Published by BuzzSkito Mosquito & Tick Control
Published October 7, 2026 · Drafted with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources listed below
Does rubbing alcohol kill bed bugs?
Rubbing alcohol can kill a bed bug that it soaks, but the research shows it does so inconsistently and cannot clear an infestation. In the university tests covered below, results ran from no deaths among adult bed bugs that each received a measured drop to as many as all of the nymphs after a very heavy spray, and a direct spray of store-strength rubbing alcohol killed at most half the bugs in Rutgers University's lab studies. The outcome depends on the life stage, the amount applied and whether the bug is actually wet.
Alcohol also leaves most eggs hatching, does not reach bugs that stay hidden, and is a documented fire hazard. This guide covers the research, the fire risk and what to do instead, while the complete bed bug reference covers how infestations start, spread and end.
What do university studies say about alcohol and bed bugs?
University tests found that alcohol applied directly to bed bugs kills some of them but not all, and that the high kill rates took very heavy sprays. Two sets of results are public: a detailed Ohio State University thesis and a summary of Rutgers University lab studies.
Ohio State: drops and sprays on adults, nymphs and eggs
A 2015 Ohio State University undergraduate research thesis in entomology tested store-bought isopropyl rubbing alcohol at 50, 70 and 91 percent strength, plus 100 percent ethanol, alongside water-treated and untreated bed bugs. It was prompted by the observation that many Ohioans routinely use rubbing alcohol in place of an insecticide. Adults first received a single measured drop on the back from a pipette and were checked a day later. Nymphs, eggs and a second set of adults were then sprayed in lab dishes, 10 to a dish, with 7, 14 or 21 pumps of a spray bottle, which the thesis calls its light, medium and heavy rates.
| Test | What was done | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio State, adults | One measured drop per bug, checked at 24 hours | No more than 15% of any group affected; none dead |
| Ohio State, adults | Sprayed, checked at 7 days | 0% to 17% dead or dying at the light and medium rates; about 74% at best at the heavy rate |
| Ohio State, nymphs | Mixed-stage groups sprayed, checked at 7 days | Dead or dying: 18% to 39% at the light rate, 67% to 85% at the medium rate, 76.7% to 100% at the heavy rate |
| Ohio State, eggs | Sprayed, hatching counted at 3 weeks | 63% to 100% hatched |
| Rutgers lab studies | Direct spray of 70% or 91% rubbing alcohol | At most 50% killed |
Ohio State figures come from the thesis abstract and results section; its spray charts count moribund bugs, which could only twitch, together with dead ones. The Rutgers figure comes from fact sheet FS1251. Both are linked in the text.
The thesis concludes that a single drop did little to adults, that high rates of sprayed alcohol kill nymphs, and that eggs were barely affected: hatch rates were above 80 percent in most treatments, and the control groups, which got water or nothing, hatched at similar rates. It also reports that the drops often rolled off the adults before soaking them, and that the adult test was later repeated as a spray so the two methods could be compared. On strength, deaths tended to peak at 70 or 91 percent isopropyl rather than at 100 percent ethanol, and the author suggests that purer alcohol may evaporate before it can act.
The heavy rate is the catch. It works out to roughly 1.8 fluid ounces of liquid per square foot of surface (58 microliters per square centimeter in the thesis). The thesis says that when its heavy volumes were converted to real-world application rates, they were too high to be safe or practical in a building, and that dousing furniture at those rates could be a fire hazard. Its discussion calls the method not very effective and unable to eradicate an infestation, and its conclusion names the volume of alcohol needed as the limitation. The work is an undergraduate senior thesis, not a journal article; its project advisor was Susan C. Jones of Ohio State's Department of Entomology.
Rutgers: at most half killed by a direct spray
A Rutgers University extension fact sheet by entomology specialist Changlu Wang and research associate Richard Cooper reports that the rubbing alcohol products on sale usually contain 70 or 91 percent isopropyl alcohol, and that in Rutgers laboratory studies a direct spray of either one killed a maximum of 50 percent of the bed bugs. The fact sheet gives no spray volume, life stage or time point, so the figure reads as a ceiling rather than a dose-by-dose result. It files rubbing alcohol under methods that do not work, adds that the products are flammable and can create a fire hazard, and says they should not be used to control bed bugs.
How the two sets of results fit together
The two sources point the same way. Ohio State's light and medium sprays left no more than 17 percent of adults dead or dying, its heaviest spray reached about 74 percent at best, and Rutgers saw at most 50 percent killed by a direct spray. Only the heaviest rate on nymphs came close to a complete kill, at a volume the thesis itself says may not be practical or safe. A method that depends on drenching every bug cannot work on bugs you cannot see.
Why does alcohol not clear an infestation?
Alcohol can affect only the bugs and eggs it reaches, and an infestation is more than the bugs you can see. Four limits stack up.
Eggs mostly survive
Bed bug eggs are tiny, whitish and hard to see without magnification, and they hatch in about a week at room temperature, according to the University of Kentucky extension fact sheet. In the Ohio State experiment, 63 to 100 percent of sprayed eggs still hatched within 3 weeks. A spray that leaves the eggs alive can mean new nymphs about a week later. What does and does not work on bed bug eggs is covered in its own guide.
Hidden bugs are not reached
Bed bugs can live in almost any crevice or protected location, and their flattened bodies fit into gaps no wider than a toothpick, says the Kentucky fact sheet, written by extension entomologist Michael Potter. It notes that ordinary household vacuuming seldom reaches the areas where bed bugs typically hide, and a spray bottle aimed at the bugs in view has the same blind spot. The guide to where bed bugs hide ranks those spots by distance from the bed, from mattress seams to baseboards and outlets.
No lasting residue to rely on
EPA describes rubbing alcohol as a compound that vaporizes quickly. Neither the Ohio State thesis nor the Rutgers fact sheet reports a test of bed bugs crossing a dried, alcohol-treated surface, so there is no evidence here of a lasting barrier effect, and fast evaporation gives no reason to expect one. The Kentucky fact sheet makes a related point about products that are sold for the purpose: most bed bug sprays intended for householders have limited effect once the spray has dried.
Survivors can wait
Nymphs and adults can go months without feeding, the Kentucky fact sheet says: about 1 to 4 months in temperature-controlled buildings, and potentially a year or longer at 55°F or below. Seeing fewer bugs a week after spraying proves little: surviving eggs are only then hatching, and surviving nymphs and adults can wait for a meal. The stage-by-stage guide to what bed bugs look like gives the sizes of every life stage in inches, which helps when judging what you are finding.
Is rubbing alcohol a fire hazard around a bed?
Yes. EPA says rubbing alcohol vaporizes quickly, is flammable and has caused numerous house fires when used to control bed bugs. On its do-it-yourself bed bug control page, the agency lists rubbing alcohol, kerosene and gasoline under treatments to avoid, saying they could harm you and your family and can easily ignite with a spark or cigarette. Rutgers says rubbing alcohol products can create a fire hazard, and the University of Kentucky fact sheet names alcohol, bleach, cigarette lighters and foggers as things that should not be used on bed bugs, because they are ineffective and can result in fires and other dangerous outcomes.
What the flammability numbers mean
The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, published by the CDC, lists isopropyl alcohol with a flash point of 53°F, a boiling point of 181°F and a lower explosive limit of 2.0 percent in air. It classes the liquid as Class IB flammable, a category defined as a flash point below 73°F with a boiling point of 100°F or higher. The Pocket Guide defines a flash point as the temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapor to flash when exposed to an ignition source, and any heated bedroom is above 53°F.
Those figures describe the pure chemical. The sources used for this guide do not give a flash point for the diluted rubbing alcohol sold in stores, which comes in strengths such as the 50, 70 and 91 percent that Ohio State tested, and EPA's warning is about rubbing alcohol as people actually use it against bed bugs. Heavily spraying a mattress, upholstery or carpet, the kind of application that produced the highest kill rates in the Ohio State work, puts a large amount of flammable liquid into fabric where people sleep.
What breathing or touching it can do
NIOSH lists inhalation, swallowing, and skin or eye contact as the routes of exposure to isopropyl alcohol. It lists irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, drowsiness, dizziness, headache and dry, cracking skin as symptoms. Heavy spraying indoors is the use that raises the chance of breathing vapor. If anyone develops symptoms after alcohol was sprayed, or a child or pet swallows it, contact poison control or a healthcare provider, or a veterinarian for an animal.
Is it legal to use rubbing alcohol on bed bugs?
EPA lists using rubbing alcohol that is not a registered pesticide product among the things people frequently do against bed bugs that are not legal. The same list includes using a pesticide in a way that does not follow its label, such as using a product labeled for outdoor use or applying more than the label allows.
EPA's advice is to buy EPA-registered pesticides labeled for bed bug control, look for the EPA registration number on the label, and read and follow every direction and precaution. The guide on Lysol and other household disinfectants walks through how to check a registration and what is actually labeled for bed bugs.
What works better than alcohol for bed bugs?
Heat from a dryer or steamer, sealed encasements, targeted vacuuming and EPA-registered products labeled for bed bugs all have better support than alcohol in the guidance from EPA, Rutgers and the University of Kentucky. EPA cautions that the non-chemical methods can be helpful but might not get rid of an infestation entirely, and Rutgers recommends combining several methods with monitoring. The table sets out what each source says.
| Method | What the sources say | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes dryer | EPA: high heat. Kentucky: medium to high for 10 to 20 minutes, faster if items start dry | Only for items that tolerate heat |
| Steam | EPA: at least 130°F, without forceful airflow that can scatter bugs | Kentucky: no residual protection, and limited ability to penetrate fabric |
| Vacuum | Kentucky: targeted vacuuming of infested spots removes some bugs. EPA: seal the bag tightly and throw it out at once in an outdoor trash container | Rutgers: eggs and bugs hiding in cracks may not be removed |
| Encasements | EPA: sealed covers trap bugs inside until they die. Kentucky: bugs in a zipped cover eventually die | Kentucky: does not stop bugs from crawling onto the bed and biting |
| Registered product | EPA: buy products labeled for bed bugs, check the EPA registration number, follow the label | The label sets where and how it may be used. Rutgers: pyrethroid sprays used alone often do very little because of resistance |
Sources: EPA's do-it-yourself bed bug control page, the University of Kentucky fact sheet and Rutgers fact sheet FS1251.
Dryer heat for clothes and bedding
EPA's do-it-yourself page says a clothes dryer on high heat can be used. The University of Kentucky fact sheet gives a time and a slightly lower setting: medium-to-high heat for 10 to 20 minutes, which it says kills all bed bug life stages, with lethal temperatures reached sooner when the items start out dry. Fabrics that cannot take dryer heat are a separate problem. The mattress guide covers what to do with the bedding and the bed itself.
Steam on mattresses, frames and furniture
EPA says steam cleaners can get into cracks and fabrics to treat carpets, baseboards, bed frames and other furniture. The steam must be at least 130°F and should not come with forceful airflow, which can scatter the bugs, so EPA suggests using a diffuser. The Kentucky fact sheet adds two limits: steam gives no residual protection against bugs that were missed, and it has limited ability to penetrate fabric and other materials, so it is seldom used alone.
Encasements and vacuuming
EPA recommends covers that seal mattresses and box springs so that the bugs are trapped inside and die, and the Kentucky fact sheet agrees that bed bugs inside a zipped encasement eventually die. A closer look at mattress encasements explains what to check and how long to leave them on. For vacuuming, Kentucky says targeted vacuuming of infested spots can remove some bugs before other treatment and warns that bed bugs can survive being sucked up, and EPA says to seal the vacuum bag as tightly as possible and throw it out immediately in an outdoor trash container.
Registered products
EPA tells buyers to look for pesticides that are EPA-registered and list bed bugs on the label. It also names spraying over and over, whenever a bug turns up, as a practice that may be legal but is not safe or smart, because it is unlikely to end the infestation and can make the bugs resistant to the pesticide. Rutgers adds a caution of its own: it lists most consumer pesticide sprays among the methods that do not work, because the majority of field bed bug populations are resistant to pyrethroids and such sprays often do very little when they are the only method used.
The step-by-step plan for getting rid of bed bugs puts heat, steam, encasements and registered products in order, and the breakdown of what kills bed bugs on contact explains why a fast kill alone rarely ends an infestation.
What should you do if you already sprayed alcohol?
Stop adding more, let everything dry away from flames and heat, and treat the spraying as an unfinished first step rather than a result.
- Keep ignition sources away from wetted fabric until it is completely dry and the room has aired out.
- Let wetted bedding and clothing dry fully in the open air, and do not put anything still damp with alcohol into a clothes dryer, which is a heat source. Once the items are completely dry and no longer smell of alcohol, a dryer on high heat is one of the options EPA names for killing bed bugs, for fabrics that can take it.
- Check what you are dealing with before buying anything else, because several small insects resemble bed bugs, as the guide to bugs that look like bed bugs shows.
- Move to the methods above, starting with encasements and heat, and keep inspecting. EPA says to look for bed bugs at least every 7 days in case any eggs remain, and to keep checking for at least a year after you finish.
When is it time to call a pest management professional?
Call one when bugs keep appearing after heat, encasements and registered products, or when you cannot find where they are living. The University of Kentucky says it is prudent to hire a professional when resources allow, and EPA notes that professionals have access to more intensive and proven methods, including whole-house heat treatment. EPA also cautions about the hiring itself: it lists hiring an applicator who does not follow integrated pest management practices, who has little or no bed bug experience, or who does not provide a follow-up inspection and repeat treatments if needed, among choices that are legal but not safe. Ask whether follow-up visits are included before you agree to a treatment.
Use any pesticide exactly as its label directs. The label is the law, and what is registered and sold varies by state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 91% rubbing alcohol work better than 70% on bed bugs?+
Not reliably. Rutgers reports that a direct spray of either 70 or 91 percent rubbing alcohol killed at most 50 percent of bed bugs in its lab studies. In the Ohio State thesis, deaths tended to peak at 70 or 91 percent isopropyl rather than at 100 percent ethanol, and in the adult spray test the best result, about 74 percent, came from 70 percent alcohol at the heaviest rate. The author suggests that purer alcohol may evaporate before it can act. Most sprayed eggs still hatched at every strength, and EPA's fire warning covers rubbing alcohol in general.
Why do some websites say alcohol kills bed bugs?+
Because under some conditions it does. In the Ohio State work, the heaviest spray rate left 76.7 to 100 percent of nymphs dead or dying after 7 days. The same thesis found that a measured drop on adults killed none within 24 hours, that light and medium sprays affected no more than 17 percent of adults, that most sprayed eggs hatched, and that the heavy spray volumes may not be practical or safe. Pages that report only the best figure leave out the rest.
Does rubbing alcohol kill bed bug eggs?+
Mostly not. In the Ohio State thesis, 63 to 100 percent of eggs sprayed with rubbing alcohol or ethanol still hatched within 3 weeks, and hatch rates were above 80 percent in most treatments. The thesis notes that the control groups, which got water or nothing, hatched at similar rates, which suggests the alcohol made little difference. Eggs hatch in about a week at room temperature, according to the University of Kentucky, so a room can look clear after spraying and then produce new nymphs.
How long until I know whether the bed bugs are gone?+
Longer than a week. Bed bug eggs hatch in about a week at room temperature, and nymphs and adults can go months without feeding, typically about 1 to 4 months in temperature-controlled buildings, according to the University of Kentucky. EPA says to inspect at least every 7 days in case any eggs remain and to keep checking for at least a year after treatment. Rutgers advises stopping treatment only after a month in which visual inspections and bed bug monitors find nothing.
What kills bed bugs on clothes and bedding?+
A clothes dryer. EPA says a dryer on high heat can be used, and the University of Kentucky gives medium-to-high heat for 10 to 20 minutes, which it says kills all bed bug life stages, with lethal temperatures reached sooner when items start out dry. Check garment care labels first, because fabrics that cannot take dryer heat need a different approach. Do not put fabric that is still damp with rubbing alcohol into a dryer.
Sources
- Stay Legal and Safe in Treating for Bed Bugs — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Do-it-yourself Bed Bug Control — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Effectiveness of Alcohol as a Do-it-Yourself Treatment to Combat the Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius — The Ohio State University
- FS1251: Cost-Effective and Money-Wasting Bed Bug Control Methods — Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
- Bed Bugs (ENTFACT-636) — University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Entomology
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Isopropyl alcohol — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NIOSH)
How this guide was made: it was researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed above. A second, independent AI pass then checked each factual claim against those sources. Found an error? Email support@buzzskito.ca.