Key Takeaways
- It’s the dryer’s heat that kills bed bugs, not the detergent. A loosely loaded dryer on high for 30 minutes destroys every life stage, including the eggs.
- A cold or warm wash won’t kill them. Washing helps clean items, but the lethal step is high heat — so the dryer is non-negotiable.
- Bag infested items before you carry them to the laundry, or you’ll spread bugs along the way.
- Can’t put it in a dryer? Freeze dry-clean-only and delicate items at 0°F for at least four days instead.
Laundering is one of the most effective things you can do against bed bugs at home, but only if you do the part that actually kills them. Here’s the key: the dryer’s heat does the work, not the wash. Get that right and a normal load of clothes or bedding comes out completely bed bug-free.
Does washing kill bed bugs?
A hot wash can help, but it isn’t reliable on its own — water cools, and warm or cold cycles don’t get hot enough for long enough. What reliably kills bed bugs and their eggs is sustained high heat, which a clothes dryer delivers. Bed bugs die within about 20 minutes at 118°F and almost instantly at 122°F, and a dryer on high pushes well past that (Virginia Dept. of Agriculture, Cornell IPM). So you can skip the wash entirely for bug-killing purposes and still win — but most people wash first to clean, then dry hot to kill.
The step-by-step method
- Bag everything at the source. In the infested room, seal items in plastic bags so bugs can’t fall off and spread on the way to the laundry. Keep them sealed until they go in.
- Sort by care label. Heat-safe items in one pile; dry-clean-only and delicate in another.
- Wash hot if the fabric allows (optional, for cleaning).
- Dry on HIGH for at least 30 minutes. This is the step that matters. Don’t overload the dryer — bugs and eggs need the hot air to circulate and reach everything.
- Bag the clean items back up and store them away from the infested area until the room itself is treated, so they don’t get re-infested.
- Empty the dryer lint and the bags into an outdoor trash bag.
What about dry-clean-only and delicate items?
Don’t risk the dryer on anything it would ruin. Two options:
- Freeze them. Sealed in a bag at 0°F for at least four days kills bed bugs and eggs without heat damage — good for delicate knits and wool.
- Professional cleaning. Take dry-clean-only items to a cleaner, sealed in a bag, and tell them the items may have bed bugs so they’re handled safely.
For items you can’t wash, freeze, or dry — like a leather jacket or bag — inspect and spot-treat the seams instead.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the dryer and assuming a hot wash did the job. It probably didn’t.
- Overloading the dryer, so heat can’t reach everything.
- Carrying unbagged items through the house and seeding new areas.
- Putting clean clothes back in the infested room before it’s treated. Laundering items without treating the room just resets the clock — combine it with encasements, vacuuming, and an overall plan.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just wash bed bug-infested clothes in hot water?
Hot water helps clean, but it isn’t a reliable kill on its own. Always finish with at least 30 minutes in the dryer on high — that heat is what kills the bugs and eggs.
Does the dryer kill bed bug eggs?
Yes. Sustained high heat (above ~120°F for 30 minutes) kills all life stages including the eggs, which is why heat beats sprays — most sprays don’t reliably kill eggs.
How long and how hot should the dryer run?
At least 30 minutes on the highest heat setting the fabric can tolerate, loosely loaded so air circulates. Higher heat needs less time, but 30 minutes on high is the safe rule.
What about shoes, bags, or things I can’t wash?
Anything dryer-safe can go through a hot cycle. For items that can’t take a wash or dryer, freeze them at 0°F for four-plus days, or inspect and steam them.