop off the human body onto clothes during the day.
- Carried from laundromats – Shared laundry facilities can pass bed bugs via infected clothing.
What clothes are most at risk of bed bugs?
Bed bugs have an easier time catching a ride on certain clothing items. The most high-risk clothes include:
- Items stored near the bed – Pajamas, robes, slippers, etc kept near the bed are easily accessible to bed bugs at night.
- Outfits worn in infested areas – Clothes you wear lounging on infested furniture or sitting on infested beds are prone to pick up bugs.
- Clothing dried inside – Bed bugs can crawl from infested areas into dry clothing before the heat kills them.
- Laundered clothing – Clothes mixed with other infected laundry can carry bed bugs away.
Daytime clothes worn outside the home are much less likely to have contact with bed bugs.
Can bed bugs spread through clothing?
Absolutely. Clothing is one of the most common ways bed bugs spread from place to place. Some scenarios where bed bugs use clothing to transport include:
- Travel – Bed bugs hide away in luggage, purses, shoes, and clothing traveled with, allowing them to infest new places like hotels, homes, etc.
- Laundromats – Shared washers/dryers bring bed bugs home on clean laundry.
- Public transportation – Bugs can crawl from infested bus/train seats onto clothing of riders.
- Work/school – Bed bugs from infested offices, dorms, etc hitchhike on clothes to spread.
- Secondhand clothes – Buying used clothing is a common way people unknowingly bring bed bugs home.
Bed bugs only need a short ride on clothing to infest new areas. This allows them to rapidly spread through communities.
Do bed bugs stay on clothes when washing?
Most bed bugs cannot survive a complete cycle in the washing machine. The combination of soap, water, and agitation removes and drowns most bed bugs. Hot drying will also kill any remaining bugs. However, there are some risks to be aware of:
- Bed bugs can survive in clothes bunched up and shielded from direct contact with water/soap.
- Bugs in laundry may crawl onto other clothes in the washer before dying.
- Ineffective cold or quick wash cycles may not kill all bugs.
- Skipping the clothes dryer allows any living bed bugs to survive.
Proper washing and drying should kill all bed bugs, but infested laundry should be handled carefully.
Can bed bugs live in clean clothes?
Clean clothes fresh from the dryer should not have any surviving bed bugs. However, bed bugs can infest freshly cleaned clothing if:
- Bugs crawl into clothes before wearing.
- Clothes mix with other infested laundry.
- You put clean clothes in an infested drawer/closet.
- They transfer from other furniture/items before wearing.
So while bed bugs can’t survive the cleaning process itself, they may still hitch a ride on clothes after they come out of the dryer.
Do bed bugs come off in the dryer?
The heat from clothes dryers is very effective at killing bed bugs. The high temperatures (120°F+) cannot be survived for the 30+ minutes of a typical drying cycle. Any bed bugs remaining on clothing after washing will die in the intense heat.
Dead bugs and eggs may break off clothes in the dryer and collect in the lint trap. So you may find bed bug carcasses in lint that provide evidence of successful extermination through drying. But live bugs won’t survive to exit a dryer still clinging onto clothing.
Can I put bed bug infested clothes in the dryer?
Yes, drying clothes on the highest heat setting is recommended to kill bed bugs and eggs after washing infested items. The laundry should be tied up in plastic bags from washing until drying to prevent any live bugs from escaping.
The heat from the dryer will desiccate and destroy any bed bugs. Just be sure to thoroughly clean the dryer afterwards by:
- Removing all lint inside the trap
- Vacuuming the dryer vent and around the machine
- Running an empty high heat cycle for 30+ mins
This will kill any bugs inside and prevent potential spread.
Should clothes be dried on hot after bed bugs?
Yes, drying laundry at the highest temperature possible is important to ensure bed bugs are killed. The levels of heat needed to exterminate bed bugs include:
- 120°F+ for at least 25 minutes
- 130°F+ for at least 15 minutes
Most dryer high heat settings reach 150°F or greater, which should easily kill all bed bug stages in under 10 minutes. Cooler settings may not maintain lethal temperatures long enough.
So drying infested clothing on hot provides an extra guarantee that washing didn’t miss any surviving bugs or eggs hiding in creases and seams.
What temperature kills bed bugs in the dryer?
These are the temperatures that can kill bed bugs and eggs in clothes dryers:
- 118°F – Kills bed bug eggs in 90 minutes
- 120°F – Kills bed bug eggs in 1 hour
- 125°F – Kills bed bugs and eggs in 20 minutes
- 130°F – Kills bed bugs and eggs in 15-30 minutes
- 140°F + – Kills bed bugs and eggs in under 10 minutes
Most dryer high heat settings reach 140-150°F, which will kill all bed bug stages in just 3-5 minutes. The sustained heat over 30+ minutes provides total extermination.
Do laundry mat dryers get hot enough to kill bed bugs?
Most commercial dryers at laundromats do reach temperatures high enough to kill bed bugs when running on medium or high heat:
- General Electric – Up to 150°F on high
- Maytag – Up to 135°F on medium, 150°F on high
- Whirlpool – Up to 135°F on medium, 155°F on high
- Speed Queen – Up to 150°F on high
These temperatures exceed the 120°F minimum needed to kill bed bugs and eggs in under 10 minutes. However, always check that the machines are heating properly and not malfunctioning. Running on low heat may not be effective.
Should I dry clean clothes that have bed bugs?
Dry cleaning uses specialized solvents instead of water to clean clothes, so it won’t necessarily kill bed bugs on its own. However, the heat pressing/drying done after cleaning can exterminate bugs similar to a clothes dryer.
The benefits of dry cleaning clothes with bed bugs:
- Fewer bugs survive the cleaning solvents than conventional laundry.
- Pressing uses combinations of heat (150+°F) and steam lethal to bed bugs.
- No shared machines that can spread bed bugs to other laundry.
The drawbacks are the high costs compared to home washing/drying. But overall, dry cleaning is an effective option for delicate clothing that may be destroyed by regular laundering.
Should I isolate clothes exposed to bed bugs?
Yes, it’s smart to isolate any clothing that could have been exposed to bed bugs until it can be treated and cleaned:
- Keep items sealed in plastic bags/bins so bugs can’t escape.
- Store sealed containers away from other rooms/furniture.
- Launder items separately and dry on high heat before mixing with other laundry.
- Dispose of heavily infested clothes that can’t be saved.
Isolating clothes prevents bed bugs from spreading further while giving you time to kill them. Once treated, the clothing can be safely returned to use.
How do you get rid of bed bugs on clothes?
Here are the basic steps for removing bed bugs from clothing and other fabric items:
- Inspect items closely and discard those too heavily infested.
- Place lightly infested items in sealed bags/bins until cleaning.
- Machine wash clothes/fabrics on hottest water setting possible.
- Immediately transfer to dryer and dry on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
- Clean laundry bins/baskets used and isolate until dried.
- After drying, store clothes in sealed clean containers until use.
This process should kill all bed bug stages. Repeat laundering may be needed for heavy infestations.
Conclusion
Bed bugs are very easily spread on clothing and can survive on garments for multiple days. Any clothing that comes into contact with infested areas or bugs themselves can carry an infestation. Items worn close to beds or furniture harboring bed bugs are at highest risk. It’s important to carefully inspect, isolate, and launder any suspect clothing on the hottest settings. Thorough washing and drying will kill bed bugs and stop their spread through clothing. With vigilance, you can keep bed bugs out of your wardrobe.