Bed bugs don’t live in clothes the way they live in mattresses and bed frames, but they can hide in clothing for a while and travel on it. The main risk is clothes left on the bedroom floor, piled on the bed or packed in bags. A hot wash and a long, hot tumble dry kill them.
Reviewed by James Rhoades, Owner, ThermoPest · Last reviewed 15 October 2026
If you’ve just found a bug on a jumper or you’ve come back from somewhere you suspect had bed bugs, it’s natural to worry about your whole wardrobe. This guide explains when clothes are a real risk, what to do with clothes and shoes you’re unsure about, and how to keep bed bugs out of your wardrobe.
Where do bed bugs usually live?
Bed bugs feed on blood, so they stay close to where people sleep or sit for long periods. During the day they hide in tight, dark gaps and come out at night to feed. The usual places are:
- mattress seams, piping and labels;
- bed frame joints, slats and headboards;
- sofas, bedside tables and other furniture near the bed;
- skirting boards, loose wallpaper and the edges of carpet.
The NHS lists clothing among the places bed bugs can hide, alongside bed frames, mattresses and furniture. So clothes aren’t off-limits. They just aren’t where bed bugs prefer to settle.
Can bed bugs live in your clothes?
Not in the way people usually mean. Bed bugs don’t live on your body, and they don’t make a permanent home in clothes you’re wearing.
Clothes that sit still in an infested room are a different matter. A pile of clothes on the bedroom floor, a dressing gown on the end of the bed or a bag of laundry left by the wall all give bed bugs the folds and darkness they look for. Bugs can crawl in, hide there between feeds and be carried to wherever the clothes go next.
Do bed bugs stay on your clothes during the day?
Bed bugs are mostly active at night and hide during the day. A bug that ends up in a coat pocket or a fold of fabric may stay there until it’s disturbed or the item is put down, but it isn’t living on you. The risk is that it drops off somewhere new, such as your sofa, your car or another bedroom.
Do bed bugs eat clothes?
No. Bed bugs only feed on blood. They don’t eat fabric, so holes in clothes point to something else, such as clothes moths or carpet beetles.
Can bed bugs travel on clothes?
Yes. This is the bigger concern. Bed bugs can’t fly or jump, but they crawl well and they hitch a ride in fabric, seams, pockets and bags. That’s how many infestations start.
How Bed Bugs Get Onto Clothes
- Staying somewhere infested: a hotel room, a friend’s flat or a holiday let, especially if clothes were left on the floor or the bed.
- Luggage and bags: bugs in a suitcase or holdall can move into the clothes packed inside.
- Second-hand clothes and furniture: items from an infested home can carry bugs or eggs in seams and folds.
The NHS advises that you don’t take luggage or clothing indoors without checking it carefully if you’ve come from somewhere you know had bed bugs.
Can you carry bed bugs home on your clothes?
You can, though it’s far more common for bed bugs to travel in luggage, bags and furniture than on clothes someone is wearing. It only takes a small number of bugs to start an infestation, which is why it’s worth dealing with suspect clothes as soon as you get home.
Can bed bugs live in wardrobes and drawers?
They can, if bed bugs are already in the bedroom. Wardrobes and chests of drawers close to the bed give them dark corners, joints and folded fabric to hide in. Clothes that are worn and washed regularly are a lower risk than items stored for months near an infested bed.
How to Check Clothes and Wardrobes for Bed Bugs
Use a torch and look closely at seams, collars, cuffs, pockets and folds. Look for:
- live bugs: adults are flat and reddish-brown, around 5mm long according to the NHS;
- pale, empty shed skins;
- small dark spots of droppings on fabric or wood;
- tiny blood spots.
If you aren’t sure whether something you’ve found is a bed bug, our guide to bed bug detection explains how a professional inspection works.
Can bed bugs lay eggs in clothes?
It’s unlikely, but possible. Females usually lay eggs in sheltered spots close to where people sleep, such as mattress seams, bed frames and cracks in furniture. Clothes left in a pile in an infested room for a long time can end up with eggs in the seams. A hot wash and hot tumble dry treat eggs as well as bugs.
Can bed bugs live in shoes?
Shoes aren’t a favourite hiding place, but bed bugs can shelter in them, especially shoes kept under or beside the bed. Linings, insoles, tongues, stitching and laces all give a bug somewhere to tuck in. Shoes can also carry bugs in a suitcase or bag after a stay somewhere infested.
How you deal with shoes depends on what they’re made of:
- Check first: with a torch, look along the seams, under the tongue, inside the lining and under removable insoles.
- Washable trainers and canvas shoes: if the care label allows it, wash and dry them hot, following the NHS advice for clothing below.
- Leather, suede and delicate shoes: don’t wash or tumble dry them. The NHS advises putting items that can’t be washed in a plastic bag in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks.
- Keep them off the floor by the bed: store shoes away from the bed, or in sealed bags, until the problem is dealt with.
What to Do If You Think Bed Bugs Are in Your Clothes
Work in small steps. The aim is to treat the clothes without carrying bugs through the house.
1. Bag Clothes Before You Move Them
Put suspect clothes straight into sealed plastic bags in the room where they are, then take the bags directly to the washing machine. Keep “dirty” (unwashed) bags separate from “clean” (washed and dried) clothes, and use fresh bags for the clean ones so bugs can’t move back. For how long bugs can survive in a bag, see how long bed bugs can live in a sealed plastic bag.
2. Wash and Dry on a Hot Setting
The NHS advises washing affected bedding and clothing on a hot wash (60°C) and tumble drying on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes. Always check the care label first.
3. Freeze What You Can’t Wash
For delicate items, shoes and anything that can’t go in the machine, the NHS advises putting them in a plastic bag in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks.
4. Don’t Rely on Ironing Alone
Ironing can kill bugs it touches, but it won’t reliably reach every seam, fold and pocket. Read more in does ironing kill bed bugs?
5. Check the Rest of the Room
If bed bugs were in your clothes, they probably came from somewhere nearby. Check the bed, the frame and furniture around it. If items are too badly affected to keep, our guide on how to dispose of bed bug infested items explains how to get rid of them without spreading bugs.
Do you need to throw clothes away?
Usually not. Most clothes can be saved by washing and drying hot, or by freezing. Throwing them away doesn’t deal with the bugs still in the bedroom.
How to Keep Bed Bugs Out of Your Wardrobe
- Keep clothes off the floor and bed: the NHS advises against keeping clutter around your bed, and piles of clothes give bed bugs places to hide.
- Pack carefully when you travel: keep clothes in sealed bags inside your suitcase and keep luggage off the bed and floor.
- Wash travel clothes on return: unpack straight into the washing machine rather than onto the bed.
- Check second-hand clothes and furniture: inspect seams before bringing them inside, and wash second-hand clothes before you wear or store them.
For more ways to stop bed bugs getting in, see our guide on how to prevent bed bugs.
Clothes and Bed Bug Treatment
Washing your clothes deals with the bugs in your clothes, not the infestation in the room. Shop-bought sprays and foggers tend to scatter bed bugs into new hiding places. ThermoPest’s treatment is heat-led, with targeted spray where it’s needed, and we’ll tell you exactly what to do with your clothes beforehand. Our bed bug heat treatment preparation guide covers how to bag, wash and leave out clothing, and what to do with items that can’t be washed. Return visits may be needed, and if you live in a flat, we’ll ask to inspect neighbouring flats too.
FAQs
Do bed bugs live in clothes?
Not usually. Bed bugs prefer mattresses, bed frames and furniture close to where you sleep. They can hide in clothes left on the floor, on the bed or in bags in an infested room, and travel on them, but clothes you wear and wash regularly are a low risk.
How long do bed bugs live on clothes?
Bed bugs rarely stay on clothes while you’re wearing them. In clothes left still, such as piles on the floor or items packed in bags, they can hide for a long time, because adult bed bugs can survive long periods between feeds. In a heated home, adults can typically go months without feeding. A hot wash and hot tumble dry, or freezing for items that can’t be washed, deals with them.
Can bed bugs be transferred from clothes to another home?
Yes. Bugs or eggs in clothes, bags or luggage can be carried into another home, which is one of the main ways bed bugs spread. If you’ve stayed somewhere with bed bugs, bag your clothes before bringing them inside and wash them hot straight away.
Are clothes hanging in a wardrobe safe from bed bugs?
They’re a lower risk than clothes on the floor, but they can still be affected if the wardrobe is near an infested bed. Check the wardrobe’s corners, joints and base and the seams of stored clothes. If you find signs, wash and dry the clothes hot.
Do bed bugs jump onto your clothes?
No. Bed bugs can’t jump or fly. They crawl, so they get onto clothes when fabric is left near where they’re hiding, or when clothes are packed in luggage or bags that already have bugs in them.
Found bed bugs in your clothes?
If you’ve found bugs or signs in your clothes, the source is usually close by. An inspection will confirm what you’re dealing with, and we’ll explain how to prepare your clothes for treatment. ThermoPest is a member of the BPCA and NPTA, and our technicians arrive in unmarked vans.
