Bed bugs are big problems. They are nasty and notorious than nightmares, leaving their ‘Love’ bites on your body. A good amount of sleep is important to feel relaxed and rejuvenated. But what if begs are in bed? They will make your life a hell. The bites, rashes and sleeplessness will rob your peace, prompting you to immediately look for services of household pest control measures.
A common belief is washing bedsheets, bedcovers, upholstery, clothes etc in washers will get bed bugs killed and eliminated. Does the trick really work? Or some bugs escape swirling and rinsing and stay in the system? Let’s find out.
Yes, your washing machine can remove bugs from your bed linens and clothing. Doing the laundry, especially automatic machine cleaning, can solve the problem to some extent. However, if the infestation has spread beyond your linens and clothing, the problem is serious and warrants professional intervention.
In this article, we will provide answers to some common questions that you may have about bed bug infestation control and laundry work.
Do beg bugs drown and die in washing machines?
Bed bugs, like most animals, breathe in oxygen for their survival. Hence, if bed bugs remain submerged in water for some time, they will die.
However, not all of them are likely to be drowned in washing machines. Some bed bugs, especially those which have not eaten lately, may float in water. The condition will help them breathe oxygen. Hence, they will continue breathing and won’t drown.
What is the chance of bed bugs dying in the dryer?
It is not water but heat that is the real danger to bed bugs. They feed on the human blood and also suck blood from other animals as well. However, they cannot withstand heat. So, they quickly go back to their hiding places after completing their meal.
If you set the temperature at the highest level according to the manufacturer’s recommendation, the bed bugs are less likely to tolerate it and will die eventually.
Washing machine bed bug removal works but the process is not as effective as thought. If some bed bugs do not die during the wash, they will succumb to heat. Heavy heat in dryers removes water droplets from the clothes.
However, you should consult the manufacturer’s manual while setting the temperature to dry your clothes. Not all fabrics are meant for drying at a high temperature.
Can dry cleaning kill bed bugs?
Clothing meant for ‘dry cleaning only’ should not be allowed to get wet, let alone submerged in water. Put these clothes straight into the dryer instead of putting them in a washer. The heat won’t harm your clothes while drying them and will also kill all the bed bugs in the process.
It is better to put your clothes, which are infested with bed bugs, in the dryer first before taking them to a professional cleaning service provider. Dry cleaning may not be able to eliminate bed bugs and the professional cleaners will not appreciate your DIY effort as they may fear that it will start infestation on their premises.
How to make bugs-infested clothing ready for washing?
When you are preparing your bed linen and other clothing, which are infested with bed begs, for a wash, you should try to get rid of them the same way you would clean them under normal circumstances.
However, before taking them to a laundry room, you should use a plastic beg to put them in and seal it tightly. This is more important if you are taking them to a professional laundry service provider because the company will use the same room for cleaning clothes from many clients. In that case, infestation is highly likely if proper measures like washing machines hygiene practices are not adopted.
Even if you are using a dedicated washing machine and dryer, it is still a sensible idea to put to-be-washed clothes in a sealed plastic bag and move it through the house. This will keep bed bugs from getting loose and taking shelters in other rooms.
Another important thing to follow is to sort your clothes by colour as well as their tolerance of water temperature so that you can specify the correct settings accordingly. You should set the optimal level for each load to avoid damages to fabrics.
Laundry alone is not sufficient for killing bed bugs
Washers can do a great job of killing bed bugs while washing bed linens or clothes. However, bed bugs are smart rough to hide in different areas throughout your house. Therefore, any DIY effort can turn out to be ineffective. Instead of spending your time and effort, you should call in a trained pest control professional to take care of the matter.
Professional pest control companies have trained experts, and necessary tools to control infestation. They will not only eliminate the bed bugs but also help you with bed bug prevention tips against re-infestation.