How to Kill a Tick on Your Clothes (What Actually Works)
Quick Answer: To kill a tick on your clothes, place the clothing directly in a dryer on high heat for at least 6 minutes. If clothes need washing first, use hot water of at least 130°F.
This simple step can make a meaningful difference after time outdoors, especially in areas where tick exposure is common. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Why the Dryer Matters More Than You Think
An informal observation by a young student suggested ticks could be killed in minutes—not hours—in a dryer. That finding led CDC researchers to take a closer look.
A follow-up study confirmed that high heat in a dryer is highly effective.
Drying clothes on high heat for at least 6 minutes was sufficient to kill ticks.
Importantly, placing clothes directly into the dryer before washing was found to be the most efficient approach.
What About Washing Clothes?
Washing alone is less reliable unless the water is hot enough.
- Hot water (≥130°F / 54°C): kills ticks effectively
- Warm water (80–115°F): most ticks survive
- Cold water: ticks survive
In fact, nearly all ticks survived cold washes, and most survived warm washes.
If washing is necessary first, using sufficiently hot water is essential.
If You Wash First, Dry Longer
If ticks survive the wash cycle, the dryer can still kill them—but it takes longer.
After washing, it may take up to 50 minutes of high-heat drying to ensure all ticks are eliminated.
Drying first remains the faster and more reliable option.
How Do We Know the Ticks Were Dead?
Researchers carefully verified tick death by observing movement and response to stimulation.
Ticks that appeared inactive were re-evaluated after 20–24 hours to confirm they were no longer viable.
How Common Are Ticks on Clothing?
Ticks frequently attach to clothing during outdoor activity.
Studies have shown:
- Ticks were found in over half of simulated outdoor exposures
- Multiple ticks were often recovered after short walks in wooded areas
Most ticks were located on socks, shoes, and pant legs.
Clinical Takeaway
The takeaway is simple:
Dry first, on high heat. Wash later if needed.
Cold or warm washes alone are not enough to eliminate ticks.
This practical step can reduce the risk of tick exposure and is one part of a broader strategy for preventing tick-borne illness.
References
- Nelson CA et al. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2016.
- Carroll JF et al. J Med Entomol. 2001.
- Jordan RA et al. J Med Entomol. 2012.
Dr. Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
Lyme disease clinician with over 30 years of experience and past president of ILADS.
Symptoms • Testing • Coinfections • Recovery • Pediatric • Prevention
I’m thankful to see the CDC taking long overdue action on tick born illness risks.
Can unwashed clothing be put in the oven on a low temperature setting to kill ticks? This may be easier than using a dryer, e.g. for the disabled or those without dryers, and a pan is easier to clean afterwards than a dryer.
The dryer may work better as it dislodges ticks. But you never know.
Or put the clothes in a bag and leave in the freezer for 3 days. Everything will be dead assuming your freezer is near zero.
I am not so sure. 84% of ticks can make it through a typical Syracuse winter. Or check this out in Maryland. “Ticks were active many days during January and February, the coldest months, with some captures made when there was 70% snow cover and temperatures as low as -2 degrees C. Substantial numbers (70-90 ticks/h of flagging) of adult I. scapularis were captured on favorable days in January and February” You can read th the abstract at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12693854
I am wondering about the effects of bleach on ticks – can they really be killed by bleach?
I have not read anything on the subject.
I found a tick on my coat in December while in the woods. It was cold and there was a light snow. Talbot County, Maryland
In the absence of a clothes dryer, what are your thoughts about using a hot dry iron to kill ticks that might be in clothing, ironing the clothing, slowly, both inside and out. Thank you.
Is it helpful to wear tick spray or tick collars on your boots while mowing lawn ?
Some of my patients do. I am not sure how effective they are. I advise a careful tick bite as a backup plan.
Did you mean “a careful tick CHECK as a backup plan”?
The combination would be better
I just found 2 ticks on me after being in the wooded area of my property. I removed the ticks, put them in a baggie and into the freezer. But then thought, “How do I know if they are on my clothes?” And here I am! My clothes were very soiled with red clay dirt in VA. So, I couldn’t put them in the dryer first. So, I took them outside, shook them vigorously and then straight into the washer. I used Clorox2 since they were colors. I used Lysol laundry sanitizer. Put them on warm wash, hot water would set the dirt stain and shrink the clothes, for an extended wash and extra rinse. Seems that even if I wash my clothes and if the ticks live, they will die when I put them in the dryer??
I’ve had chronic Lyme, 2 rounds of IV antibiotic therapy. And then was lucky enough to catch Rocky mounted spotted fever.
I tell everyone I know to make sure they bag and freeze the tick if they find one on them. Proof is in the tick if you happen to be like me and test negative for a year before being treated!
I would think washing the clothes followed by drying work. It just takes longer. Some of my patients send the tick through the mail.On the other hand, the tick test may not mean the infection has been transmitted. https://www.tickcheck.com/
Does dry cleaning kill ticks?
I feel sure I have an infestation of larval tick .how can I get rud of them on my body and furnishing
you could you tick for testing to determine the type of tick to guide your doctor.
https://www.tickcheck.com/
Speaking from experience, I would do longer than 6 minutes in the dryer at full heat. I laid in/on/around a wood tick nest a few days ago and google pulled up this website as a guide. Being paranoid, I did not do 6 minutes — I did 120 minutes on high heat. When I pulled out the lint trap after 120 minutes THEY WERE STILL MOVING.
These things are impossible to kill!! There was one on the floor that I tried to stomp and slide twice and it was still alive. Google says 72 hours in the freezer to kill. I ended up putting them in a ziplock bag, in a glass lock container and into the freezer. Vet’s will apparently also dispose of ticks (or at least the one here did).
It could be that 6 minutes was long enough to know the ticks off and leave them in the lint trap.
I just put them in a jar and pour boiling water on them… seems to work well.
I am not sure clothes intended for the washer will do well in boiling water.
There is a difference in the time it takes to kill ticks in a gas dryer and an electric dryer. We recommend drying the clothes first for 15 minutes on high in an electric dryer before washing the clothes. Less time would be required in an electric dryer.
Don’t flush ticks down the toilet. They will survive and remerge in the sewage treatment plant.
I am not so sure electric or gas is better.
My car is INFESTED with ticks. I rescued a hungry stray dog and put it in my car. It was nighttime, and I didn’t notice how infested it was. Every single inch of its body was covered in ticks. The next day, I brought it to the shelter as I could not handle that problem in my apartment. In the meantime, though my car is now infested with ticks. This is a huge problem because there are so many nooks and crannies in a car. Need advice.
If there were ticks you might have the car detailed after alerting them. A vacuum might help. You may consider leaving the car in the sun as ticks might die with the combination of heat and dryness.
I have always stuck ticks with a pin and burned them (this was taught when I was a child MANY years ago
Of course, burning isn’t cost effective when they are on clothing lol