The truth is that while washing your clothes or linens will kill most of the bed bugs, the heat of drying your items is what will ultimately exterminate any and all remaining bugs.
Extreme temperatures are the best way to kill bed bugs. Washing your clothing and bedding in a high heat wash should effectively kill off any bugs, as well as any eggs they've possibly laid. It's important to exercise caution in moving infested linens during the process to avoid spreading the bed bugs to other rooms!
They are survival experts, so bed bugs can stick to clothes for several months. Even without food, they can survive for long periods, waiting to find a new source.
For bed bugs to die, the temperature inside your dryer has to be just right. It has been shown that bed bugs in all stages of life die at a minimum dryer temperature of 113 degrees Fahrenheit — as long as that temperature is consistent for at least 30 minutes.
Bed bugs tend to hide as close to the bed as possible, so only launder the fabrics in the immediate area – your bedding, and clothing in dressers near the bed. Hanging clothes in closets can usually be left there, but wash anything on the floor.
Technically, bed bugs can live through a cycle in the washing machine. The truth is that while washing your clothes or linens will kill most of the bed bugs, the heat of drying your items is what will ultimately exterminate any and all remaining bugs. As we mentioned above, bed bugs do not tolerate heat.
Sleep in long-sleeved clothing
Lower your risk of getting bedbug bites by wearing long-sleeved pajamas with pants while sleeping. But be mindful that bedbugs can find their way to your skin under loose clothing. So wear pajamas that are more fitted around your ankles and wrists to give you the best protection.
If a friend stays overnight somewhere on their way to your home for the holidays, they could bring bed bugs to your home. If a friend has a bed bug infestation and they don't realize it, they can bring bed bugs over to your house, even during the day.
You may have them for a while, but may not notice them until weeks, or even months later. Bed bug eggs take anywhere from six to 12 days to hatch, and the adult life span can be anywhere from six months to a year. That's why it's important to know these early signs of an infestation.
A bed bug treatment using heat kills bed bugs immediately, but there is no residual. A chemical bed bug treatment can take a few weeks, but it leaves a residual which provides continued protection from bed bug re-infestation.
Wash everything on a high temperature or sanitary cycle for at least 30 minutes. Placing everything in the dryer on the hottest setting for 30 minutes will also kill bed bugs and larvae. Immediately after you're finished putting clothing in the washer, tie up and throw out the empty garbage bag in an outdoor trash bin.
A bar of soap under your mattress could help deter bed bugs from infiltrating your abode. But, not just any old bar soap will do! Bed bugs aren't huge fans of cedar or peppermint scents. A bar of Grove Co.'s Hydrating Bar Soap in cedar + sage or peppermint will do the trick.
The good news is that laundry detergent can kill bed bugs. The even better news is that the detergent you use doesn't need to be expensive or in any way unique. IN fact, good old fashioned washing up liquid can kill bed bugs. All you need is a generic laundry detergent and you are good to go.
Search Beds and Furniture with a Flashlight
Using a flashlight, inspect every gap, crevice, or seam around your bed. Bed bugs try to hide themselves deep inside narrow spaces, so a flashlight will help you see them.
Once the blood-feeding is complete, bed bugs may usually retreat to their hiding spots to digest the blood. Bed bugs lack the body shape and legs that are required to clamber, and they naturally prefer to live around their host, not on their skin or other parts.
Lysol is a disinfectant that contains active ingredients such as ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol, both of which are proven to be toxic to bed bugs. When sprayed directly on these pests, Lysol will kill them immediately.
Mattresses and pillows make potential habitats for bed bugs. Pillows may also be host to bed bug eggs, making them a potential point of bed bug infestations. A possible sign that bed bugs have infested pillows may be the appearance of bites.
Bed bugs are pretty nimble to escape through the vacuum hose and still survive inside the vacuum for months even without food!
You may be thinking, can you get bed bugs from not washing your sheets? No—bed bugs have absolutely nothing to do with cleanliness levels. However, washing your sheets regularly gives you the opportunity to look for and remove any possible bed bug infestations.
A cluttered home provides more places for bed bugs to hide and makes locating and treating them harder. If bed bugs are in your mattress, using special bed bug covers (encasements) on your mattress and box springs makes it harder for bed bugs to get to you while you sleep. Leave the encasements on for a year.
Bedbugs can't bite through fabrics, so they won't rip your laundry. However, they do crawl through the tiniest of crevices and holes without causing damage to your clothing or bedding. The worst damage you'll see from bedbugs is the stains they leave behind.