The short answer
Bed bugs can hide in the seams and folds of clothes, and they can be carried from place to place that way, but they do not live on you. Clothes left on the floor or a chair by the bed are a bigger risk than the clothes you wear all day, and washing at 60C with a hot tumble dry deals with them.
Once you know there are bed bugs in the house, it is natural to look at your wardrobe and wonder what else they have got into. Can they live in your clothes? Could you carry them to work, or to a friend’s house?
The short version is that clothes can hide and carry bed bugs, but they are not where bed bugs prefer to live. Knowing the difference helps you protect your things without throwing anything away.
Do bed bugs live in clothes?
Bed bugs like dark, tight spaces close to where people sleep. The CDC says they are usually found within about 8 feet (2.5 metres) of where people sleep, hiding in mattress seams, bed frames, headboards and cracks. They come out to feed, usually at night, and then go back to hiding.
Clothes are not their first choice, but they will use them. The CDC notes that bed bugs spread by hiding in the seams and folds of luggage, clothing and bedding. A pile of clothes on the bedroom floor or a jumper on a chair by the bed offers exactly the kind of folds they like, and it is right next to their food.
Clothes you are wearing versus clothes by the bed
Bed bugs do not live on people. They feed and then leave to hide, rather than staying on skin or hair the way lice do. That means the clothes you wear all day, while you move around, are less likely to carry them than clothes left lying near the bed overnight.
That is a matter of likelihood, not a guarantee. The University of Kentucky describes bed bugs as efficient hitchhikers that travel on luggage and clothing, so it is sensible to treat anything that has spent time in the bedroom as possibly carrying them.
Can bed bugs travel on clothes you are wearing?
They can, though it is less common than travelling in bags, coats or luggage. A bug might crawl into a trouser cuff or a coat lining that was left near the bed and be carried out with you.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in its guidance for parents, says backpacks and coats are a common way bed bugs reach schools. That is why it suggests keeping bags and coats away from beds and storing clean, laundered clothes in sealed bags while you have an infestation.
How long can bed bugs live on clothes?
There is no separate figure for clothes. A bed bug in a jumper survives as long as a bed bug anywhere else without a meal. The University of Kentucky says that is typically one to four months in a heated building, and possibly a year or more in cold conditions. The CDC says several months, and the BPCA says up to a year.
So a bag of clothes left in a loft or garage is not safe just because time has passed. We go through the figures in more detail in our guide to how long bed bugs live.
What to do with your clothes
You do not need to throw clothes away. Heat deals with bed bugs at every stage, as long as it is hot enough for long enough.
Washing and drying
NHS 111 Wales advises washing affected clothes and bedding at 60C, then tumble drying on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes. Items that cannot go in a hot wash can be dry cleaned, or put in a sealed bag and frozen for three to four days.
Our guide on whether washing clothes kills bed bugs looks at the research behind these numbers, including what a cooler wash does and does not kill.
Moving clothes safely
How you move clothes matters as much as how you wash them. Southwark Council’s pre-treatment plan for bed bugs advises:
- Bag clothes and bedding in bin liners inside the room they are in, and seal the bags before you carry them anywhere.
- Do not move items from one room to another unbagged, as this can spread bugs through the home.
- Take the sealed bags straight to the washing machine, and put clean items into fresh sealed bags.
Keeping clean clothes clean
| Where the clothes are | Risk | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Worn all day, out of the house | Lower | Wash as normal at the hottest setting the label allows |
| On the floor or a chair by the bed | Higher | Bag in the room, wash at 60C, hot tumble dry 30+ minutes |
| In a drawer or wardrobe in the bedroom | Possible | Wash or tumble dry hot, then store in sealed bags |
| Delicates or items you cannot wash | Possible | Dry clean, or bag and freeze for 3 to 4 days |
| Freshly washed and dried | Low | Keep sealed in clean bags until treatment is finished |
Clothes are only part of the picture
Sorting your laundry is a good step, and an exterminator will often ask you to do it before a treatment visit. But clean clothes will not clear an infestation, because most of the bugs are in and around the bed. The BPCA says self-treatment is unlikely to succeed, and the NHS says bed bugs are very difficult to get rid of yourself. Avoid shop sprays and foggers, which can drive bugs deeper into the room.
A bed bug inspection shows how far things have spread, and our cost calculator gives a rough price before anyone visits. We can help you find an exterminator who covers your area. If the bites are bothering you, a pharmacist can help, or speak to your GP.
If you have found signs at home, tell us where you are and we will find an exterminator who covers your area.
Where our information comes from
- CDC: About bed bugs (read 26 October 2026)
- University of Kentucky Entomology: Bed bugs, ENTFACT-636 (read 26 October 2026)
- US EPA: Bed bug guidance for parents (read 26 October 2026)
- NHS 111 Wales: Bedbugs (read 26 October 2026)
- Southwark Council: Pre-treatment plan for bed bugs (read 26 October 2026)
- BPCA: Bed bugs pest advice leaflet (read 26 October 2026)