Getting rid of fleas in your home

Ask your vet about the pet

If you have a cat, dog or other pet, treat it at the same time as the home. Otherwise it will keep bringing fleas back. Ask your vet which product suits your animal. This guide covers fleas in the home only and does not recommend pet products.

Vacuum every day

Vacuuming is the most useful thing you can do. It lifts eggs, larvae and pupae from carpets, rugs, sofas, mattresses and floor edges. Go slowly along skirting boards and under furniture.

Empty the bag or bin outside straight after, and seal it in a bag. Keep going daily for at least two to three weeks.

Wash everything hot

Wash bedding, pet bedding, soft furnishings and removable covers on a hot wash. Do this at the start and again after a week or two. Anything that cannot be washed can be vacuumed thoroughly and treated with a household spray.

Household sprays

Consumer household flea sprays are legal and sold in shops. Use them on carpets, rugs and skirting, following the label exactly. Keep pets, children and food away during treatment, and ventilate the room. Professional-only products are not sold to householders.

Do not apply sprays where the label does not allow. Sprays alone rarely work, because eggs and pupae survive. Combine them with vacuuming.

Prepare the rooms

Clear the floor before you vacuum or spray. Pick up toys, clothes and piles of washing, because fleas and eggs hide in them. Move light furniture so you can reach the skirting boards, and vacuum under beds and sofas. Treat every room where the pet goes, not only the one where you were bitten.

Check your results

Do not judge success in the first week. Eggs and pupae are still hatching, so you will see a few fleas. What matters is the trend: fewer bites and fewer fleas each week. Keep a note of new bites and where they happen. If the numbers are not falling after two to three weeks, the infestation is bigger than a household product can manage and it is time for a professional.

How long it takes and when to stop

Expect control in two to four weeks, with odd sightings for up to eight weeks as pupae hatch. Pupae can wait up to a year, so a new flea after a month does not mean you failed.

Call a professional if bites continue after two to three weeks, if several rooms are affected, or if fleas persist even though the pet is treated. See flea treatment for what a pest controller does, and the cost guide for prices.

Rented homes and the law

There is no flea licence and no legal bar on household sprays. If you rent, fleas from a previous occupier or from the building are the landlord's to deal with. Report it in writing. If your own pets brought them, expect to pay.