How To Kill Fleas in a Home

Wash flea-infested pets with flea shampoo to kill the fleas. This may not kill all of them, but it will greatly reduce their numbers.

Comb through the pets' fur with a flea comb after the bath. Flea combs are an extremely effective way to get rid of any fleas that remain. If the pet has short hair, it will take a short time to comb through all of the fur and to remove both live and dead fleas. If the pet has long hair, consider cutting the pet's hair to make the process easier. Keep the pets separated from the home until the home can be treated for fleas to avoid re-infesting them. If the pets have nowhere outside the home to go, keep them in the bathroom while the home is treated.

Wash all linens, including rugs, in hot water. Wash them with plenty of soapy water to ensure that the eggs and the fleas are killed in the process. Any linens that can't be washed should be sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks.

Vacuum every part of the house. Wood, vinyl and tile floors should be vacuumed thoroughly to remove fleas, eggs and larvae. After vacuuming, take the vacuum bag out and place it in a plastic bag and take it outdoors. If your vacuum doesn't have a bag, empty the dust cup outdoors and away from the house. Treat carpets with either a commercial flea killer or by steam cleaning the carpets. Both will kill any remaining fleas. There are flea powders that can be sprinkled over carpets and then vacuumed away. For steam cleaning, there are carpet shampoos made with pesticides to get rid of any living fleas.

Vacuum the floors and flea comb pets every day until the infestation is over. If the infestation persists, keep your pets in areas that don't have carpets, and steam clean the carpets regularly.