The short answer
Ticks survive most wash cycles. But 6 minutes in a dryer on high heat kills them all. Dry first, then wash.
The washer: ticks usually survive
Researchers at the USDA tested this. Every single tick survived cold water washes. 94% survived warm water. Even hot washes only killed about half unless the water reached 54 degrees Celsius (130 degrees Fahrenheit). At that threshold, all ticks died. But most home washing machines on a “hot” setting don’t actually reach 54 degrees consistently.
The researcher who kicked off this work, John Carroll at the USDA, found a live lone star tick sitting on his washing machine’s agitator after running a full cycle. That’s how tough these things are.
The dryer: high heat works fast
On high heat, all ticks died in as little as 4 minutes when placed in with dry towels. Researchers recommend 6 minutes to be thorough. But if the clothes go in wet (because you washed them first), it takes 50 to 55 minutes on high heat. The dryer needs to evaporate all the moisture before temperatures get high enough to kill ticks.
On a “no heat” tumble-dry setting, about a third of deer ticks and over half of lone star ticks survived. Tumbling alone is not enough. You need the heat.
The practical recommendation
This feels backwards, but: dry your clothes first, then wash them. Come home from walking your dog at Bronte Creek, Lions Valley Park, or anywhere in the Halton Region during tick season, throw everything in the dryer on high for 6 minutes. Then wash normally. It’s faster and more reliable than the other way around.
This applies to any outdoor clothing from March through November in Ontario: dog walking gear, gardening clothes, hiking outfits. Six minutes in the dryer on high. That’s it.
Of course, laundry only handles ticks on your clothing. Your dog needs separate tick prevention and a thorough tick check after every outdoor outing.
Key takeaways
- All ticks survived cold and warm washes. Only water above 54 degrees Celsius kills them reliably.
- A dryer on high heat for 6 minutes kills all ticks when clothes go in dry.
- If clothes are wet, the dryer takes 50 to 55 minutes on high heat.
- Dry first, then wash. This is faster and more effective than washing first.
- Laundry handles your clothes. Your dog needs vet-prescribed tick prevention.
References
- Carroll, J.F. et al. (2016). “Killing blacklegged ticks in residential washers and dryers.” Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. PubMed
- USDA ARS (2007). “Ticks Don’t Come Out in the Wash.” ars.usda.gov
- ScienceDaily (2007). “Ticks Don’t Come Out In The Wash.” sciencedaily.com
- WBUR (2013). “Dryer Quick Kill Ticks.” wbur.org