Oh no! You’ve seen it, haven’t you? One of those nasty tiny little bugs, crawling on your pet, or your furniture, or even yourself!
Never fear, here are some easy tried and true methods to rid your home of fleas, naturally and cheaply without harming yourself, or your furry friends.
1.) Vinegar – Yes, you have read correctly. Try mixing 1 part white vinegar to three parts water, and spraying it all over your furniture, and your pets. Don’t worry, the smell will be gone once the vinegar dries.
2.) Dawn dish soap. Yes, it does work. Bathe your pet in this. Simply get the pet in the bath tub, wet him down and lather the soap onto the pet, Leave it on for about 5 minutes, then rinse off. You can also mix some vinegar with a little water, and use that as a final rinse for the pet. Not only does it help to get rid of the fleas, it will help neutralize any odors, and makes the fur shiny, and healthy looking.
3.) Flea Combs – try to comb your pets fur, then if you see any fleas, spray them with the same vinegar mixture that you used to spray your furniture. Make sure you have a bowl or glass full of vinegar water nearby. Pinch the flea between your fingers, and then dip your fingers completely into the water/vinegar. Make sure that the flea is completely submerged. It will not get out.
4.) Vacuum, vacuum, and vacuum some more. Make sure you vacuum everything that you can, as often as possible. Make sure you empty the vacuum cleaner right after, every single time. Flea eggs can and will hatch inside the vaccum cleaner, and they can get out. Dispose of the vacuum dust immediately. Get it out of your house.
5.) Wash all linens in hot water. No flea has ever lived through a hot water cycle in the washer. Nothing can live in a hot water cycle. Be sure to wash everything that your pet comes in contact with, where it sleeps, eats, etc. Don’t forget your car!
Last of all, this doesn’t really help you get rid of the fleas, but it can let you know if they have not kicked the bucket just yet. Take a bowl, with about a cup of water, and a squirt of dawn dish soap. You will also need a flashlight. Place the flashlight in a position where it will shine into the bowl, from above. The fleas are attracted to the light, and they will jump right into the water. The dawn dishsoap will coat thier bodies in such a way, they won’t be able to get out. Please keep in mind this must be done at night, preferably overnight, to be effective.
If all else fails, call your vet.
