Hey, do you have any pets at home? Well, then we can bet you are suffering from a flea problem. Everyone knows flea’s main target is always your loveable pets. So, if you see your dog or cat scratching their head every now & then, or you have red itchy bites on your body, the cause is FLEAS!
So, the question is, “will steam cleaning kill fleas?” or you might jump on some other tactics to solve this flea problem. Well, you will soon find the answers! But, you know, fleas and mites can’t even withstand the heat from steamer and can literally die at a temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
What’s the hurry? We will slowly tell you everything that you are looking for. If you don’t want to use a steam cleaner on your pets, you can opt for any alternative methods discussed below. So, let’s hop on this ride to get your answers and to know what actually causes flea infestations at homes!
Causes of Flea Infestation
Fleas’ most accessible and common prey are your furry, cute four-legged pet animals rather than people. If you have a cat or dog at home, female fleas might attack them by now to lay eggs on your loveable pet. Moreover, the flea life cycle takes about 2-3 months for the eggs to hatch, whether the fleas lay eggs on your carpet, pets, or backyard. That way, it can quickly cause flea infestation.
Sometimes, you don’t even realize that your house is filled with fleas and their eggs. So when you finally notice that, the fleas have already done their deed and caused you problems in the long run. Well, you don’t have to worry about these problems when we are here to solve them.
As you know, the most common method is to remove the fleas by applying a chemical treatment, which can cause allergies to your pets or kids. So, we will reveal the safer and simpler way to kill fleas by using a steam cleaner. Let’s check out how you can do it!
How To Kill Fleas with Steam Cleaning – Step-By-Step Guide
Now, we will tell you how you can deal with an active flea infestation by using a steam cleaner. It would be best if you used the steam cleaner once a week for perfect steam cleaning. After getting rid of most fleas, you need to use them less and less. So, let’s start the process of steam cleaning!
- First, ensure that your kids and pets are far from the premises when you start steam cleaning your house.
- Start steam cleaning with your pet bedding, blankets, food container, etc. Also, hold your cleaner in a place for 3 seconds before moving to the next position. Ultimately, the steam kill fleas.
- Now, scrub and clean the living room area, your bedroom, and lounge wherever you rest and sleep using a steam cleaner. It will help you remove dirt and debris effectively. You can also use a vacuum cleaner.
- If you have hardwood floors, you first have to test your steamer heat so it won’t damage the floor. Besides, you must check your steamer temperature before cleaning rugs, linen, curtains, and fancy beddings.
- Moreover, ensure that you pay more attention to tight spaces, cracks & cervices because fleas mostly lay their eggs in such places.
- All that is left is your mattresses, beddings, windows, pillows, and blinds to steam clean. So, buckle up and clean them.
- At the same time, wash all the washable things using hot water with detergent. After washing it, you can quickly dry it using your dryer’s highest steam temperature.
Some Benefits of Using a Steam Cleaner To Kill Fleas
There can be many benefits of using a steam cleaner; we will list down just a few but important ones for you. That way, you will know how effective it is to use a steam cleaner to kill fleas and germs. So, let’s check it out!
- You don’t have to use harsh chemicals to eradicate fleas, making it safer for home use.
- Also, you can get rid of mold, germs, mildew, mites, and allergens in one go.
- Using a steam cleaner helps you kill the fleas that reside in corners and cracks.
Alternative Ways To Remove Fleas From Your Home
For your relief, there are some other ways that you can use to eliminate fleas. You just have to follow the treatments below to ensure your home is free from fleas. Most likely, fleas prefer furry pets to lay their eggs, so you must take action at once.
Besides, cleaning beddings, blankets, and mattresses are necessary to kill adult fleas. To clean better, you can wash the bed linen in your washing machine using the hottest temperature cycle that your fabric can handle. Let’s see what more you can do to kill fleas!
Use Chemicals To Kill Fleas
To get rid of fleas, you might have to use some chemicals. Don’t worry; they will be no harmful chemicals that will affect the health of your kids or pets at home. Or, you can buy some flea sprays and bombs to eliminate fleas from the corners of your house. Well, if you have a severe infestation at your home, you must use chemicals to kill fleas in one go.
Before using chemicals, ensure that there will be no kids or pets nearby. Also, allow the kids back at home when you will not feel any lingering smell or remnants of chemicals anymore.
Spread Food-grade Powder in Your Outdoor Areas
To eliminate fleas from your outdoor areas, you must treat your backyard with food-grade diatomaceous powder. You can also use plant-based formulas to kill fleas, bugs, carpet beetles, and dust mites. Besides, you can even choose Vet’s best flea and Tick Yard, Kennel Spray, to effectively kill fleas.
Treat Your Pets as a Food Source
Adult fleas usually target your pets to lay eggs and cause flea infestation. So, you have to treat your pet to eradicate fleas. You can use a flea control medication or shampoo to get rid of the fleas from your pets. Well, you can also go for both options if you want to.
Other than that, you can use Tick shampoo and Veterinary Formula Flea on your pets, whether it’s a cat or dog. It will help in soothing their irritating skin and kill fleas simultaneously.
DIY Solutions To Kill Fleas
Isn’t it exciting to know more ways to kill fleas than steam cleaning? Well, we are not saying that you should not go for carpet steam cleaning or vacuum cleaning. Still, if you are looking for other ways, we have some natural DIY tricks for you to get rid of fleas.
Most of the products might be available in your home, so you just have to get started with eliminating fleas. Besides, you don’t have to use harmful chemicals that make the remedies safer for kids and pets. So, let’s get started!
Coconut Oil
You must be astonished to know that coconut oil works best to remove fleas from your carpet, beddings, and even pets. You just have to mix coconut oil with your pet’s shampoo or washing detergent, and it will kill all the fleas within hours. Besides, you can even treat your wounds by flea dermatitis by applying coconut oil to them.
Essential Oils
You can also go for essential oils other than coconut oil because fleas have a strong sense of smell. Also, the dust mites always get themselves ready to attack their next target or available food. So, you can lure them out by using essential oils because its smell repel fleas.
You can even use flavors such as Rosemary, Clove, Peppermint, Cedarwood, Citrus, and Lemongrass. Besides, you can also choose vinegar to kill fleas within minutes or hours.
Baby Powder
Using baby powder to kill fleas is relatively safe and efficient. You can just apply it to your dog’s fur or carpet, and it will start suffocating the fleas. However, it will not remove the eggs, so you must do more work.
After dusting the baby powder from your dog, comb their fur using a flea control comb. Besides, you can use a flea comb to remove the dead fleas after applying coconut oil to your pet’s fur.
Epsom Salt
You can use Epsom salt as the best option to dehydrate flea eggs and kill them. It can dry out the fleas and kill them from dehydration. You can spread it over your carpet and beddings or apply it to your dog’s coat. Besides, Epsom salt is an anti-inflammatory which is a topical antibiotic, so you can apply it to soothe the irritating skin of your pet.
How Can You Avoid Fleas at Your Home In the Future?
After making your home flea-free, you need to follow a few methods so you won’t have to face fleas and ticks again. If you regularly go for a walk, ensure that you wear ankle-length trekking pants with long socks and sneakers. After that, apply a bug repellent spray to your pants and socks.
Examine yourself before entering the house when you are done with your jog or walk. That way, you can get rid of the fleas for as long as possible. Besides, fleas’ primary targets are mostly your cute and furry pets. Therefore, you must regularly treat your pet with flea and tick medication.
Also, ensure that your pets will not wander in long grass or wildlife areas for a longer time. Still, it would be best to examine your dog or cat after every walk, so you don’t have to deal with flea infestation.
End Note
Wrapping up, steam cleaning can kill fleas efficiently and effectively, saving much of your time. So, we suggest you try it yourself if you face a flea problem at home. Who knows, you might be surprised to know the results later and even come running to thank us.
Besides, we have even provided you with some alternative ways and DIY solutions that can help you get rid of fleas within no time. Still, you need to do the steam cleaning once a week or do regular cleaning by following whatever method you want to choose. In no time, you will get a tidy & clean home for your kids and pets.
Lastly, we hope you find this article valuable and helpful for you. If you have any queries about steam cleaning, feel free to comment below. We would be happy to help you out. Also, if the infestations are too heavy to handle, you should call the nearby pest control company. Happy Cleaning!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Helps To Kill The Fleas Quickly?
You can use a commonly used poison known as Capstar to kill fleas quickly. It will take only 30 minutes after using a single tablet to remove the fleas in one go. If there are remnants of flea eggs around the area, you can use a steam cleaner for carpet cleaning to remove any eggs and flea larvae. After that, you don’t have to deal with the flea life cycle.
Can You Use Baking Soda To Kill Fleas on Your Pets?
Yes, baking soda kill fleas but not immediately, but it works the same as the Epsom salt. You can apply it to the desired area, and it will slowly start dehydrating the fleas and eventually kill them. You can even mix it with your pet’s shampoo to apply to him, which helps eradicate fleas and mites.
Which Temperature Level Would Be Best To Kill Fleas?
The minimum temperature level to steam clean the fleas is 95 degrees Fahrenheit. However, using the steam cleaner at a higher level can provide better results because mostly steam cleaners heat up between 150 degrees Fahrenheit and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. So, you should go for the temperature level that suits you best to remove fleas.
Can You Use Vinegar To Remove Fleas?
Yes, you can use vinegar to remove fleas because its smell repels them. As you know, fleas have a keen sense of smell, so vinegar’s smell can suffocate them. You can use it like the way you use essential oils to eradicate fleas.
How long will it Take To Kill The Fleas Permanently?
It solely depends on the level of flea infestation at your home. If you notice fleas at your home in the early stage, it might take a few days to get rid of them because they might not lay eggs yet. In contrast, if they hatch the eggs, you must remove all the fleas starting from their whole life cycle.
In that case, it might take a few weeks to months to make your home flea-free completely. You just have to be consistent in steam cleaning your house once a week.
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