How to Banish Bed Bugs from Your Old Clothes

Bed bugs are a baddie's worst nightmare. What do you mean I have to THROW AWAY ALL MY CLOTHES?! With more travel in and out of Paris, bed bugs are, simply put: everywhere. These little bugs have literALLY grown to resist pesticides. As climate change will likely help pests like bed bugs breed faster, we don’t see this type of infestation going anywhere for now. 

With that said, we cannot let these creepy crawlies keep us from the #ReWearThat lifestyle! We will not be silenced! Here’s how to revive your clothing after a bed bug infestation.

1. Bugs can’t handle the heat! 

Fortunately, high heat is a great way to disinfect your clothes! These buggers will die when exposed to heat between 113-118 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-90 minutes. 

• Soak your clothes in hot water. 

  • Before washing your clothes in the washing machine, put your clothes in a steaming hot bathtub. Or, boil water and pour it over your clothes in a bucket.

• Sit them on top of your dryer if your dryer is running.

  • Once your clothes are dried, leave them on your dryer (sorry laundromat queens) to soak up some of that excess heat.  

2. Do a deep clean

It never hurts to deep clean: bed bugs or not. Conventional cleaners can have harmful effects on our environment, but lucky for you, we have loads of cleaning suggestions for you that are vintage-friendly and earth-friendly. 

• Vinegar

1. Vinegar slayyyyyyysssss and it is au-naturel. Soak your clothes in hot water and a touch of white vinegar to ensure disinfecting. 

• Baking Soda (for white things) 

1. Baking soda is the secret to keeping your white linens and clothes whiter. =Pour a 1/4 cup-1/2 cup in your washing machine when doing your laundry OR soak them in hot water and the same ratio of baking soda before putting them in the machine. 

• Castille Soap or a natural laundry-safe detergent

1. We already did the hard work for you, bestie. Check out our susty cleaning article here. 

3. The Secret is in the Steamer

Like we said, these bugs can’t deal with heat, so hit your clothes with some in-depth steaming time. Steaming is also an effective way to remove odor-causing bacteria,  bring out wrinkles, keep your new clothes looking fresh, and extend the life of your garments. 

4. Examine before purchasing or traveling!!!!

The truth is, infestations like these are likely going to continue spreading with the impacts of climate change, so we can all develop a habit of examining the garments we find at the thrift store. It’s better to avoid spreading these little bugs and giving them new habitats. And please, whatever you do, do not donate your infested belongings. 

Here’s to hoping next year’s fashion week is bed bug-free!