Bed Bugs and Dry-Clean-Only Clothing: What to Tell a Cleaner

Suits, wool and silk can't always take a 60°C wash. How care labels guide bed bug garment care, and what to tell a specialist before handing items over.

If you suspect bed bugs and some of your clothes are dry clean only, don't hot-wash them and don't take them loose into an ordinary dry cleaner. Bag them sealed, tell a specialist what they are and that they may be affected, and let the cleaner confirm what treatment each garment can take before anything is processed.

Why not hot-wash everything?

Hot washing and tumble drying are commonly advised for affected textiles, but only where the care label allows. Wool, silk, tailoring, structured coats, some synthetics and embellished pieces can shrink, felt, lose shape or bleed dye at high temperatures. Damaging a garment doesn't make it any safer to keep.

Start with the care label

Washable at 60°C: these can go in with your bed bug laundry.
Washable only at lower temperatures: keep separate and mention them.
Dry clean only, or do not wash: bag separately for assessment.
No label or unsure: treat as delicate and ask first.

What to tell a specialist cleaner

That items may be affected by bed bugs. Disclosing this protects other customers' clothes and lets the load be handled separately.
What each bag contains: for example, two wool coats and a silk dress.
Any items of high value or sentimental importance.
Whether a pest controller is treating the property, and when.

Don't take loose affected garments into an ordinary shop

Carrying unbagged, possibly affected clothes into a high-street dry cleaner risks spreading insects to the counter and to other customers' items. Arrange specialist handling instead, and keep items sealed until they're collected.

Suitability comes before treatment

Some councils' guidance notes that items which can't be washed may be suitable for dry cleaning, and that a professional pest controller deals with the property itself. Dry cleaning isn't a guaranteed way to eliminate every insect or egg on every garment, so we confirm whether each item is suitable before treatment and tell you if it isn't.

Newcastle City Council: Bedbugs

FAQs

Can I freeze dry-clean-only clothes instead?

We don't give freezing instructions. Published advice varies, so ask your pest controller and follow the current NHS guidance.

Is this available outside London?

Yes. Affected-garment assessment is part of MyLaundress National across the UK, with the partner, collection and timing confirmed for your postcode. Ordinary dry cleaning remains our London service.