Does the Dryer Kill Fleas?

Written by Ryan in Fleas,Guides

Drying fabric or clothes at high temperatures is often prescribed to homeowners killing bugs such as bed bugs. But does the dryer kill fleas? 

  • Well, in summary, YES, the high temperatures in a dryer do kill fleas plus all their babies including eggs and flea larvae on your clothes, curtains, and bedding. 
  • So, launder the clothing and other fabrics 10 minutes at temperatures of ~ 95°F (35°C). Finally, undertake the garment drying (at the highest temperature) to kill the fleas and other bugs. 

Details: Does The Dryer Kill Fleas?

Besides killing the adult fleas, dryers will also exterminate flea eggs (on your fabric, clothes, stuffed animals, and bedding) prior to the hatching. 

To effectively control the fleas in your spaces, you’ll require to wash and dry the washable items, plus flea-treat the pets and floors. Fleas will jump from the washed items into that hot dryer.

How to Kill Fleas Using a Dryer?

1. Machine Wash the Clothes

First, you’ll need to machine-wash the clothes with the hottest allowable water for that fabric. 

  • Further, ensure to only use the regular detergent.

Such a process will remove many of the flea eggs plus the adult fleas – this is before you take the fabrics into your dryer. Therefore, the flea-killing process will be easier since there will be the preliminary killing off the bugs using machine washing and detergent.

2. Dry the Fabrics at High Heat 

Load the damp clothes, bedding, or fabric onto your dryer.

  • Next, set the temperature of the dryer to the highest allowable for the clothes or fabric loaded. 

Caution, drying the fabrics at that temperature will imply that the cloths may shrink.

However, using the hot dryer is a critical step as the high temperature is what will kill the flea eggs and adult fleas. 

3. Full Cycle Dryer Running – Kill Fleas

So, simply, YES, fleas will be killed by the high heat and ( extremely high temperatures) in the dryer.

  • Note, you must run that fabric dryer through a full cycle.

This will ensure that the clothes and fabrics in the dryer are fully dried – this will exterminate fleas & adult fleas. To remove the fleas from your apartment and home, you’ll require to flea-treat the washable items, pets, and flooring. 

  • Fleas will die at high dryer temperatures – above 35°C (95°F ) and also in colder temperatures – under 8°C (46.4°F). 

Finally, the flea larvae and flea eggs (all immature fleas) will very sensitive to cold temperatures under 13°C (55.4°F).

In that Clothes Dryer

As noted, the dryer heat will kill fleas – you’ll eject the fleas from their hiding places. 

  • Laundering your clothes & fabric with detergent plus water will wash off (after drowning) the fleas.  

The heat and the drying will make the flea (plus flea eggs) desiccate and finally die.

Fleas will die from drowning, washer detergent, dryer heat – the bugs will be dehydrated but also the dryers’ intense movements will cause physical harm to the fleas.

So, when you find some of these fleas or their eggs lurking around your house, ensure to put the bed sheets, clothes, fabrics, cushion covers, and bedding into that hot dryer. 

Hot Water Will Kill fleas!

Hot water either in the washing machine or basin will kill the fleas – particularly when its temperature is over 95°F. 

  • Therefore, you can throw those flea-infested clothes, bedding, and fabric into some hot water to exterminate the fleas. 

For the flea larvae, flea eggs, and eggs will drown and die in water – even better if the water is hot.

But ensure you clean the pet’s clothes and then bathe your pets for fleas – in addition to using these methods to kill the fleas on those pets. 

a. Washer with Soapy Hot Water 

Use some effective bleach and detergent to exterminate those flea larvae, flea eggs, and adult fleas too. 

  • Further, the dryer will produce turbulence to kill those fleas also combined with its hot water.

Therefore, the clothes washer won’t exterminate the fleas without using the dryer – as the latter will produce extreme heat and turbulence.

b. Use Dish Soap + Water 

Next, use dawn dish soap to exterminate the remaining fleas – the fleas will drown due to the dish soap – these bugs are lightweight, and their body size is small. 

  • Further, the fleas will drown in the soapy water – due to a broken down surface tension. 

Launder or Dry the Fabric Having Fleas 

Drying and laundering will help you exterminate those flea larvae, flea dirt, and flea eggs. So, here’s how to launder and dry those clothes, and beddings.

a. First, wash those fabrics you have for about ten minutes. Make sure the temperature at washing is around 140°F – clean all the attire and beddings.

b. Next, ensure to re-wash & re-wash the garments, fabrics, and bedding – this should be redone roughly 3 times – ensure the washer machine temperature is around 140°F – wash for roughly 3-10 minutes.

The repeated washing will help clean the bugs and their eggs from the bedding and clothes before you kick start the drying process.

c. For the white fabrics and garments, you’ll require to use some bleaching agent. The chlorine will poison or erode the skin of those bugs including fleas.

  • Put those beddings and garments in that dryer – and ensure to set the dryer at its highest heat.

Conclusion

Will flea eggs, larvae, and adult fleas die in that dryer? Well, yes, at the highest allowable heat setting on the dryer, you’ll kill those fleas in the fabric, cloth, stuffed animals, clothes, and bedding.

  • Further, exposing the fleas to soap and heat will exterminate the bugs in all their life stages.
  • So, combined with using the dyer, soap, and heat will kill those fleas.

Before drying, launder the fabrics at 140°F for roughly 10 minutes – and finally dry those clothes at that highest heat. 

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