How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Clothes

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Clothes

Bedbugs are small insects that are very unpleasant and can be a problem in your home. They are brown and oval insects that live on the blood of humans and animals.

Adult bugs are flat, and when they feed, their bodies turn reddish and swell. These insects do not fly, but they can move quickly across walls, ceilings, and floors.

Bedbugs do not transmit disease, but they can be bothersome if you get a bed bug infestation. Bedbugs can enter your home without noticing in luggage, furniture, clothing, bed, mattresses, etc.

As they are small, they can hide and lay their eggs in small places. Although they do not have nests like bees or ants, they can live in groups to hide. They like comfortable places where they can easily reach you and bite you.

They feed by piercing the skin to draw blood through their elongated beaks. Bed bug bites are painless at first, and then they will look like welts and itchiness.

Signs of Bed Bug Infestation

As already mentioned above, if you see that you have bites on your skin, you will likely have bed bugs in your home. Other signs can be:

  • Bloodstains on your pillows and sheets
  • Seeing dark spots of bedbug droppings on your mattresses, sheet, clothing, or walls
  • An offensive musty odor from the scent glands of these insects
  • Check all areas to see if you have these pesky insects in your home or clothing, so check your closet.

How Do Bedbugs Get Into Clothing?

Bedbugs can crawl into your closet and attach to your clothes; they can get through the ceiling, walls, or carpet if nearby. You will never find a single bedbug; you will always see a group of them. They can live in your clothing because it is a material similar to bedding.

The closet is like a bed bug heaven and can become a severe problem that you will need to get rid of as soon as possible. They can climb on your coat, pants and shirt as well as your suitcase and bag.

Another reason bedbugs have infested your clothes is because of the environment. If your house has a dirty environment, bedbugs often get on your clothes.

If a neighbor incorrectly disposes of a mattress, bed bugs can enter your home. Some people may have bedbugs in their clothes and do not know it, and when being in contact with another person, they can get hooked on their clothes.

These pesky insects can be found in libraries, airports, transports, hotels, and clothing stores.

Does Washing Clothes Kill Bedbugs?

You should always wash the clothes you go out with, washing clothes can kill bed bugs on your clothes, but it won’t end the problem. You should look for other methods that will allow you to get rid of the infestation completely. And you can hire a professional to help you with these pests quickly and efficiently.

But you can wash, dry, and sort your clothes if you have seen bedbugs to start treating and removing these bugs.

How To Get Rid of Bedbugs On Clothes?

Bedbugs hate the heat so that they can survive long in cold environments. In hot climates, their lifetime is minimal, and that is why heat is used to get rid of them in clothes, beds, and mattresses.

You can do it yourself if you have the necessary skills and instruments to save money because you don’t need to call a professional. If the problem is severe, you should call a professional to get good results.

There are many methods for you to get rid of bedbugs, including:

  • Washing your clothes regularly.
  • Dry the clothes
  • Use steamer
  • Store your clothing carefully and separate it from clothing that is infested

The steps to follow are the following:

  • When you detect the infestation, you should collect your clothing and divide it by color and material.
  • Get plastic bags and separate the clothes in them.
  • Seal the bags well so bedbugs cannot get out
  • Start washing your clothes.
  • You must set the temperature to the highest to kill bedbugs quickly. But you should always check the instructions so as not to damage your clothes. Remember that warm or cold water will not be efficient.
  • Expect your clothes to wash correctly.
  • Then you should dry your clothes. Use the highest temperature so you can make sure you have ultimately killed the bedbugs.
  • Then you must select your clothes and store them in clean places.

You can also spray around your closet with the bedbug jet. Before using this spray, you should clean your closet outside and inside. Another way is to use a vacuum cleaner and vaporizer, vacuum before and after washing your clothes.

When you have used the vacuum cleaner correctly and have cleaned all the parts, you should take the vaporizer. You must set it to a maximum temperature that is approximately 120 degrees Celsius. Vaporize all areas and your clothing slowly.

How To Prevent Bedbugs From Entering Clothing?

If you want to prevent these annoying bedbugs from entering your clothes, you should follow the following methods or tips to keep them out of your closet.

  •  Wash and dry clothes frequently.

A good option to get them away from your closet is to wash and dry your clothes regularly. In this way, you can completely exterminate them and prevent the spread.

As already mentioned, you should use hot water to be able to kill bed bugs effectively. You should also use the dryer for best results.

  • Have proper storage of your clothes

If you keep your washed clothes in the same closet, cleaning will not help you at all. You should sort your clothes and do a thorough cleaning to prevent them from spreading throughout your home. 

You need to store unwashed clothing in safe places and in plastic bags to prevent bedbugs from escaping.

  • Vaporizing and frequent vacuuming

Using a vaporizer and vacuum cleaner is an excellent option to prevent bedbugs from entering your clothes. If you have a vaporizer in your house, it is time to start using it, look for the areas where they usually hide: closets, beds, mattresses, rugs, etc.

You can also use the vacuum cleaner to eliminate live bedbugs; with this method, you can reach places where the vaporizer does not arrive. Together they are an excellent option to eliminate bedbugs effectively.

As you can see, it is easy to get rid of bed bugs from your home as long as you don’t have a severe infestation. With these tips, you can start to eliminate them correctly, and if you see bedbugs throughout your house, you must take drastic measures as soon as possible.

Author James