How Long To Dry Clothes To Kill Bed Bugs

A sustained temperature of 120 degrees fahrenheit will kill all stages of the bed bug s lifecycle.

How long to dry clothes to kill bed bugs.

This shows that it s the heat not the trauma of being tumbled that is killing the bugs. Stick with this short and informative article to know its answer with some bed bugs prevention and elimination tips. If your dryer reaches 120 degrees it can. Washing and drying clothes.

To begin washing and drying set the temperature to the hottest temperature each category can safely tolerate. Then dispose of both bags to avoid spreading any bed bugs. At an optimal temperature of around 120 to 135 degrees fahrenheit a bed bug will take 2 minutes to die in a dry cloth. Set the dryer to run for at least 30 minutes on the highest possible heat cycle that will not damage the fabric.

Bed bugs are tiny egg shaped insects that feast on the blood of humans and animals. Ideally the heat should exceed 120 degrees to kill both the bugs and the eggs. For dry clean only items set them in the dryer for 30 minutes on medium to high heat. Dry your duds carefully and quickly switch your laundry from the washing machine to the dryer.

Once sorted load your clothing into the washing machine making sure not to do so in a rough manner so bed bugs don t fly off a piece or clothing and onto the floor and place it on the highest heat setting for at least an hour. Using the cool setting on a dryer for an extended time did not kill any bed bugs at all. In that amount of time bed bugs that are on your clothes will likely be killed. This temperature will kill the bugs.

How long do bed bugs live on clothes. A colony of bed bugs may take 5 to 10 minutes due to clouding that acts as an insulator. The heat of a clothes dryer is high enough to kill bedbugs in all stages of their life cycle. Some machines however take longer to heat up than others.

It should be noted that if possible heat should exceed 120 degrees for 30 minutes in an effort to remove bed bugs and their eggs from this clothing. Tip each bag into a washer or the dryer for dry clean only. Transfer the clothes from the washing machine to the dryer. Immediately put empty bags into another clean bag and seal before disposal.

A female bed bug can yield up to 200 250 eggs in her lifespan. When each bag is emptied fold the bag opening into the center then wrap the rest of the bag around the opening.