If you love your laundry, bed bugs must be a nightmare for you! Are you trying to discover ways to wash and care for laundry infested with bedbugs? Hey! you clicked the right blog. This blog is the ultimate guide for washing and caring for your infested laundry.
We will discuss a brief introduction to bed bugs so that you can understand how they attack clothes, how they live, how they can be killed, and how you can protect your valuable laundry from them. And then we will discuss the ways to wash your infested laundry.
What are bed bugs and how do they live?
- Bed bugs are small insects feeding on blood.
- They normally spend their lives hiding in the furniture, bedding, and even in your wardrobes.
- They can infest your laundry.
- Clothes infested by bed bugs may make you feel disgusted.
Can bed bugs live in water?
Bed bugs spend their lives in the corners and cracks. They haven’t seen rain or water in their lives. Moreover, bedbugs cannot swim. If you put a bed bug in the water, it will drown after a while. So there is no chance of a bed bug surviving in the water.
Do bed bugs live in clothes?
Bed bugs usually don’t choose to live in the clothes. They live in the bedding, furniture, and edges. Bed bugs can live in your wardrobes. But if clothes are left in piles on the clothes, they may live in your clothes.
Can bed bugs lay eggs in the laundry?
If your clothes are left in a dark wardrobe that does not have frequent interaction with the sunlight, bed bugs may lay their eggs in those clothes. Bed bugs can also not lay eggs in the clothes while you are wearing them. So the best way to protect your clothes from bed bugs is not to leave them in the dark wardrobe or cupboard for a long time.
How to kill bed bugs?
Bed bugs are easy to kill. You don’t have to look for any specific chemicals to kill them. Even mild soap can kill the bed bugs if they have direct contact with it. Laundry detergents can also be used to kill bed bugs. A pesticide spray is also helpful in killing the bed bugs in your furniture, bedding, appliance edges, and dark wardrobes.
Ways to wash laundry infested with bedbugs
Now we will be talking about all of the ways to wash the laundry infested with bedbugs. The best way to wash your laundry infested with bedbugs is by using a washing machine.
Identify the infested laundry
The very first thing you have to do is identify the clothes or laundry infested with bedbugs. Normally, the laundry infested with bed bugs has dark spots. These dark spots are the excrement of the bed bugs. If your clothes were present in a cupboard that has not been opened for a long time or a dark wardrobe, check the yellowish spots also. These spots are the bed bug eggs. So, in short, you can identify the laundry either by looking for dark spots or yellowish spots.
Separate the infested clothes
After you have identified the infested clothes, you have to separate them from the other clothes. Because if the infested clothes have bed bugs inside them, they may also infest the other clothes. So, carefully separate the identified clothes.
Make a bag of infested clothes
Now take a plastic bag and put all those infested clothes into them. If you have many infested clothes, then put them in a separate plastic bag. Make different bags of infested clothes. And each bag should be washed separately.
Put the bag in the washing machine
Now put a bag of infested laundry into the washing machine directly. Yes, directly. Because if you open the bags outside the washing machine, bed bugs may flee and spread in your home. Put a packed bag in the washing machine and cut its opening.
Put laundry detergent in the machine
Normally, mild soap or any detergent can kill bed bugs. But if you wanna ensure the killing of bed bugs you can use a detergent with good enzymatic activity. You can use the bed bug detergents available in the market also. But if you don’t wanna use or buy bed bug detergent, you can use a regular laundry detergent to do so. Put a regular or bed bugs-specific laundry detergent in the detergent dispenser of your washing machine.
Set the machine
See the care label of your laundry items. Because the ideal temperature to wash clothes infested with bed bugs is high. If your laundry items can withstand the high temperature, then set the machine to heat cycle.
Turn on the washing machine
Now turn on the washing machine and make sure hot water is running in your machine. Bed bug-infested laundry must be washed in the washing machine at higher temperatures for at least half an hour.
Add an extra wash cycle
Washing laundry infested with bed bugs in a washing machine at higher temperatures for half an hour is best for killing the bedbugs and eggs of bed bugs. But you can add an extra wash cycle if you wanna make sure that bed bugs and their eggs are killed.
Take the laundry out of the machine
After the wash cycle has been completed, take the laundry out of the machine.
Dispose of the bag
Take the bag also out of the machine. You have to dispose of the bag you used for packing the infested clothes. Dispose of the bag in the garbage container.
Drying the infested laundry
After washing the infested laundry, dry it in the dryer. A dryer is also a good option to kill the bed bugs if any are left in your clothes. Normally, bed bugs die at temperatures above 118 degrees. And most of the dryers work above this temperature. For instance, 125° at the low heat and 135° at the high heat. At this temperature, bed bugs die in minutes. So, it is the best option to dry each laundry item after washing it in the washing machine. Don’t air dry your laundry infested with bed bugs. Always dry it at higher temperatures. But make sure that it can withstand high temperatures by reading the care label.
Store the laundry
The best way to take care of your laundry infested with bed bugs is to store it in airtight bags after you have washed and dried it. Don’t store your laundry in dark places. Always try to open your laundry store after one or two days. It will also not allow bed bugs to infest your clothes. Because normally dark and quiet places are loved by bed bugs.
Spray your wardrobe
You can also save your laundry from bed bugs by spraying your wardrobe. Spray your wardrobe with pesticides or insecticides once a month to make sure that bed bugs cannot live and grow there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How to get rid of bed bugs?
A: You can get rid of bed bugs by spraying pesticides or insecticides in your home.
Q: Can laundry infested with bed bugs be washed in a machine?
A: Yes, you can wash the laundry infested with bed bugs in the washing machine at higher temperatures.
Q: Can you air-dry laundry infested with bed bugs?
A: No, you cannot. Always prefer the dryer for drying the laundry infested with bed bugs.
