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If you're concerned at all about exposure to bed bugs, or if you even found a bed bug while you were traveling or noticed an odd bite, you want to, at the minimum, put your clothes in the dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
My personal recommendation is to wash everything on a heated cycle in your washer, and then put it on high heat and dry it. But high heat in a dryer is certainly sufficient, given enough time, about 30 to 45 minutes, to kill any bed bugs on those pieces of clothing. Another thing you can do is store your suitcase not directly in your bedroom or other common living space.
Putting your suitcase in a garage or other covered area that’s not directly contiguous to where you’re sleeping, or where you spend a lot of time, can help prevent hitchhikers on your luggage from infesting your home.
Traveling can make it easier to bring bed bugs home. Our expert entomologist, Josiah Ritchey, explains simple steps to help reduce that risk, including using high heat on travel clothing and keeping luggage out of bedrooms and other main living areas.
If bed bugs are a concern after travel, contact Ehrlich.