12 Household Products That Kill Fleas

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Fleas may be super tiny creatures, but your fight against these relentless adversaries is not one for the faint-hearted. Their relentless persistence, elusive nature, ability to multiply quickly, and ability to withstand some eradication make them formidable foes.

Sharing your home with fleas isn’t ideal, so you must deal with them as soon as they invade your space. However, how do you attain a flea-free home? Your battle with fleas demands patience, resilience, a sound strategy, and effective methods in equal measure.

You may have come across many homemade remedies deemed suitable to kill fleas, but do they really work? Well, below are household products that do kill fleas.

 12 Household Products That Kill Fleas

1. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Non-toxic to humans and pets, safe, and effective against fleas. These are some of the reasons DE is one of the best products you can use to kill fleas. This powder is derived from fossilized diatom remains. It’s abrasive to insects with exoskeletons, like fleas, dehydrating and killing them.

To kill the fleas in your home with DE, Sprinkle a thin layer of food-grade DE on carpets, pet bedding, upholstery, and areas where fleas might hide. This natural substance works on adult fleas and eggs.

2. Baking Soda

Besides baking, baking soda comes in handy in many more things at home, including killing fleas. Sprinkle it over carpets, furniture, rugs, upholstery, and pet bedding, rub it in with a stiff brush, then let it sit for a few hours before vacuuming.

Baking soda dehydrates the bodies of fleas hence killing them, and absorbs odors, making the area less appealing to fleas. Although this common household product is generally safe for pets, some are sensitive to it, so test a small amount on a small area before applying it extensively.

3. Dish Soap

Mix warm and some drops of dish soap to create a flea trap. It is easy to make and surprisingly effective against fleas, but how does it work? Dish soap disrupts the surface tension of water, causing fleas to sink and drown rather than remain buoyant on the water’s surface.

In addition, the soapy water acts as a trap, effectively immobilizing and drowning the fleas that jump towards the light source.

However, for this dish soap flea trap to work, strategically position the bowls with the solution around areas where fleas are prevalent. The warmth and light around the bowls will attract fleas, causing them to jump toward the light source and get caught in the soapy water.

4. Essential Oils

Some essential oils possess innate repellent properties that discourage fleas. The strong scents disrupt the fleas’ sensory perception, making the environment less attractive.

Consider controlling fleas with them, but use them cautiously around pets because certain essential oils, even when diluted, can be toxic to pets, especially cats.

The essential oils with flea-repelling properties include lavender oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and cedar oil. Some essential oils are unsafe for pets. If you plan to use them around them, avoid wintergreen, pennyroyal, and clove oils.

5. Salt

Believe it or not, salt kills fleas. This inexpensive, readily available, and relatively safe product dehydrates and kills fleas by absorbing the moisture in their bodies upon coming into contact. Use finely ground salt instead of coarse salt because it has better-desiccating properties.

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on carpets, rugs, and other flea-infested areas in your home and leave it in place for at least 12 to 48 hours. Thoroughly vacuum the treated areas once the waiting period elapses to remove the salt and the dead fleas.

Salt is generally safe for pets, but make sure they don’t ingest large amounts of salt. Additionally, if your pets have sensitive skin, keep them away from treated areas until you’ve vacuumed.

6. Vinegar

 

Multiple reasons make vinegar a lethal weapon against fleas and other insects and bugs like moths, earwigs, and maggots. These are its caustic smell, disinfectant properties, and acidic nature.

You can effectively kill fleas with vinegar whether you use white or apple cider varieties. Always dilute vinegar before applying it to pets or household surfaces to prevent skin irritation or damage to materials. You can mop your floors, wipe hard surfaces, clean pet bedding, and bathe your pets with vinegar solution to kill fleas.

However, don’t spray vinegar near your pet’s open wounds, eyes, or nose. Moreover, don’t use vinegar on soft furnishing or fabric as it can damage them.

7. Lemon Spray

Don’t you think it’d be wonderful to eliminate fleas in your home and have it smell divine? This is what you can get from lemon spray.

• Cut several lemons into thin slices and place them in a pot with water.
• Heat the water until it boils, then let the lemons simmer for approximately an hour.
• Let the solution cool completely, then strain out the lemon slices.
• After that, pour the lemon solution into a spray bottle.

Related Post: Can I Rub Lemon Water On My Pets To Get Rid Of Fleas?

With your lemon spray ready, apply it on every corner of your house where fleas can hide and also on carpets, pet bedding, and upholstery. You can also spray your pets but protect their head and eyes.

8. Bleach

 

You can wipe out the flea infestation in your home, from the eggs and larvae to adults. However, proceed with caution.

Bleach is highly toxic to pets and humans. If your pets ingest or come into direct contact with bleach, they can suffer from severe health issues. That’s not all; this chemical doesn’t spare other items in your home. It can damage fabrics and discolor surfaces.

To ensure you effectively kill fleas with bleach while keeping yourself, pets, and belongings safe, do these:

• Mix an ounce of bleach with 10 ounces of water, then spray it on hard surfaces prone to fleas, like floors, pet bedding, and crates.
• Avoid applying bleach to rugs or carpets.
• Always put on gloves when handling bleach and keep it away from your pets and kids for their safety.

9. Rubbing Alcohol

The high concentration of isopropyl alcohol in rubbing alcohol makes it effective in dehydrating and killing fleas. Mix equal parts water and rubbing alcohol to reduce the alcohol concentration, making it less harsh on surfaces. 

Spray the diluted alcohol solution directly onto surfaces where you suspect fleas or their eggs might be, such as pet bedding, carpets, rugs, or areas where your pets often rest. Make sure your pets do not go to treated locations, whether during or after treatment, until they have thoroughly dried.

While rubbing alcohol can kill adult fleas, it may not effectively eliminate eggs or larvae.

10. Boric Acid

This white, powdery substance kills fleas by disrupting their exoskeletons, dehydrating them, and eventually causing their death. This common household item is practical, especially if you want to target flea larvae.

Apply boric acid powder generously on carpets, rugs, and other flea-prone areas. Next, work the boric acid powder into the fibers of the carpet or rug with a brush or broom to ensure the acid reaches down to where flea larvae might be residing.

Although boric acid is low in toxicity, do not let your pets and kids access it. Also, do not use it on damp or wet surfaces; it works best when dry.

11. Lysol

The primary purpose of this popular disinfectant is to kill bacteria and viruses on surfaces. However, its insecticidal properties also make it effective in killing fleas.

You can use Lysol to clean and disinfect surfaces in your home, including pet bedding and floors. The fleas must have direct contact with the disinfectant to work.

Protect pets from ingesting or coming into contact with surfaces treated with Lysol because this product contains harmful chemicals. In addition, ensure there’s proper ventilation when using Lysol indoors since this product leaves residues and emits strong fumes that can be irritating and harmful if inhaled.

12. A Vacuum Cleaner

Let’s wrap our list with a highly effective household tool crucial in a comprehensive flea control strategy- the vacuum cleaner. Vacuuming removes flea pupae, larvae, adult fleas, and eggs from upholstery, carpets, and crevices, breaking the flea life cycle.

Your vacuum cleaner comes in handy before and after when eradicating fleas. For instance, before applying flea control products to your home, run your vacuum cleaner to remove adult fleas, their eggs, larvae, and pupae from carpets, rugs, upholstery, and crevices.

This reduces the initial population of fleas and removes debris that could interfere with the treatment’s effectiveness.

In addition, vacuum after to remove dead fleas, eggs, and any remaining pesticide residue or insecticide particles. It will also help tidy up the treated areas, making your home more comfortable and minimizing the chances of accidental contact with any chemical residues.

Note

Promptly dispose of the vacuum contents to inhibit a flea re-infestation.

Conclusion

A winning flea control plan entails combining the right products, like the ones discussed above, and strategies. Consistency is also essential, but most importantly, prioritize the safety of your pets, family, and the environment, especially when dealing with products with chemicals.

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