How To Get Rid of Fleas Fast? 4 Simple Solutions!

Flea infestations are a headache, to say the least. These intrusive little insects reproduce rapidly, leading to large-scale infestations in a short amount of time. The good news is that there are several simple solutions to kill fleas quickly, eliminate their populations, and bring your home back to normal.

In this article, we’ll address the most common DIY ways on how to get rid of fleas fast, answering the following questions:

• Does baking soda kill fleas?
• Does bleach kill fleas?
• Can Lysol kill fleas?
• Does heat kill fleas?

DIY pest control is feasible to eliminate flea infestations, but not all solutions are effective for all flea life cycle stages. It’s important to take a multi-prong approach to flea infestations to ensure you remove every last one of those biting insects from your home!

Does Baking Soda Kill Fleas Fast?

Baking soda has long been thought to kill fleas if sprinkled on carpets. The idea is that baking soda will dry out flea larvae and eggs, rendering them incapable of continuing the rapid flea life cycle. 

Unfortunately, there is little evidence to support this hypothesis.

Baking soda is made of sodium bicarbonate, which is a drying agent. Drying agents may be effective against soft-bodied organisms like slugs but not against hard-bodied insects like fleas. Even flea eggs have a hard case around them. 

The only stage of the flea lifecycle that might be affected by baking soda is the larval stage. If you’re not sure whether you’re dealing with fleas, ticks, or bed bugs, head over to our article on how to tell the difference for identification and flea pictures, actual size!

How To Use Baking Soda Against Flea Larvae

Larvae are the only stage of the flea lifecycle where the insect does not have a hard shell. By tackling fleas at this stage, you can prevent them from pupating and eventually turning into adult fleas.

When it comes to the type of baking soda, a regular old box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda works just fine!

Here’s how to use baking soda against fleas:

1. Remove Pets: Remove pets and children from the affected area.
2. Add Baking Soda: Sprinkle baking soda directly onto the carpet. Remember, fleas are tiny insects, about 1/8th of an inch long, so you don’t need much to be effective. A light dusting of baking soda will do just fine!
3. Leave It: Leave the baking soda mixture overnight, allowing it to dry out the flea larvae. Do not allow pets or kids into the area.
4. Vacuum: The next day, vacuum all the baking soda up.
5. Remove Vacuum Canister: Discard the vacuum bag or empty the canister immediately into a garbage bag. Seal the garbage bag and place it outdoors. (If you vacuumed up any flea eggs or living larvae, you don’t want them to reinfest your home!).
6. Repeat: Wait one week and repeat the process, remembering to remove pets and children from the area until all the baking soda has been vacuumed.

Pest Pointers pro tip: Add table salt to the baking soda in equal parts for an added drying effect! The salt is not only a drying agent, but its hard, crystallized surface may help cut through even the hard-shelled eggs and pupae.

If you’re wondering how fleas got into your house in the first place, check out our article on the 7 ways fleas get into your house.

Does Bleach Kill Fleas Fast?

Another common household product that is thought to kill fleas is bleach. Bleach is a powerful disinfectant and cleaning agent made with the chemical ingredient sodium hypochlorite mixed with water. It’s great for cleaning and sterilizing surfaces or using on laundry to disinfect your clothes!

So, does bleach kill fleas? Bleach will kill fleas on contact, including flea larvae, making it a great spot treatment. However, bleach isn’t the best option for long-term flea control. It cannot be used directly on pets or carpets, making it ineffective at reaching flea eggs and adults that are already on your pet.

That said, bleach can be effective for spot treatments and for treating your pet’s bedding.

How To Use Bleach To Eliminate Fleas

To remove fleas using bleach, follow the directions on the bottle to make a diluted solution that can be used for cleaning. This will vary from product to product, depending on the percentage of sodium hypochlorite.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends bleach with a concentration of sodium hypochlorite between 5% and 9% for effective disinfection. Pure Bright Ultra Bleach contains 6%, making it effective against fleas.

Here’s how to use bleach as a disinfectant to kill fleas:

1. Dilute The Bleach: Make a diluted solution according to the directions on the bottle (if none are given, a ratio of ⅓ cup bleach for every gallon of water is acceptable).
2. Remove Pets: Remove pets from the area where you will clean.
3. Disinfect: Wipe down cracks and crevices where fleas are likely to hide, such as those at the joining of floorboards. Open, flat surfaces such as countertops are not likely to harbor fleas. Think dark, damp, humid environments.
4. Dry: Allow the solution to dry completely before allowing pets near the area. When using bleach, make sure there is proper ventilation in the area before starting and never mix bleach with ammonia.

Check out our article on the 4 places where fleas hide during the day to figure out the most crucial areas to use bleach against these biting pests.

Here’s how to use bleach to disinfect pet bedding and clothing:

1. Use The Right Bleach: Use color-safe bleach if washing clothing or bedding other than white.
2. Dilute Bleach: Dilute the bleach according to the label on the bottle.
3. Add to Machine: Add the diluted solution to the correct washing machine compartment.
   1. If your washing machine does not have a specialized bleach compartment, start the cycle without adding clothes or bleach. Wait until the machine has filled about halfway with water, and then add the bleach solution. Add clothes after pouring in the bleach solution.
4. Start Washing Machine: Start the washing machine normally.

Can Lysol Kill Fleas Fast?

Another DIY flea theory is using Lysol to combat these pesky biting insects. So, does Lysol kill fleas? Let’s jump into the details!

The active ingredients in Lysol will vary depending on which type of product you buy. There are aerosol sprays, disinfectant wipes, and even Lysol laundry detergent! No matter which product you buy, they all have ingredients that are long and hard to pronounce, such as dimethyl benzyl ammonium saccharinate. It’s a mouthful, right?

Suffice it to say, Lysol works similarly to bleach, where it will kill a flea on contact, but it’s not the best method for long-term removal of a flea infestation. Our article on the 6 reasons why you can’t get rid of fleas in your house offers more insight into some of the methods that aren’t effective against fleas, and what you can do instead.

Here’s Why Lysol Is Ineffective Against Fleas

Lysol is only effective for fleas at certain life stages. An article from the Journal of Epidemiology and Infection found that a 10% solution of Lysol produced a mortality rate of just 5% in flea eggs, but 83% in the larval stage. 

Additionally, the concentrations of lysol needed to eliminate a flea are much higher than the concentrations of household cleaning products like lysol wipes or sprays. 

So, for the most part, Lysol is ineffective at killing fleas except for the larval stage. However, when fleas are in the larval stage, they hide in dark and humid places, such as carpet fibers or beneath furniture. The only possible product that can be used on carpet is a Lysol spray, but again, the concentrations are just too low for it to be effective. You’re better off using a different product.

Does Heat Kill Fleas Fast?

When the scorching heat of summer comes, can you expect to see a decrease in flea activity? Unfortunately, fleas thrive in heat. The flea life cycle occurs more quickly in temperatures between 70℉ and 90℉, so even if you leave the air conditioner off, fleas will thrive.

That said, some temperatures are too high even for a flea, but the real killer is humidity! Fleas need a humid environment to complete their life cycle. Temperatures that are consistently above 95℉ paired with humidity less than 75% are the perfect conditions to eliminate fleas.

But, as a homeowner, how can you achieve this Goldilocks temperature and humidity to affect flea populations inside your home? To reduce humidity, you can use SIMSEN best dehumidifier in your living room.

Why Heat Is Ineffective At Killing Fleas

The reality is that using heat to kill fleas isn’t really feasible inside the home. High heat paired with low humidity may eliminate fleas, but it’s not very comfortable for humans! 

The only way it would be possible to remove fleas in this manner is if you created this environment inside your home and then left for vacation or went to a rental for a week, bringing all pets and children with you.

Instead of trying to create this environment in your home, you could try to make the area immediately surrounding your home less livable for fleas:

• Add gravel around the perimeter of your home: This lowers the humidity directly against your home and opens the area up to sunshine and warmer temperatures.
• Trim brushes around pet areas: Try to open up the yard as much as possible, especially in areas where your pet frequents. This will make it more difficult for fleas to survive.
• Fix wet spots in the yard: Fill low areas that hold water with sawdust or add drainage to remove sources of humidity around the yard. If you water your lawn, do it first thing in the morning so it has all day to dry out and lower the humidity of your property.

You can read more about the things that attract fleas to your home for more ways to make your home and yard less desirable to these jumping pests!

Flea Management: A Multi-Prong Approach

Some DIY pest control approaches work better than others when it comes to controlling fleas. Seeing even a single flea is a cause for concern since one flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day. Then each of those fleas lays up to 50 eggs per day. I’m sure you can see where this is going! 

Because of their rapid reproduction, it’s important to take a multi-prong approach when eliminating flea infestations in your home. 

As long as there is food (living creatures) in your home, fleas will keep coming. You can read more about why fleas won’t leave on their own here for more information on what attract these pests to you home! 

Below is how you kill fleas fast using safe, DIY pest control.

Eliminating Fleas On Your Pet

Pets are the number one cause of flea infestations in homes. Fleas require a blood host to reproduce, which is why they seek our companion animals like dogs and cats. 

By using a flea treatment on your pet, you’re taking the first step toward a flea-free home! Flea prevention for pets comes in many forms, such as spot treatments, chewables, and collars. Choose the one that fits your budget and schedule, and stick with it.

When purchasing flea treatment for your pet, keep these things in mind:

• Pet Weight: Many flea preventatives have different weight classes. Always buy the flea treatment that fits your pet’s weight.
• Frequency: Pay close attention to the directions for your chosen flea treatment. Some must be applied monthly, while others are only every 3 months or even longer, such as Seresto Collars.
• Consistency: Consistently applying flea treatment to your pet at the correct interval is essential for treating fleas inside your home.

Eliminating Fleas In Your Home

Once your pet is free from fleas, they won’t bring in any more of those blood-sucking insects. But there’s still the problem of all the fleas already in your home! 

To remove fleas inside your home, follow these steps:

• Vacuum: Vacuum carpets, upholstery, and furniture daily. This is very effective at removing flea eggs, larvae, and pupae.
• Wash pet bedding: Remember our old friend, bleach? Use bleach, laundry detergent, and hot water to wash your pet’s bedding and any favorite blankets they lie on. Wash pet bedding and blankets weekly until flea infestations are gone.
•  Disinfect: Use bleach or Lysol to disinfect hard-to-reach areas like dark cracks and crevices where flea larvae and adult fleas might hide.
• Repeat: Repeat these steps consistently until the flea infestation is removed.

Consistency is really important to kill fleas fast. If you miss just a single flea egg while vacuuming, it can restart the infestation all over again. By repeating the process a few weeks in a row, it guarantees that you get every single flea at every life stage.

Eliminating Fleas In The Yard

Now that your pet and home are free of fleas, it’s time to ensure these pests never return to your home by making your yard uninhabitable for fleas.

One of the best ways to do this is by removing shady, humid environments in your yard. Now, we’re not saying cut all your trees down or remove your nice shady porch! But keeping the bushes and grass trimmed, removing wood or leaf piles, and removing fallen branches immediately is a great place to start, as these areas are an oasis for fleas.

Wrapping Up What Kills Fleas Fast

Flea infestations can leave you feeling overwhelmed with pests in your home. These biting insects rapidly reproduce, causing explosions in their populations, especially in spring and summer.

The good news is, there are many simple solutions to kill fleas fast and get your home back to normal. Let’s recap the most important details from this article:

• Does baking soda kill fleas fast? Baking soda is only effective against flea larvae. It will not completely get rid of a flea infestation.
• Does bleach kill fleas fast? Bleach will kill a flea on contact and is great for washing infected bedding and clothing. However, it’s not effective for long-term flea control.
• Does Lysol kill fleas fast? Lysol is pretty ineffective against fleas because you need a high concentration to eliminate them, and it doesn’t harm fleas at certain life stages.
• Does heat kill fleas fast? Fleas thrive at temperatures up to 90℉, making heat an ineffective tool for eliminating flea infestations.

While these DIY methods may be effective for certain life stages of fleas, they aren’t effective at completely eliminating a flea infestation. For that, a multi-prong approach is necessary, including vacuuming, washing affected bedding and clothing, treating your pet with flea prevention products, and making your yard less attractive to fleas.

Our guide on the 9 quick things to do if you find fleas in your house can give you more insight into immediate actions to take when you spot these tiny pests!

But remember, there’s no easy solution to kill fleas fast. It may take a few weeks for the infestation to be completely eliminated. But with a little consistency and dedication, your home will be flea-free in no time!