How to Get Rid of Fleas from a House

There is no doubt about it, fleas in the house can ruin everything. Many pet owners spend months chasing cures and scratching their ankles. Once a flea enters the house, there seem to be a million of them. To prevent re-infestation, every task here should be completed in one day or two at the most.

Things You'll Need

• Flea bombs
• Veterinary appointment (for pet treatment)
• Time out of the house
• Vacuum cleaner
• Washer
• Dryer
• Garbage bags

Instructions

Planning to Get Rid of Fleas

1. Visit your veterinarian and explain exactly how bad the flea problem is. The veterinarian will have specific suggestions for pet treatment and flea bombs for the home. Many veterinary offices sell these products to their customers or can suggest a good place to buy them.

2. Purchase a quality flea bomb treatment in the appropriate size for the house being treated. Read the instructions carefully to make sure that it is for indoor use and kills fleas.

3. Mark a day on the calendar, if you have an exceptionally large house mark two consecutive days, for cleaning and flea treatments. Make arrangements to have children away for the entire time, everything will need to be cleaned before children return.

4. Make an appointment to have the animals in the home treated for fleas and boarded while the problem is dealt with at home. It will take at least three hours to set off the flea bombs and air out the house afterwards. Allow time to clean the home thoroughly before the animals return. It is often best to drop the pets off when the veterinary office opens and plan a late pick up time. Every pet in the home, including fish, will need to be out of the house while the flea bombs are going off.

Getting Rid of the Fleas

1. Evacuate the house for the day. Take all of the animals to the veterinary office for treatment and boarding early. Children should be out of the home until the process is completely finished.

2. Set off the flea bombs. Read and follow all of the instructions on the container. Extinguish all pilot lights and open flames before setting off the flea bombs.

3. Leave the house for the time specified on the flea bomb instructions, usually around two hours. Do not re-enter the house during the bombing process for any reason.

4. Return to the house after the specified time and open all of the windows to ventilate, leave again immediately. Do not stay in the house for more than a few minutes.

5. Return to the house after the specified ventilation time. Now the deep cleaning will start.

6. Launder everything that a pet may have come in contact with. If possible, launder everything in the home. Pay special attention to pet bedding or grooming towels.

7. Vacuum everything in the house, including under couch and chair cushions. Sweep any floors that won't allow a vacuum. Pay special attention to where pets lay on a regular basis. Fleas also seem to like the darkness of closet carpet, so don't forget these areas.

8. Remove the vacuum bag and place in a trash bag to be taken out of the house immediately. Remove any other trash that has been swept up during the cleaning process from the house immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• Treating pets for fleas on a regular basis will lessen the likelihood of an infestation.

• Using a flea bomb in an infested house will kill the eggs that remain in the carpet and have a longer residual effect than topical sprays.

• Always use extreme care when handling chemicals.

• Extinguish all flames and pilot lights prior to setting off any flea bombs in a house.