DIY heat treatment for bed bugs works on things you can put in a dryer or reach with a steamer. It doesn’t work for a whole room. The EPA says a household dryer on high heat for 30 minutes kills bed bugs and their eggs in clothes and bedding. The EPA also warns against trying to kill bed bugs by heating your home with the thermostat, a space heater or a fireplace (EPA).
A half-done heat treatment doesn’t just fail. University of Minnesota Extension notes that bed bugs leave their hiding places once they’re disturbed. A room that gets warm but not hot enough can send them deeper into walls and furniture, or into the apartment next door.
Does the dryer kill bed bugs?
Yes. It’s the most reliable heat treatment you can do at home. The EPA’s advice is high heat for 30 minutes. University of Minnesota Extension says drying above 122°F for 20 minutes kills every stage, which is usually the medium-high setting, and about 30 minutes for a full load.
The dryer works for clothes, sheets, pillows, stuffed animals, shoes and backpacks. Carry things to the dryer in sealed plastic bags. If you use a laundromat or a shared laundry room, the NYC Health Department says to carry laundry in clean bags and put clothes straight from the dryer into them.
Does steam kill bed bugs?
Yes, on contact. The EPA says the steam must be at least 130°F and shouldn’t blow hard, or it scatters the bugs, so use a diffuser tip. Steam is good for mattress seams, couch cushions and bed frames. Its limit is depth: University of Kentucky entomologists note that steam can’t go far into fabric and leaves no protection behind, so it’s used along with other methods.
Does a hair dryer kill bed bugs?
Not in a way you can count on. A hair dryer heats one small spot for a few seconds, and the blast of air can push bed bugs into cracks. That’s the same problem the EPA warns about with steamers that blow too hard.
Can you heat a room with space heaters or the thermostat?
No. The EPA says not to try killing bed bugs by raising your indoor temperature with a thermostat, a propane space heater or a fireplace. A home heating system won’t come close to 118°F, the point where adult bed bugs die. Even professional heaters have trouble with cool spots: Virginia Tech’s 2024 guide found some floor and wall gaps never got hot enough in a 4 to 5 hour treatment with the air at about 135°F.
Do hot cars and black garbage bags work?
Sometimes. The EPA says bagged items in a hot, closed car in the sun can work, but success depends on your climate. In New York, that means summer only, and you can’t know it worked unless a thermometer inside the bag shows the heat stayed high long enough.
What about renting a bed bug heater?
A rented heater works only if you can do what a trained technician does: heat the whole space evenly, check the temperature in the coolest spots, hold it long enough for the eggs, and take out everything heat can damage. Eggs are the hard part. In a 2011 University of Minnesota study, eggs survived 7 hours at 113°F (Kells and Goblirsch). Before you rent one, read our preparation checklist, because the same items have to come out either way.
Here’s a simple example. Say a renter dries every piece of clothing and bedding, steams the mattress seams and runs two space heaters in the bedroom for a weekend. The bites stop for two weeks, then come back. The clothes were fine. The eggs in the bed frame joints and inside the outlet behind the bed never got hot enough. That’s when a whole-room treatment, and a check of the apartments next door, makes sense.
When is DIY enough?
Use the dryer and the steamer no matter what. They help even when a professional treats the home. On their own, they’re enough for a bag of clothes you’re unsure about, not for a bedroom with bed bugs in the furniture and walls.
If you rent in New York City, your landlord has to get rid of bed bugs, according to the NYC Health Department. Tell the landlord or managing agent before you try anything bigger.
For a whole apartment, see our bed bug heat treatment service. We heat rooms to between 120°F and 140°F for several hours, check temperatures throughout and usually finish in one day. Our guide to what temperature kills bed bugs has the full numbers. Call (347) 988-2315 for a free on-site inspection.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to wash clothes before I dry them?
No. University of Kentucky entomologists note that a hot dryer alone kills bed bugs at every stage, and items heat up faster if they go in dry. Wash them afterward if they need it.
Will rubbing alcohol kill bed bugs?
Don’t use it. The EPA warns that rubbing alcohol, kerosene and gasoline can catch fire from a spark or a cigarette. University of Kentucky entomologists say alcohol, bleach and bug bombs shouldn’t be used against bed bugs at all.
Will a bug bomb help with bed bugs?
No. University of Minnesota Extension says bug bombs barely reach the cracks where bed bugs hide, can catch fire if misused, and expose you to pesticide you don’t need.
Can I heat treat my mattress at home?
Not all the way through. Steam the seams and tufts, then put the mattress and box spring in sealed covers. The EPA says bed bugs trapped inside a sealed cover die there, and the NYC Health Department advises keeping the cover on for at least a year.
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