The essentials in 30 seconds
Do not use rubbing alcohol against bed bugs. The EPA lists rubbing alcohol, kerosene and gasoline among treatments to avoid: they could harm you and your family and can easily ignite with a spark or a cigarette. They also do not work well. In a test presented by Changlu Wang of Rutgers University in 2013, spraying bed bugs with rubbing alcohol left about half of them alive four days later. Bed bugs hide in seams, cracks and crevices that a spray does not reach. Use methods the EPA describes instead: a clothes dryer on high heat, a freezer at 0 °F for three days, steam at 130 °F or more, interceptor traps and, if needed, EPA-registered products labelled for bed bugs or a pest management professional.
- Never spray alcohol on a mattress, bedding or furniture near a flame, heater or cigarette.
- Do not raise the heating or use a space heater to kill bed bugs: the EPA says it does not work and is dangerous.
Does rubbing alcohol kill bed bugs?
It may kill some of the bugs it directly soaks, but it does not solve an infestation:
- It is unreliable: in the Rutgers test reported by Science News, about half of the sprayed bed bugs were still alive four days later.
- It cannot reach them: bed bugs hide in mattress seams, bed frames, headboards and cracks, often close to where you sleep, which is why the EPA describes careful inspection rather than spraying.
- It is dangerous: the EPA warns it could harm you and your family and can easily catch fire.
Is 91% isopropyl alcohol better?
The EPA's warning covers rubbing alcohol in general, whatever the strength on the label, and a stronger product still cannot reach bugs hidden in cracks. Do not try to make alcohol work better by using more of it or spraying it over larger areas.
Does alcohol kill bed bug eggs?
No official guidance recommends alcohol for eggs. Bed bug eggs are tiny, about 1 mm, and laid in the same hidden places as the bugs, according to the EPA and Cornell. Treat eggs the way the EPA describes for all stages: heat in a dryer, freezing, steam, or professional treatment, then check again every few days because eggs can hatch after the first clean-up.
What to use instead of alcohol (EPA)
| Method | How the EPA describes it |
|---|---|
| Clothes dryer | Run bedding, clothes and other items that can go in a dryer on high heat |
| Freezer | Only if it reaches 0 °F (-18 °C): seal items in a bag and leave them three days; check with a thermometer, as many home freezers are not that cold |
| Steam | Wet or dry steam cleaners for cracks, fabrics, carpets, baseboards and bed frames, at 130 °F (54 °C) or more, without forceful airflow; use a diffuser so the bugs do not scatter |
| Interceptor traps | Placed under furniture legs to catch bed bugs climbing up |
| Pesticides | Only EPA-registered products with bed bugs on the label, used exactly as directed |
| Professional | A pest management professional has more intensive methods, including whole-home heat treatment |
The EPA adds that DIY heat treatments might not work, that foggers should never be the only method because the spray does not reach cracks and crevices, and that you should check for bed bugs every few days after treating.
Other bed bug remedies to avoid
- Rubbing alcohol, kerosene and gasoline: harmful and can ignite easily (EPA).
- Turning up the heating, space heaters or fireplaces: they do not work and are dangerous (EPA).
- Sticky traps: not designed for bed bugs (EPA).
- Mothballs: in the same Rutgers tests, mothballs failed to wipe out bed bugs in a bag of infested clothes after seven days.
Using alcohol to keep a sample
Alcohol does have one legitimate use: Purdue University recommends putting a suspected bed bug in a leak-proof vial with 70% rubbing alcohol to send it for identification. That keeps the specimen intact; it is not a treatment. See bugs that look like bed bugs for how to tell them apart.
Does alcohol kill bed bugs: frequently asked questions
Does rubbing alcohol kill bed bugs?
Not reliably. In a Rutgers test, about half the sprayed bed bugs were still alive four days later, and the EPA tells people to avoid it because it is harmful and can easily catch fire.
Does 91% alcohol kill bed bugs?
The EPA's warning applies to rubbing alcohol in general, and a stronger alcohol still does not reach hidden bugs.
Does alcohol kill bed bug eggs?
No official guidance recommends it. Use heat, freezing at 0 °F, steam or a professional treatment, and check again every few days.
Is it safe to spray alcohol on my mattress?
No. It is flammable and can ignite with a spark or cigarette. Use a dryer on high heat for bedding and a professional treatment for the mattress.
What kills bed bugs instantly?
No home remedy clears an infestation instantly. The EPA's methods are heat, freezing at 0 °F for three days, steam at 130 °F or more and EPA-registered products labelled for bed bugs.
Sources
Official and research sources, checked on 2 November 2026 (02/11/2026).
- US EPA · Do-it-yourself bed bug control ↗Avoid rubbing alcohol, kerosene and gasoline (could harm you and can easily ignite with a spark or cigarette); sticky traps not for bed bugs; clothes dryer on high heat; DIY heat may not work; do not raise indoor temperature or use space heaters or fireplaces; freezer at 0 °F for three days with a thermometer; steam at 130 °F or more with a diffuser; EPA-registered pesticides with bed bugs on the label; foggers only with care and never alone; check every few days; interceptor traps.
- Science News · Mothballs, rubbing alcohol score poorly in tests of DIY bedbug control (18 November 2013) ↗Changlu Wang (Rutgers University) at Entomology 2013: spraying bed bugs with rubbing alcohol left about half alive four days later; mothballs failed after 7 days.
- US EPA · Bed bugs appearance and life cycle ↗Eggs the size of a pinhead.
- Cornell University IPM · Identifying bed bugs ↗Eggs about 1 mm.
- Purdue University · Bed bug identification ↗Specimens in 70% rubbing alcohol in a leak-proof vial for identification.
Found bed bugs?
Skip the alcohol: bag bedding for a hot dryer, check the mattress seams and call a pest management professional if they keep coming back.