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Will drying without washing first cause shrinkage in cotton?

post #1 of 19
9/24/10 at 11:35am
Thread Starter 
I may or may not be staying in a place with bed bugs and need to dry my clothing to kill the bugs so that I don't introduce them to my apartment... Or dry clean them.

I just bought new pairs of APC and Naked and Famous jeans. I don't want to shrink these. Will putting them in a dryer on medium heat for 30 min. cause them to shrink if I do not wash them first?

What about other cotton items?

Thank you!
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post #2 of 19
9/24/10 at 12:24pm
I think you can seal them up in plastic to kill the bedbugs, not that I know anything about that sort of thing.
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post #3 of 19
9/24/10 at 3:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by porcelain monkey View Post
I think you can seal them up in plastic to kill the bedbugs, not that I know anything about that sort of thing.

No, those fuckers can live in a sealed container for fucking 18 MONTHS without feeding and come out just fine, albeit hungry.

Dryer. High heat. 1 Hour. This is something you do NOT want. A bedbug infestation will cost you more in time, worry, and effort than a couple pair of pants you don't want to shrink. I've been there. It fucking sucks.

But, google to find out how to identify and find bedbugs and examine where you are staying. They're pretty easy to spot once you know what to look for.
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post #4 of 19
9/24/10 at 4:11pm
I hotly anticipate your future B&S thread.
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post #5 of 19
9/24/10 at 4:19pm
What about putting them in a sealed bag (ziploc or some such) and tossing them in the freezer overnight? That should kill the bugs and probably won't damage your jeans. I know some people do this with clothes and sneakers, as it kills the bacteria that produces odor.
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post #6 of 19
9/24/10 at 4:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kylelovesyou View Post
What about putting them in a sealed bag (ziploc or some such) and tossing them in the freezer overnight? That should kill the bugs and probably won't damage your jeans. I know some people do this with clothes and sneakers, as it kills the bacteria that produces odor.

Bed bugs are not bacteria. Not all things are killed using the same method. Nuke it in the dryer. The jeans will stretch out again anyway.
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post #7 of 19
9/24/10 at 4:25pm
Freezing kills bed bugs...but not always in one day

keep them in there for a week and you should be fine if your freezer is pretty cold.
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post #8 of 19
9/24/10 at 4:25pm
So you're saying a night in the freezer won't kill them? I feel like that's a more likely way to kill them than the dryer.
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post #9 of 19
9/24/10 at 4:26pm
I hope there is a way without fumigating the whole place.
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post #10 of 19
9/24/10 at 4:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlieAngel View Post
Dryer. High heat. 1 Hour. This is something you do NOT want. A bedbug infestation will cost you more in time, worry, and effort than a couple pair of pants you don't want to shrink. I've been there. It fucking sucks.
Actually, bed bugs will die within 10 - 15 minutes of being in the dryer on max heat. Hell even medium heat will kill them in the same time frame. They actually die faster, the average bed bug will die in about 3 minutes from the temperature alone, but within 15 min or so every single one should be dead with no exception. I don't see why that would be horrible for your jeans. I wouldn't do it for fun, since you will lose some indigo and the jeans might shrink a tiny bit, but if you have a reason like bed bugs, I say go ahead and do it.
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post #11 of 19
9/24/10 at 4:43pm
fire ants eat bed bugs, so do centipedes and probably spiders. place them all in a bag with your jeans and shake that entomological royal rumble up for the best fadez evar.
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post #12 of 19
9/24/10 at 5:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kylelovesyou View Post
So you're saying a night in the freezer won't kill them? I feel like that's a more likely way to kill them than the dryer.

The freeze will eventually kill them, but one night might not be enough. I've always been told 48 hours in the freezer to kill moths, so I would do it at least that long for bedbugs.
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post #13 of 19
9/24/10 at 6:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kylelovesyou View Post
So you're saying a night in the freezer won't kill them? I feel like that's a more likely way to kill them than the dryer.

The exterminator I talked to (who thankfully concluded that we did not have bedbugs and my roommates were just bug-hypochondriacs) said 3 days...I would set it to max-cool and go a whole week.
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post #14 of 19
9/24/10 at 6:54pm
Two ways of killing bed bugs, freezing and heating, with freezing being less reliable. I've read studies where the bugs have survived weeks in a regular home freezer. You need a deep freezer at -20 celsius for at least a week to be sure they're dead. As for heat, apparently you need 120F at 15 minutes to kill all stages of the bed bug. A steam cleaner direct hit should be an instant kill. So, putting a dry item in the dryer will still shrink it? I always thought it was water and heat combined that caused shrinkage. What about wool sweaters, I'm guessing that'd be a huge no no. This brings up a related topic: Anyone hesitating to purchase clothing online with this whole bed bug resurgence going on, especially used articles? Got a few items coming from NY and the UK (both are supposed bed bug hot spots) and all these news reports have me paranoid.
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post #15 of 19
9/24/10 at 8:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by onion View Post
Actually, bed bugs will die within 10 - 15 minutes of being in the dryer on max heat. Hell even medium heat will kill them in the same time frame. They actually die faster, the average bed bug will die in about 3 minutes from the temperature alone, but within 15 min or so every single one should be dead with no exception. I don't see why that would be horrible for your jeans. I wouldn't do it for fun, since you will lose some indigo and the jeans might shrink a tiny bit, but if you have a reason like bed bugs, I say go ahead and do it.
You're correct, I was going off my experience. I was throwing loads of clothes in the dryer and wanted to make sure the full loads got to full heat. A single item would take much less time. I also did the same for all of my shoes that were under the bed. I tossed so many clothes and books (did you know they will breed under the dustcover of hardbacks? What an awesome thing! I had to toss all of my hardbacks after I found spotting from their feces and the rock-hard, epoxy-like eggs in the spine). But, what's an extra 30-45 minutes for more peace of mind, eh? I wouldn't use a freezer because.. well.. i keep food in there. Ew. yeah, I know, plastic, etc, but freaking.. ew.
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