How to Wash and Care for Laundry Infested With Bed Bugs

Rescue your clothes and linens with high heat or a deep freeze

How to Wash Laundry Infested With Bedbugs

The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 15 mins - 1 hr
  • Total Time: 2 - 3 hrs
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $0 to $10

If you experience a bed bug outbreak, there's no need to dispose of everything; you can launder your clothes and bedding on high heat. Wash in the hottest water and dry using the highest dryer setting the items can tolerate. If your items can't handle heat or hot water, then try freezing them to eliminate them.

Never leave your infested clothing or items out. If you can't wash them immediately, isolate your laundry in sealed plastic bags or bins to prevent bed bugs from hiding in furniture, rugs, and carpeting since bed bugs can live for months between feedings.

Here are the general steps to follow to get rid of bed bugs in laundry.

Glass spray bottle next to roll of plastic trash bag and laundry detergent bottle

The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Washing machine
  • Dryer

Materials

  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Laundry detergent
  • Trash bags

Instructions

How to Wash Laundry Infested With Bed Bugs
Detergent Regular
Water Temperature Hot
Cycle Type Normal
Drying Cycle Type Highest heat
Special Treatments Dry-clean only garments must be handled separately
Iron Settings Varies by garment
How Often to Wash Once, unless infestation returns

How to Wash Laundry With Bed Bugs

  1. Spray Clothes With Rubbing Alcohol

    • Spray rubbing alcohol immediately on infested colorfast clothes. The rubbing alcohol will kill live bed bugs on contact; however, it won't eliminate eggs or eliminate the infestation.
    • For non-colorfast fabrics and items that must be dry cleaned, immediately place the clothes in a sealable plastic bag.
    Rubbing alcohol sprayed on gray clothes to kill bugs

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  2. Separate Dry-Clean-Only Garments

    • Items with care labels marked "dry clean only" should go into a separate pile, even if you don't plan to take them to the dry cleaner for additional cleaning.
    • These items cannot be washed but can usually be put into the dryer on high heat to help eliminate the bugs.
    Clothes separated for dry cleaning and regular washing

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  3. Sort Clothes Into Trash Bags

    • Sort your clothes as you usually would before washing a load of laundry. Sort them in the infested area to prevent spreading the bed bugs into another area of your home.
    • Place each sorted pile of clothing in a large trash bag and seal it.
    Bug infested clothes separated into plastic trash bag

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  4. Set the Washing Machine

    • If your washer doesn't have an automatic dispenser, add regular detergent (there's no need for special detergent) to the drum of the washing machine.
    • Select the hottest water temperature recommended for the fabrics and the correct cycle for the fabric types.
    Washing machine set to hottest temperature for bug infested clothes

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  5. Transfer Clothes to the Washer

    • Take the bags to the washing machine and tip them over so the clothes carefully spill directly into the machine. Don’t roughly dump out the clothes because the bed bugs could get loose. This is important in your home, a communal laundry room, or a laundromat.
    • Dispose of the trash bag in an outside bin.
    Bug infested clothes in plastic trash bag spilled into washing machine

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  6. Select the Best Dryer Cycle

    • Transfer the clothes from the washing machine to the dryer when the wash cycle is complete.
    • Set the dryer to run for at least 30 minutes on the highest possible heat cycle that won't damage the fabric. Ideally, the heat should exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit to kill bugs and eggs.
    Dryer machine set to hottest temperature to kill bug infested clothes

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  7. Fold Laundry

    • Fold the clean, dry clothes on a clean table that is bed bug-free.
    • Properly store laundry.
    Laundry folded after cleaning for bug investment

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

How to Eliminate Bed Bugs Using the Freezing Method

If you can't wash or dry clean some delicate fabrics and dry-clean-only clothes because they cannot withstand the heat required in the dryer to kill bed bugs, store them in the freezer. Bed bugs can't survive freezing temperatures. However, the freezer must be set at a very low temperature—0 degrees or lower is ideal.

The same cold treatment will work for silk garments, suede boots or shoes, lingerie, and stuffed animals. Items must be left in the freezer for at least four days. This will ensure that the center of the item has reached zero degrees. Bulky items can take longer.

After removing the items from freezer storage, vacuum them well to capture any debris, and dispose of the vacuum bag or dust cup contents in an outside bin.

Treating Stains on Laundry Infested With Bed Bugs

Unfortunately, bed bugs can leave stains and excrement on your bedding and clothing. It will look like little, dark, rusty dots, and they'll likely be removed through the wash.

Pretreat any other stains you notice before washing since hot water and high heat will set stains. Try these pretreatment methods:

  • Blot and rub away spots with cold water to remove stains.
  • Dab hydrogen peroxide (3%) on the damp areas.
  • Use an enzyme-based fabric stain remover to break down the stains before running them through the wash.

Bed bugs don't bite through fabrics and won't make holes in your laundry. However, they do crawl through the tiniest of crevices and holes. The worst damage you'll see from bed bugs is the stains they leave behind.

Storing Laundry Infested With Bed Bugs

After washing laundry infested with bed bugs, store the clothing. Use plastic containers or well-sealed plastic bags for storage, as bed bugs can live inside cardboard boxes. Keep the clothing stored until you're sure that the infestation has been eliminated. 

How Often to Clean Laundry Infested With Bed Bugs

Because heat kills bed bugs, one high-temperature washing and drying per load of laundry should be enough to do the job. However, you'll need to monitor the bed bug situation for further infestations, as bed bugs hiding in mattress creases and cracks in walls and flooring can quickly establish a new infestation.

Tips for Washing Laundry Infested With Bed Bugs

  • Before and during the disinfection process, avoid leaving clothing directly on the floor because more bed bugs may hide in the fabric and drop to the floor.
  • Use a bed bug spray repellent in conjunction with washing your infested laundry.
  • If you’re unsure how to clean the infested laundry, take it to a dry cleaner. However, be honest with the dry cleaner about the infestation to avoid spreading it to other patrons. 
  • Instead of washing delicate clothing or pillows in a washer, use a clothes steamer that reaches a temperature between 160 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Follow the instructions for the machine, and cover every surface of the fabric to kill the bugs and eggs. After steaming, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to capture any dead bugs. Empty the vacuum bag or dust container into a plastic bag and dispose of it in an outside bin.

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs (Cimex spp.) are very tiny (just over 1/8 inch long) blood-feeding insects that hide in creases and crevices of furniture and fabrics during daylight hours, emerging in darkness to seek out and bite warm-blooded animals, including humans and pets.

Home infestations usually occur after homeowners travel to regions where bed bugs are endemic, such as tropical resorts or hotels, bringing back the insects in luggage and clothing. In this instance, it is best to call a professional to eradicate the infestation.

Bed bugs are so small that the initial bites are virtually painless and unnoticeable. The bites become apparent only days later as red, itchy welts appear, similar to mosquito bites. If you spot them, the insects themselves are sometimes mistaken for ticks, as both insects have flat, disc-shaped bodies. Unlike ticks, bed bugs do not latch on and embed themselves in skin but instead retreat into cracks, crevices, and creases after a nighttime blood meal.

Bed bug bites are often mistaken for flea bites, but bed bugs typically bite on the upper half of the body (probably because they are drawn by carbon dioxide in human breath). In contrast, fleas are more likely to bite on the lower body, with bites much smaller than the red welts left by bed bugs.

FAQ
  • Is a bed bug infestation due to bad hygiene?

    No. These insects do not eat food, and sloppy housekeeping has no bearing on their presence. Bed bugs arrive in your home simply because you (or a guest) have brought them in luggage or clothing from a place with an existing infestation.

  • Do bed bugs carry disease?

    According to the CDC, bed bugs are not known vectors for serious infectious diseases. However, some individuals can have allergic reactions to the bites, sometimes requiring medical attention.

  • Are certain regions more prone to bed bug problems?

    Bed bugs are most prevalent in warm-weather, tropical climates, but because of increased tourist travel, they are often found in cold-weather environments, too. It's wise to be alert whenever traveling (or when entertaining guests who are traveling). Savvy travelers make a practice of heat-washing all items upon returning from a trip.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Cost-Effective and Money-Wasting Bed Bug Control Methods (Rutgers NJAES).

  2. Bedbugs. Center for Disease Control (CDC)

  3. Bedbugs. Mayo Clinic.