How To Wash Bed Bug Sheets

Bed bugs are back and they’re more resilient than ever. One of the key places they like to spread is right inside your home. That includes your mattresses, box springs, and even your clothing. Here’s a quick guide on how to wash bed bug clothes to kill these pests before they spread throughout your house.

How To Wash Bed Bug Sheets

Bedbugs are excellent hitchhikers, and an infestation can begin with a single female caught in luggage, clothing, or upholstered furniture. If you find yourself dealing with the unfortunate event of an outbreak, you don’t need to dispose of your wardrobe, and it’s possible to treat your clothing. The key to caring for laundry riddled with bedbugs is washing and drying it with the highest heat your garments can tolerate. Don’t skip the drying part, because high heat is what truly kills off bedbugs.1

 

How Often to Clean Laundry Infested With Bedbugs

Since it’s the heat that kills the bedbugs, one washing and drying per load of laundry should be enough to do the job. However, you’ll need to monitor the bedbug situation for further infestation.

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

 

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Washing machine
  • Dryer

Materials

  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Laundry detergent
  • Trash bags

Instructions

How to Wash Laundry Infested With Bedbugs
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

  1. Spray Clothes With Rubbing Alcohol

    Spray colorfast infested clothes with rubbing alcohol immediately upon identifying a bedbug infestation. The rubbing alcohol will kill live bedbugs on contact, however, it won’t eliminate eggs or get rid of 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


  2. Separate Dry Clean Only Garments

    Items with care labels that state 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 they can usually be put into the dryer on high heat to help get rid of the bugs.

    Clothes separated for dry cleaning and regular washing


  3. Sort Clothes Into Trash Bags

    Sort your clothes as you normally would before washing a load of laundry. Sort them in the infested area to prevent spreading the bedbugs into another area of your home. Place each pile of clothing in a large trash bag and seal it.

    Bug infested clothes separated into plastic trash bag


  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


  5. Transfer Clothes to the Washer

    Take the bags to the washing machine, and tip them over so the clothes carefully spill into the machine. Don’t roughly dump out the clothes, because the bedbugs could become airborne. This is important in your home or a communal laundry room or laundromat. Dispose of the trash bag in an outside bin.

    Bug infested clothes in plastic trash bag spilled into washing machine


  6. Select the Best Dryer Cycle

    Transfer the clothes from the washing machine to the dryer. 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°F to kill both the bugs and the eggs.

    Dryer machine set to hottest temperature to kill bug infested clothes


  7. Fold Laundry

    Fold the clean, dry clothes on a table that has been inspected to ensure that it’s free from bedbugs. Properly store laundry.

    Laundry folded after cleaning for bug investment

How To Wash Bed Bug Sheets

How to Wash Bed Bug Clothes

Some clothes have bed bugs in them. If you’re not sure if your clothes have bed bugs, you can check for signs of infestation. If you do find signs of infestation, you can wash your clothes at home. There are a few ways to do this.

First, wash your clothes by hand. Fill your sink with hot water and add 1 cup of vinegar or detergent to the water. Then put the clothing in the water and let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing it out with clean water.

Second, use a drying machine to wash and dry your clothes. Set the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes before turning it off and letting the clothes air dry overnight in an area where there isn’t any direct sunlight or heat from nearby appliances such as lamps or televisions; this helps kill any bugs that may be present on the fabric surface area so they don’t hatch again later on when you wear them again (which would make things worse).

If you don’t want to use either method above (or if there aren’t any free public laundry facilities nearby), then consider buying new clothes instead

List Of How To Wash Bed Bug Sheets

SafeRest Mattress Protector – Queen, Premium, Cotton, Waterproof Mattress Cover Protectors – White
Price : $37.99
Features :

  • Protects Against Urine, Fluids, Perspiration
  • Cotton Terry Surface With Membrane Back Coating (Waterproof, Noiseless and Breathable)
  • Great For Those With Kids, Pets Or Incontinence (OEKO-TEX Certified SH025 151792)
  • Will Not Change The Feel of Your Mattress (Registered with the FDA as a Class 1 Medical Device)
  • Fitted Sheet Style Design – Queen Size Mattress Protector 60″ x 80″ – Fits up to 18″ deep

Additional Info :

Color White
Item Dimensions
Height 11.1 Inches
Width 3.6 Inches
Length 11.5 Inches
Weight 1 Pounds
Katchy Indoor Insect Trap - Catcher & Killer for Mosquito, Gnat, Moth, Fruit Flies - Non-Zapper Traps for Buzz-Free Home - Catch Flying Insect Indoors with Suction, Bug Light & Sticky Glue (Black)
Price : $44.99
Features :

  • Triple trapping power, first the UV light attracts the bug then the fan sucks it in and the sticky glue boards trap it. No Zapper.
  • Subtle and stylish fruit fly, gnat and mosquito killer, no more ugly traps, easily place in your home, kitchen or office as a decorative, stylish piece.
  • Trap indoors, close to insect-ridden fruit, plants or trash bin, turn off lights for best results.
  • Not effective on house flies.
  • Easy to use, choose between standard or low speed setting and leave it to work its magic, EPA Est. Numb.:93372-CHN-1

Additional Info :

Color Black
Item Dimensions
Height 9.1 Inches
Width 5.5 Inches
Length 5.5 Inches
Queen Mattress Pad Cover Cooling Mattress Topper Pillow Top with Down Alternative Fill (8-21” Fitted Deep Pocket Queen Size)
Price : $39.95
Features :

  • TIPS: It’s Packaged in a Vacuum Bag, Please spread It for a Few Days Before Use So It Would Return to Normal Thickness.(best Way Fluffy Again: Lay It in the Sun for a Few Hours.)
  • Feature:cool,breathable,ultra soft,beautiful,luxury
  • Design: Compared to the normal diamond quilting seam, this one with new shape is more supportive and soft.Square jacquard prevents the filling running around.Elastic fabric pocket makes it installed easier
  • Care: The spilled fluid can be wiped quickly. Machine washable.Tumble dry on low .Easy maintenance.Natural drying
  • Material:Made of 83 GSM pongee reverse.62 oz High quality fitted fiber,gives superior comfort against your skin without extra heat and sweat.

Additional Info :

Color White
Item Dimensions
Height 47.24 Inches
Width 78.74 Inches
Length 59.06 Inches
Mellanni King Size Sheet Set - Hotel Luxury 1800 Bedding Sheets & Pillowcases - Extra Soft Cooling Bed Sheets - Deep Pocket up to 16" Mattress - Wrinkle, Fade, Stain Resistant - 4 Piece (King, White)
Price : $39.97
Features :

  • Feel the Difference – Sleep better and wake up each morning feeling refreshed and full of energy. Silky soft, most comfortable and luxurious bed sheets you can find. Best for any room in your house – bedroom, guest room, kids room, RV, vacation home. Great gift idea for men and women, Moms and Dads, Valentine’s – Mother’s – Father’s Day and Christmas
  • King Size Luxury 4pc Bed Sheets Set – 1 flat sheet 102″x105″, 1 fitted sheet 78″ x 80″, 2 pillowcases 20″x40″. Deep pocket fitted sheet with elastic all around (not just the corners, like other sheets). Fits mattresses up to 16″
  • Easy Care – Fade, stain, shrink and wrinkle resistant. Machine wash in cold. Dries quick on tumble dry low. More durable than cotton
  • Highest Quality Brushed Microfiber – Made of the highest quality microfiber and workmanship so you know it Lasts! Fabulous selection of colors will make your bedroom look like it belongs in a magazine
  • Mellanni Lifetime Promise – Mellanni is a different kind of company that prides itself on providing the absolute best customer service in the industry. If you are not satisfied with your purchase at any point and for any reason, you can return it with no questions asked. That’s the Mellanni Promise (in fact, you don’t even have to send back the product)

Additional Info :

Color White
Item Dimensions
Weight 2.9 Pounds
Utopia Bedding Zippered Mattress Encasement Queen, 100% Waterproof Mattress Protector, Absorbent, Six-Sided Mattress Cover
Price : $21.99
Features :

  • MATTRESS ENCASEMENT – Fits Queen size mattress perfectly with dimensions 60 inches by 80 inches; 15 inches deep pocket
  • KNITTED POLYESTER FABRIC – Stretchable knitted polyester fabric fits the mattress easily and gives a comfortable feel while you sleep
  • ZIPPERED COVER – Zippered cover with zip secures the mattress from 360 degrees; it protects the mattress
  • 100% WATERPROOF PROTECTION – Mattress encasement protects your mattress from unwelcome spills and keeps your mattress clean and safe. High quality TPU backing on all sides resist any leakage into the mattress.
  • EASY CARE – Machine washable; tumble dry for easy maintenance; Note: Packaging might slightly vary

Additional Info :

Color White
Item Dimensions
Height 8 Inches
Width 3 Inches
Length 10 Inches
Weight 3 Pounds

Leave a Comment