Washing bed bugs out of clothes: what kills them, what doesn't

How to actually do this right

1. Transport sealed. Clothes from an infested room go into a sealed plastic bag in the room. Bag closed. Don't open it until you're at the washing machine drum, open directly into the drum and discard the bag immediately into outside trash (not back into the apartment).
2. Don't overload. Heat has to reach every fiber. A full drum leaves cold pockets where bugs survive. Rule of thumb: half-full at most.
3. Pick 60°C, not Eco. Eco cycles often undershoot temperature and shorten the heated phase. Standard hot wash or sanitize cycle.
4. Then the dryer. Even after a 60°C wash, 45 minutes on high heat in the dryer. The dryer is often the more reliable kill step, heat is dry, even, and at 50-60°C throughout.
5. Empty cycle afterward. Run a single empty load at high heat to clear anything that might have survived in the door gasket.

What can't take 60°C

Most modern delicate textiles can't take a hot wash. For these you need other heat or freeze options:

• Wool, silk. Felts or shrinks irreversibly.
• Polyester blends. Can permanently warp or lose shape.
• Function fabrics (Gore-Tex, technical sport). Membranes and coatings damage at high heat.
• Bras with foam and underwire. Materials warp.
• Leather, faux leather. Don't put in a wash at all.
• Down bedding. Washable but the spin and dryer often clump the down permanently.

Options for heat-sensitive items

• Heat chamber at 50-55°C for several hours. Air-only heat, no mechanical stress. Gentle on wool, silk, function fabrics. See bed bug heat treatment.
• Sealed bag in the freezer for 80 hours at −18°C. Standard kitchen freezer with the bag in the back, undisturbed for 80h, reliably kills bed bugs and eggs (Olson 2013). Works on items that can't take heat, books, electronics without batteries, vinyl.
• Sealed plastic bag for 12 months minimum. Slowest option but uses no energy. Bugs starve out. Not practical for items you need to use, fine for storage and rotation.
• Handheld steamer for surface treatment. At ~100°C kills surface bugs and eggs on upholstery, soft items you can't take apart. Won't penetrate deep, but good for visible-seam treatment.

FAQ

Is 40°C enough?

No. At 40°C bed bugs and especially their eggs survive routinely. Long cycles at 40°C aren't reliable.

Prewash vs main wash?

The main wash needs to hold 60°C, not the prewash. Some washers list the actual hot-phase duration per cycle in the manual.

Any additive that helps?

Standard detergent is fine. No need for special bed bug additives, the heat does the work, not the detergent.

What about bedding from the infested room?

Bag carefully, transport sealed, 60°C wash + 45 min high heat dry. If you're unsure or the bedding is bulky, heat-chamber additionally.