Typically, fleas are not able to survive a washing machine cycle. Washing machines generate heat and agitation that can kill adult fleas and their eggs. Additionally, hot water sets are often effective in killing the pests as well.
However, it is important to remember that simply washing your clothes or bedding will not get rid of a flea infestation on its own. While the intense heat of a washer does help to reduce flea populations, only rigorous cleaning and vacuuming of carpets, furniture, and other areas with possible flea presence will ensure complete eradication of an existing problem.
Furthermore, unless you are using particularly hot temperature settings within the washing machine (generally over 140°F or 60 °C), some more resilient species of adult fleas may just be able to hang on until they reach cooler temperatures during the drying cycle. This means that even if you use your washing machine as part of a larger plan to get rid of current infestations, additional treatments may be necessary before any significant results can be seen within an area affected by fleas.
Vacuum furniture and carpets
When tackling a flea infestation, one of the most important things you can do is to vacuum furniture and carpets. This helps serestocollars.net to remove the eggs, larvae, and adult fleas. Make sure you empty the bag or bin in your vacuum directly afterwards so that no fleas can escape.
Regular vacuuming also helps keep other potential hosts of fleas, such as pet hair, dust, pollen and dirt out of carpets and furniture. Vacuum any areas that might attract pests like baseboards or carpets around windowsills. If you allow pets to sleep in certain rooms or on furniture, make doubly sure to vacuum those areas regularly (preferably once a week). Doing this will help minimize the chances of future infestations by getting rid of flea eggs before they have a chance to mature into full-grown adults.
Use an insecticidal powder
One way of trying to ensure that fleas don’t survive a washing machine cycle is to use an insecticidal powder. These powders are specifically designed to kill fleas. You can sprinkle the powder directly on the laundry, add it to the washing machine drum before you start a cycle, or even add it to a cloth bag and put the bag in with your clothes when you’re washing them. However, be aware that these insecticidal powders can pose a risk to your health if inhaled so consider using gloves when handling and wear a face mask during application.
You should also be aware that using an insecticidal powder does not guarantee fleas won’t survive a washing machine cycle as many insecticides are ineffective against eggs or larvae. Therefore, for maximum effectiveness you must use additional techniques such as hot washes (over 55°C) or adding bleach directly into the wash load – these techniques have been proven effective against killing all life stages of flea populations.
Have pets treated with flea control products
The best way to prevent a flea infestation is to have your pets treated with flea control products. The most common of these are oral treatments and topical solutions that contain insecticides and pesticides. These products will kill adult fleas, as well as their eggs, thus preventing new infestations from developing.
The important thing to remember is that the fleas must be on the pet when the product is applied in order for it to be effective. So don’t forget to check your pet for fleas regularly and treat them periodically with a flea control product if necessary. This will ensure that fewer eggs, larvae, and adults make it through the washing machine alive since they won’t even have the opportunity to lay eggs in the first place!
Discard infested articles
If you’ve got fleas in your home, discarding any articles that are infested with the bugs is a must. Fleas can live on furniture, bedding, drapery and more, so if something has been exposed to fleas, it’s probably best to get rid of it. Washing it may kill some of the fleas, but since flea eggs can still remain hidden in folds and seams, there’s no guarantee it will be 100% effective.
It’s also important to know that washing infested items in the regular laundry doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll die or be unable to reproduce anymore. You’ll need to use an extra hot cycle and adequate detergent that will reduce or eliminate any living or dead fleas or eggs from the fabric. This means that even if you wash an article through a hot cycle once or twice, you may still find traces of fleas again soon afterwards if not all trace of them has been eliminated by the washing process. So discard infested articles for better results in removing fleas from your home!
Final Answer
While it can be difficult to eliminate a flea infestation, following these tips can help reduce the population in your home.