Here’s the easy-going rule of thumb: run your dryer on the highest heat setting for a solid 30 minutes. Don’t skimp on the clock. If you’re dealing with a heavy load, a thick comforter, or tightly packed items, give it a full 45 minutes to be safe. The bugs are crafty, but they can’t outlast a good, steady cooking.
A common mistake? Yanking things out the second the timer dings. Bed bugs are surprisingly resilient, and cooler pockets in the center of a load can create safe havens. Always let the cycle finish completely. If you’re feeling particularly paranoid, let the items tumble for an extra ten minutes on high after the load feels dry.
There’s a surprisingly fun cultural parallel here: it’s like searing a steak. You don’t just flash-fry it and call it done. You need internal temperature to rise and hold steady. Your dryer is the grill, the bed bugs are the unwanted fat, and heat is your flawless, searing finish.
What Can (and Can’t) Go In
The good news is that a huge chunk of your life is dryer-safe. Clothing, bedding, curtains, plush toys, small rugs, and even fabric shoes can all get the heat treatment. Stuff them in loose loads—overcrowding creates cool spots where bugs huddle and survive. Think of it as a crowd-free beach day for your laundry.
But please, for the love of your home, do not dry items that can’t take high heat. Delicate silks, wools, spandex, things with plastic buttons, or anything with a “dry clean only” tag will likely suffer. Bed bugs hate heat, but your favorite cashmere sweater hates it more. Stick to machine-washable fabrics.
And what about items that can’t go in the dryer? Books, electronics, leather goods, or shoes with glue. For those, consider a DIY heat chamber: seal them in a black plastic bag and leave them in direct summer sunlight for hours. Or, use a zippered mattress encasement and let time (and starvation) do the work over a year.
