How to Kill Fleas With Dish Detergent

Fleas are a regular nuisance on your dog's fur and can even infest your home. Luckily, expensive treatments are not necessary to keep your dog and home flea-free. Bathing your dog with dishwashing detergent is a great alternative to the harsh chemicals used in traditional flea shampoos.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Fill a bathtub with warm water.

2. Place your dog into the bathtub.

3. Wet your dog's fur with more clean water.

4. Squirt dishwashing detergent onto the fur and massage. Add enough dishwashing detergent to create a full lather on your dog's body.

5. Pay special attention to the head, ears, face and neck areas as fleas migrate to these undisturbed points when their habitats are disrupted.

6. Let the dishwashing detergent sit on your pet's fur for about 15 minutes while it kills the active fleas. Engage your dog in play to encourage it to remain in the tub. You may also use this time to keep massaging the detergent into the dog's fur.

7. Tell the dog to sit so that the soapy water drowns the fleas.

8. Rinse the dog's fur thoroughly. Dish detergent residue may irritate your pet's skin.

9. Comb your pet's fur with a special flea comb that has at least 32 teeth per inch. Allow the fleas to drop into the soapy water.

10. Take the dog out of the bathtub.

11. Dry its fur.

12. Slather a fur or skin conditioner for dogs on your pet so that its naturally occurring body oils are balanced again.

13. Rinse the bathtub out to get rid of dead fleas.

14. Bathe your pets with dish detergent at least once a week or when flea problems arise.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use extremely hot water while bathing your pet. The amount of time the dishwashing detergent stays on your dog's fur, not the water's temperature, is what kills fleas.
• Keep dishwashing detergent out of your dog's eyes.
• Cleaning furniture with detergent may not completely kill flea eggs and larvae if they are located in inaccessible areas.