Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs aren’t just found in beds, or in sleeping areas, for that matter. While you can indeed find these in your sheets, mattresses, and bed linens, bed bugs can also be found in other areas of your home, particularly in your closets and in your clothes.
How do you get rid of these creatures when you find them in your home? Is there a bed bug laundry detergent you need to use to get rid of them or can you use ordinary laundry detergent for this?
In this article, you will find that there are some detergents that can eliminate bed bugs more effectively in fabrics than ordinary laundry detergent. Since these creepy-crawlies can find their way into clothing and other items that you can wash, a laundry soap that kills bed bugs is your best option for eradicating them.
If the thought of putting on clothes that may have bed bugs in them makes you uncomfortable, then it’s time you did something to get rid of them. Read on to find out which recommended detergents can eliminate bed bugs from all fabrics with one spin cycle or two.
SayByeBugs Bed Bug Extermination Laundry Detergent
t has active ingredients that can effectively kill bed bugs in your wash cycle. You can use it alone or mix it in with your favorite laundry detergent. It’s safe to use on a regular basis.
Features
- Safe on any textile and any washable fabrics
- Simple to use – just add to your regular wash cycle
- Best for active outbreaks and clothing treatments after travel
Formula 4 Bed Bug Detergent
A concentrated product that kills bed bugs, fleas, and roaches from your laundry. Its formulation attacks the nervous system of pests found in your wash.
Features
- Washes away all pests and their eggs attached to clothes and linens
- Works for both top and front load washers
- Safe for all kinds of laundry fabrics
Bed Bug and Dust Mite ERADICATOR Laundry Treatment
This laundry treatment is biodegradable, natural, and 100% green enzyme-based. It can kill bed bugs, fleas, dust mites, and lice. Also, you can use it alone or with detergent.
Features
- Non-toxic and ready to use
- Bed bugs, dust mites, bug eggs, and other insects are all washed away.
- 1 ounce (1 capful) of this strong enzyme solution per load
Live-Free Bed bug Dryer Strips & Detergent additive
With this 50 Dryer Load Count COMBO, you can do 50 loads. Included in the KiltronX Pest Management System, this box of Bed Bug Dryer Strips should be added to your dryer load. It’s non-allergenic, 100% Natural, Scent-Free, Effective, and safe for children.
Features
- Concentrated
- Safe for Children
- Poison and Scent Free
CitriSafe Remedy Liquid Laundry Detergent – Concentrated Laundry Detergent for Dirt and Mold
This formula is great for clothes contaminated with molds. Composition includes Citrus Seed Extract and Tea Tree Oil that can cleanse, remove dirt, debris, and mold spores. Use 1 ounce per load and the product is ideal for linens, pet beds, towels, gym clothes, and other textiles.
Features
- Environmental friendly detergent
- Smells like citrus
- Removes debris, mold spores, and dirt
Nature’s Miracle Laundry Boost 32 Ounces, Laundry Stain, and Odor Removing Additive
This item is safe to use in every wash load you have. It’s also effective in both cold and high temperatures. It’s powerful enough to break down stains, like blood, urine, vomit, and oil. You can use it on any washable item.
Features
- Phosphate-free
- Safe to use in hot and cold temperatures
- Can remove any stains
Finish All In 1, Dishwasher Detergent
This item helps soften the toughest food residues. You don’t need to pre-soak since it can remove the toughest stain in your clothes or linens. It also provides a pre-measured dose of detergent, eliminating, and dissolves completely. This rinse agent action helps rinse all residues, end spots and leaves a sparkling shine.
Features
- Fresh Scent
- Remove the toughest dirt
- Sparkling shine results
all Liquid Laundry Detergent
Brand by an allergist, dermatologist, and pediatrician for sensitive skin. Removes 99% dirt from the top every day and seasonal allergies, dust mites, and ragweed pollen. Not used to treat or prevent allergies. Safe use for standard and HE washing machines.
Features
- Unscented and Dye-free
- 2x concentrated liquid laundry detergent
- Gentle on the skin
Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent Soap
America’s #1 detergent. It smells fresh and deep cleans. It whitens and brightens washable items. It is infused with the original scent.
Features
- Original Scent
- Phosphate-free
- Whitens and brightens
Top 5 Bed Bug Laundry Detergents
SayByeBugs Bed Bug Extermination Laundry Detergent
By adding SayByeBugs Bed Bug Extermination Laundry Treatment to your wash cycle, you can kill lots of bed bugs from your loads of laundry. Its formulation is safe to use on a daily or weekly basis. Clothes, linens, soft toys, throw rugs, and furniture can all be washed with it.
SayByeBugs Laundry Treatment can be used even without mixing with your regular detergents. It has a high concentration of washing chemicals that can clean clothes as well as kill bed bugs on washable items.
Formula 4 Bed Bug Detergent
It’s a bed bug killer and laundry detergent in one. Use this detergent with hot or cold water, and it cleans and kills all bed bugs and eggs attached to your wash load. You can use it for any laundry. Both front load and top load washers are compatible.
With concentrated solutions to attack bugs. They’re incapable of surviving in a mix of water and this detergent. As a result, all sorts of washing are safe with Formula 4 Bed Bug Detergent.
Bed Bug and Dust Mite ERADICATOR Laundry Treatment
The Bed Bug and Dust Mite ERADICATOR Laundry Treatment kills pests in any fabric that you wash. During the washing process, any bed bugs, bug eggs, dust mites, or insects are eradicated, as the name implies. Bed Bug and Dust Mite ERADICATOR Laundry Treatment is a 100% green enzyme-based product. You can use it alone or with your favorite detergent.
Live-Free Bed bug Dryer Strips & Detergent additive
Live-Free Bed bug Dryer Strips & Detergent additive powered by KILTRONX is a bunch of applicator sheets formulated to help treat your dryable items. This product is non-allergenic, 100% natural, unscented, effective, and safe for children.
CitriSafe Remedy Liquid Laundry Detergent – Concentrated Laundry Detergent for Dirt and Mold
Use this on any washable items contaminated by molds. It has cleansing components like citrus seed extract that are effective on mold and dirt. Use for towels, gym clothes, linens, pet beds, and other textiles that are damp and close to the skin for so long. It contains a concentrated detergent that works well on the entire wash and rinses cycle.
About Laundry Detergents
Since the introduction of the very first bar soaps in the 1700s, laundry detergent has gone a long way. In the 1950s, the introduction of synthetic detergents in the market gave homemakers more options in fabric care.
It was in the 1970s that the most significant advancement in the world of laundry detergents occurred – this was the introduction of enzymes. An enzyme can kill any sort of bacterial strain.
Laundry detergents are cleaning agents that can do more than just clean your clothes. For example, there are detergents that you can use to unclog a drain. Some liquid laundry detergents used with hot water can flush out clogged drains right away. You can also use this as an all-purpose cleaner and to clean upholstery stains.
Detergents can also work wonders when it comes to washing car exteriors and the enzyme in laundry detergent can also pull away dirt from grimy floors. This is also effective against a variety of stains like blood and mud.
How do Laundry Detergents for Bed Bugs Work?
Laundry detergents are all made of long molecules that have a head and tail. These molecules are also known as surfactants. The head of these surfactants is also attracted to water, and the tail is attracted to dirt and grease. When surfactants meet the grease on clothes, it will draw the tails to the grease, but the head will still sit in the water.
The attraction between the heads and the water is so strong that the grease will lift from the surface. Also, the surfactants will surround the blobs of grease. Finally, it will break these blobs of grease into pieces and these are washed away by the water.
Surfactants can make washing more effective by reducing the surface tension of water. Surface tension is the force that helps a blob of water on the surface to hold its shape and to not spread. Surfactant molecules will break this force apart and make water behave well.
What to Look for in a Laundry Detergent
The first thing you have to consider when choosing a detergent is if you want to go with a liquid- or powder-based one. The next thing you need to do is to check what water temperature is best with these detergents – go with what you use to wash your laundry. Also, if you’re using a washing machine, go with a product made specifically for machines.
Not all stains are the same, therefore not all can be removed by the same detergent. To remove tough stains, use an enzyme-based detergent. For other stains, you can use a natural detergent.
You can clean wool and silk with chemicals containing enzymes and bleach as long as the labels on these fabrics state it’s okay. Be wary of detergents that have chemicals that can destroy natural fibers like wool, silk, and cotton.
Natural detergents are ideal for baby clothes. Chemical detergents are among the primary causes of allergies in babies so avoid using these when washing stuff used by your baby.
Using bleach on white clothing is advisable if you want to brighten up your whites. You can also brighten colored clothing with a brightener or you can use a color-friendly bleach to prevent the fading of colors and to keep clothes fresh after washing.
If left untreated, bed bugs could cause a lot of harm in your household. If you’re having trouble controlling their population, contact the experts from PestGuide today.
Pro Tip
“Check your laundry detergent if it’s hypoallergenic, especially if you have kids and pets.”
– PestGuide.org
Laundry Detergents Reviews
SayByeBugs Bed Bug Extermination Laundry Detergent
SayByeBugs Bed Bug Extermination Laundry Detergent is an effective natural bed bug laundry detergent. You can use it for both home and commercial use. This mixture kills crawling bugs on contact. Also, this formula is odorless and leaves no residual trace.It’s safe to use on any water-safe surface, like mattresses, upholstery, clothing, and walls.
This non-toxic formula, which can kill bed bugs and other pests, yet is safe for children and pets,. is available only for $29.99.
SayByeBugs Bed Bug Extermination Laundry Detergent Pros
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Kills bed bugs and dust mites
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Safe for children and pets
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Non-toxic formula
SayByeBugs Bed Bug Extermination Laundry Detergent Cons
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It can damage fabrics if not used right
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Can cause allergic reactions to sensitive skin.
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Low risk to humans and pets, but can be toxic to diatomaceous earth
Formula 4 Bed Bug Detergent
Formula 4-bed bug detergent is an all-in-one bed bug killer and laundry detergent. It cleans and kills in both cold and hot water. It kills not only bed bugs but also the bed bug eggs attached to your fabrics. It works well when used with either top or front load washers.
It comes in a concentrated form that washes away all kinds of pests in the laundry. Its high concentration is designed to attack the central nervous system of pests. It leaves bed bugs and other pests unable to survive when exposed to this strong detergent and water mixture.
Formula 4 Bed Bug Detergent Pros
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Kills bed bugs in any water temperature
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It kills not only bed bugs but also the eggs attached to fabrics
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Works well in both top and front load washers
Formula 4 Bed Bug Detergent Cons
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Concentrated formulas are toxic
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Not safe for humans and pets
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Can cause allergic reactions to sensitive skin
Bed Bug and Dust Mite ERADICATOR Laundry Treatment
Bed Bug and Dust Mite ERADICATOR Laundry Treatment is a 100% natural, biodegradable product line that eliminates bed bugs, dust mites, and lice.
You can use this Bed Bug and Dust Mite ERADICATOR Laundry Treatment alone or mixed with detergent. All contaminated materials, such as linens, and pillowcases, should be washed with this treatment. This product is ready to use and all you need is one cap-full per load. It’s available for only $55.99.
The Bottom Line
Eliminating and getting rid of bed bugs or other pests requires the right chemical treatments. Since treating your bed with insecticide can be harmful, you need formulations that are also safe for you and your family.
You can find bed bug killing products that you can safely use with your bedding. While it’s generally safe to use natural or organic laundry detergent, it’s safer if you ask for help from pest control professionals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You must wash everything after a bed bug infestation because they might leave behind eggs in your bed sheets or clothes.
Yes, since clothes must not be exposed to pesticides or any toxic formulas, especially when you have allergies, asthmas, and sensitive skin.
Bed bugs hate the smell of cinnamon, citrus, mint, and basil, or anything that contains linalool. Putting these scents in areas that bed bugs may have infested can be useful. Just note that these scents are not strong enough to kill them totally.