Okay, so you’ve got a potential problem. Don’t just focus on your bed sheets. Bed bugs are master hitchhikers. They hide in curtains, stuffed animals, backpacks, and even that pile of “clean, but I haven’t folded” clothes on your chair.
Grab everything that looks even slightly suspicious. And I mean everything. Toss it in the dryer. That includes those decorative throw pillows your aunt gave you that you secretly hate—perfect candidates for a hot cycle.
One caveat: check the care labels first. If something says “tumble dry low only” or “line dry,” don’t risk melting it. For those items, try a steam cleaner or a deep freezer (0°F for four days). But for 90% of your stuff, the dryer is the champion.
The “Clean Laundry” Trap (Don’t Do This!)
I almost made a huge mistake. I found a bug, panicked, and grabbed my freshly cleaned clothes from the drawer. I thought, “These are clean, so they’re safe.” Wrong. Bed bugs don’t care if your shirt smells like lavender. They just want a ride to a new sleeping spot.
So here’s the messy truth: Treat everything in the room as potentially infested. That means bagging up clothes, towels, and linens from the bedroom and laundry basket—even if they’re clean. Put them in a sealed plastic bag before carrying them to the dryer. Trust me, you don’t want to spread them through the house while you’re being “smart.”
Do Bed Bugs Die In The Dryer? - How To Kill Bed Bugs Using Your Dryer
And one more thing: dry first, wash second. Some people wash and then dry. But the cold water in your washer won’t kill them, and it might just give them a nice bath. Always dry on high heat first, then wash normally. It feels backward, but it works.
