How to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Carpet with Borax and White Vinegar

Summer in South Texas often brings about flea infestations. Even those who don't have pets often find their homes plagued by flea populations in their homes. Carpet is a flea's indoor home of choice, but they do surface occasionally to feed on home owners. If gone untreated, fleas will take over fabric furniture, mattresses, and pillows. Here's how to get rid of fleas that have infested the carpets in your home.

Things You'll Need

• Borax
• Broom or sponge mop
• Vacuum
• Carpet shampooer (you can rent these if you don't have one)
• White vinegar

Instructions

1. Treat all of your pets (if you have any).

2. 

   Sprinkle Borax liberally all over the carpets in your home. Although it's not particularly dangerous, make sure children and small pets are in another room while you sprinkle the Borax.

3. Using the sponge mop or broom, work the Borax into the carpet. Borax acts as a dessicant, dehydrating fleas and their larvae. Allow the Borax to sit in your carpet for 24 hours, allowing it to kill the fleas and eggs.

4. After 24 hours, vacuum the Borax, fleas, and eggs out of the carpet.

5. Take your vacuum outside immediately after vacuuming, and dispose of the vacuum bag outside (or, if using a bagless vacuum, empty the cannister outside). Do this immediately, just in case any fleas are still living. You don't want them finding their way out of the vacuum and back into your carpet.

6. After you've vacuumed, get the carpet shampooer (if you don't have your own, many grocery stores rent Rug Doctor carpet shampooers). Mix the rinse water container with 1 part water to two parts white vinegar.

7. Shampoo the carpets, using the water/vinegar mixture. The water drowns the fleas, and the acid in the vinegar helps to kill the unhatched eggs.

8. Dump out the dirty shampoo water and clean the shampooer.

9. Allow your now-flea-free carpet to air dry.

10. Just in case, strip all of your beds and wash your bedding in very hot water while your carpets dry.

11. Douse cotton balls with eucalyptus oil, and tuck the cotton balls in areas where kids can't reach them. Under sofas. Behind entertainment centers. under beds and between mattresses and sofa cushions. Fleas hate the smell of eucalyptus, and will stay away from your home if it smells of it. Re-soak the cotton balls periodilcally until your flea season is over.

Resources

• How to Kill and Get Rid of Fleas with Pine Sol