The anxiety around having bed bugs in your clothes is a big one. And for good reason: bed bugs are skilled hitchhikers, so whether you’ve encountered them on your travels or whether they’ve made a home in your closet, this is a rational fear. It is one that is easy to remedy, though. Once you know why bed bugs might be in your clothes and what you can do about it, you will be armed with the peace of mind that eliminates that anxiety for good.

Why might bed bugs be in my clothes?

There are two main reasons that bed bugs might be in your clothes:

You’ve picked them up while traveling.

Perhaps the most common way to actually get bed bugs in your house: if you sleep on a hotel bed that has a bed bug infestation or even pick one up from a bus or the subway, the bed bug might hitchhike on your clothes.

• This could be a problem not only because the bed bug might bite you, causing redness and itching, but also because if you pick up a female bed bug, she may lay eggs. This could ultimately cause more bed bugs, leading to an infestation in your home.

They’ve infested your closet.

Did you know that bed bugs don’t just live in mattresses and headboards? In fact, bed bugs travel to bite at night and prefer to live in a dark space where they won’t be disturbed during the day. Your closet is one of those places: close enough to your bed so that they can feed at night but far enough away so they can hide.

• Whether they got in there from your clothes or suitcase or migrated from your bed or second-hand furniture, your closet is a definite place to watch as you exterminate—and prevent the spread of—your bed bugs.

How would I know if bed bugs were in my clothes?

First of all, you might find little bites on your skin. While these are usually small, they can be incredibly itchy! Other things to look out for are little spots of blood on your clothes that haven’t come from a wound since these tiny blood spots could be the excretion of a bed bug. You may even see a bed bug crawling on your clothes or evidence of their presence, such as an egg or shed skin.

How do I get rid of bed bugs that are in my clothes?

First of all, wash your clothes. It isn’t necessary to throw them away; a hot wash should do the trick. Then, you need to treat the infestation at the source. Whether you’re traveling or at home, our natural plant-based Bed Bug Patrol Killer Spray provides an all-natural solution to infestations of bed bugs, as well as fleas, spiders, and other common indoor bugs. If you are on the road, we also have a Bed Bug Blasting Travel Spray, which comes in a handy travel-sized bottle.

Our 100% natural solution is made in the USA and relies on the power of natural ingredients like citric acid, clove, and peppermint oil to naturally deter these bugs from living in your furnishings and your clothing. Just spray our solution on affected surfaces around your home twice per day, and it will get to work on exterminating your bed bugs, saving you the money of extermination services, the worry of harming your loved ones, and the anxiety of spreading bed bugs via your clothing.