How much heat can nylon/silnylon stand?

[hutzelbein]

While travelling in the US, I had contact with bed bugs. I don't know if I got any blind passengers (I was using my sleeping bag the night I slept at the infested home), but I don't want to take any chances. I have been washing my clothes and everything that can be washed at 60°C, but I don't know if my hammocks will take this kind of heat. I also need to do something with the tarps (everything was stored in the same bag). Anybody know if I will damage the nylon at these temperatures? Especially the silnylon? I was thinking of simply submerging the silnylon tarps in hot water - not washing them with soap.

Unfortunately I don't have a big freezer to freeze everything for a couple of weeks. Which would be the alternative.

[gargoyle]

Permethrin works on bedbugs. Hang it out and spray. Or dunk it.

Sawyer has details. (scroll down to the bedbug question)

[hutzelbein]

Problem is that Permethrin is not sold in Germany. I also had less than satisfying results with Sawyer's spray with regards to mosquitos. I would prefer the 100% safe method of killing the buggers with heat - as long as it doesn't damage the material.

[Ramblinrev]

60*C roughly equals 140*F. If those temperatures were going to harm nylon or polyester you could not have nylon fabrics for automobile interiors. I can't imagine washing in water of that temperature would harm the fabric. As long as it was not treated for waterproofing. That might be compromised. I would not dry them in a tumble dryer due to contact with the drum which could be hotter than that. But water and a wash... I'd probably do it.

Edit: melting point of nylon is ~220*C. I think you have some leeway there.

I don't know about the sil. I might just find a good sunny place and hang the hammock and tarp in full sun for a few hours. Bedbugs prefer dark places.

[nothermark]

Agree on the heat issue.

Can you get mothballs there? If so you might find this interesting:

http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/mothballs

I'd fluff everything up in a trash bag with a some moth balls then bag that bag. Let it sit for 2 weeks or longer. Open it up outside when done.

If I was using the hot water I method I would wash them every week for 3 weeks. The way bed bugs were greatly reduced was when people started washing clothes weekly in hot water. Washing killed the live adults but not the eggs. Second washing killed the hatched eggs before they matured to lay more. Third washing is insurance.

Good luck with it. Let us know what you did.

[hutzelbein]

Just to follow up; I washed everything I could wash, including the hammocks and stuff sacks. Only the WB (sil?) stuff sacks didn't take well to the washing. They look different than before, but are still fully functional. The tarps I set up but also froze for a couple of days, just to be on the safe side (I hope). I didn't want to resort to poison. Maybe it's a mistake; only time will tell...

[nothermark]

I hope you washed them more than once. Good luck with your problem. ;-)

[hutzelbein]

No, I only washed once. The 60°C cycle is supposed to kill adults and eggs alike. I think the frequent washing is supposed to help if the bugs are already in your house. Although I wouldn't bet on that either.

After reading through loads of websites, I'm surprised that there are places that are *not* infested by bed bugs. Actually, my guess is that I have stayed in many more places with bed bugs but just never saw them. I don't know how you would not come across them when travelling a lot...