Yes, putting pillows in a household dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes will kill bed bugs at every life stage, including eggs. The key is reaching and sustaining a temperature of at least 120°F throughout the pillow’s core. Most residential dryers hit around 140°F on the high setting, which is well above the lethal threshold. But the type of pillow you have matters a lot, because some materials can’t survive that heat either.
Why Dryer Heat Works
Bed bugs die when their body temperature reaches 120°F. Adults, nymphs, and eggs are all vulnerable at this threshold. A residential dryer on high typically reaches around 140°F, and some commercial dryers climb as high as 176°F. That’s more than enough to be lethal.
According to Virginia Tech research, a loosely filled dryer set on high will kill all bed bug life stages and their eggs in 30 minutes. Purdue University’s extension program recommends running the dryer on high for 20 to 45 minutes. The important detail here is “loosely filled.” If you cram multiple pillows into a small dryer, the hot air can’t circulate properly, and the core temperature of the densest pillow may never reach 120°F. One pillow at a time, or two at most in a large-capacity dryer, gives the best results.
Which Pillows Can Handle High Heat
This is where the plan can fall apart. Not all pillow types survive a high-heat dryer cycle, and the heat level needed to kill bed bugs is non-negotiable.
- Down alternative and polyester pillows: These are generally dryer-safe, though manufacturers often recommend low heat. For bed bug treatment, you need high heat. The pillow may lose some loft or shape, but it will survive a single cycle.
- Down pillows: Some can be machine dried, but many require a low or air-dry setting. A high-heat cycle may damage the fill. Check the care label, but understand that low heat alone won’t reliably kill bed bugs.
- Memory foam and polyfoam pillows: These cannot go in the dryer. Heat damages the foam structure, potentially causing it to break apart, warp, or release chemicals. There is no safe way to run a memory foam pillow through a high-heat dryer cycle.
- Latex pillows: Same problem as memory foam. Latex and machine dryers don’t mix.
If you have a foam or latex pillow with bed bugs, a portable heat treatment device (like a heated enclosure designed for this purpose) can treat items the dryer can’t handle. These devices take several hours but can accommodate pillows, suitcases, and other bulky items. Alternatively, you may need to discard the pillow and replace it.
How to Transport Infested Pillows Safely
Moving a bed bug-infested pillow through your home or to a laundromat without containment can spread bugs to new areas. Before you pull the pillow off the bed, seal it in a clear plastic bag. Clear bags are recommended because you can actually see bed bugs inside them, which helps confirm you haven’t left any behind.
Keep the bag sealed until the pillow goes directly into the dryer. Don’t set it down on furniture, carpeting, or other surfaces along the way. Once the dryer cycle is complete, place the treated pillow into a fresh, clean bag or a bed bug-proof encasement before returning it to the bedroom. The original bag that carried the infested pillow should be sealed and discarded immediately.
Preventing Re-Infestation After Treatment
Killing the bugs in your pillow solves one piece of the problem, but bed bugs rarely live in pillows alone. They hide in mattress seams, box spring crevices, headboard joints, and even behind baseboards. Treating the pillow without addressing the rest of the bed and room means bugs will simply recolonize it.
Bed bug-proof encasements are one of the most effective tools for protecting pillows and mattresses after treatment. These encasements seal the entire pillow or mattress inside bite-proof fabric with a zipper that has teeth too small for even immature bugs to slip through. Any bugs trapped inside can’t feed and eventually die. Any bugs outside can’t burrow in to hide. For an encasement to work, it needs to cover the item completely with no gaps, tears, or openings at the zipper’s end stop. Once installed, the encasement stays on. You wash your pillowcase and sheets normally, but the encasement itself remains sealed. Check it every few months for rips or worn spots.
The same principle applies to your mattress and box spring. Encasing all three (pillow, mattress, box spring) eliminates the most common hiding spots in the bed itself and makes ongoing monitoring much simpler, since bugs are forced to hide in more visible locations.
What to Do With Items You Can’t Dry
For pillows that can’t tolerate high heat, your options are more limited. Portable heat chambers designed for bed bug treatment can bring items up to 120°F over several hours without the tumbling action of a dryer, making them safer for delicate materials. These are essentially insulated bags with a heating element and temperature monitors. Treatment is considered complete when all internal monitors read at least 120°F.
If you don’t have access to a heat chamber, heavily infested foam or latex pillows are often best replaced entirely. The cost of a new pillow is usually minor compared to the risk of harboring surviving bugs. Seal the infested pillow in a plastic bag, label it clearly so no one picks it up, and dispose of it. Pair any new pillow with a bed bug-proof encasement from the start, especially if your home is still undergoing treatment.