Can You Spray Clothes With Insecticide to Kill Bed Bugs?

by Rachel
(Cincinnati)

Can clothing be placed in a garbage bag and then sprayed with insecticide and closed up for several hours to kill bed bugs?

Editor Comment: Spraying Clothes with Insecticide

We do no recommend this method for killing bed bugs as it is likely to miss some of the insects. Sprays work through direct contact with the insects. This can occur by spraying directly onto an insect or when an insect walks onto a surface that has been treated.

Since spraying into a bag is not guarantee that you will reach each insect effectively it is not recommended. Other problems include wearing clothes that have been treated with insecticide now against your skin.

The easy alternative is simply to wash your clothes in the hottest setting on your washing machine followed by 20 to 30 minutes in the dryer. The high heat will kill all bedbugs and eggs effectively. You can do this in the home, or in a laundromat. Dump clothes from the bag directly into the washer to avoid dropping any insects on the floor.

If clothes are dry clean only, then only place into the dryer without washing for about 30 minutes.

Bag clothes when clean and dry in a new bag, and only bring into a home that is bed bug free.