Fleas can be an extremely annoying infestation to have, not only for your pets but also for you. Many are curious if natural methods are available and effective for killing fleas before they get too bad. Fortunately, there are, and one of those is peroxide.
Peroxide does help kill fleas. You can wash your pet with it to kill fleas and their eggs or to help prevent reinfestation. Simply saturate your pet’s coat in water, apply peroxide, then allow it to soak to the skin before rinsing thoroughly with more water.
Keep reading to learn the correct way to wash your pets with peroxide. I’ll also explain how to care for bedding and provide additional tips for preventing reinfestation.
Using Peroxide To Kill Fleas
Peroxide is made up of oxygen and hydrogen with an extra oxygen atom attached to it. This makes it actively oxidize to other molecules around it, giving it a toxic nature toward fleas and their eggs.
Hydrogen is a powerful oxidizer. These oxidizers destroy cell walls, which work to kill bacteria and fleas.
How To Wash Your Pet With Peroxide To Kill Fleas
Follow these steps for bathing your dog with peroxide to kill a severe flea infestation:
- Use hot water and 1-2 cups of peroxide.
- Thoroughly wet your dog down with the hot water.
- Once their fur is soaked through to the skin, pour the peroxide over them.
- Allow the peroxide to sit for one minute before rinsing your dog again.
For flea spotting, but not an infestation, mix 1 cup of peroxide and 3 tablespoons of dish soap in a bottle, and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Spray your pet down with this mixture twice a week to help prevent an infestation from forming.
This can also help rid your pet’s skin of bacteria and viruses caused by fleas, keeping it healthier and your pet more comfortable.
Remember, peroxide should never be ingested or allowed in your pet’s eyes or ears.
How To Wash Bedding WIth Peroxide To Kill Fleas
Cleaning bedding is an important step to getting rid of fleas. When your dog lies on their bed and scratches, the eggs can fall off and hatch in the bed. This can lead to them reinfesting your dog as they actually have to live on a blood host.
The best way to clean bedding is to mix equal parts laundry detergent and hydrogen peroxide in a bottle with hot water and spray once a week. This is good for sheets, blankets, and clothing that your dog uses.
If you have materials or fabrics that can’t be washed in a machine, such as rugs or carpets, you can use a mixture of fifty-fifty water and baking soda to spray on them. This soaks up any moisture to dehydrate and kill fleas. It also keeps the infestation from coming back.
Don’t forget to look for signs that your bedding for fleas, as it’s likely the infestation has spread there, too. Here are a few things you can look for to help determine if the fleas have gotten in your bedding:
- Bites. These usually form in a straight line on your feet, ankles, and lower legs but can appear elsewhere depending on where your pet lays near you.
- Flea “dirt.” This can be seen and sometimes felt on your sheets or wherever the pet sleeps. It is excrement and looks like tiny black dots.
- Your pet scratches. If you see your pet constantly scratching, it’s time to check for fleas. If you find fleas, to be on the safe side, any areas of your home where your pet has been should be treated for fleas.
If you discover fleas in your bedding, then the same things apply as above. Wash your sheets and blankets in hot water (you can add borax powder with your laundry detergent) and do the mixture sprays once a week, as you would on the dog bed. Allow the bedding to dry thoroughly after spraying it down before making your bed up.
Additional Tips To Prevent Flea Infestations
Here are a few other things you can do besides bathing and cleaning your pet’s bedding to help prevent flea infestations:
- Place a flea collar in the canister of your vacuum cleaner. This will kill any fleas you suck up, including eggs, and ensure they stay there.
- Sprinkle borate powder in the tiny crevices of your furniture. This is a mixture of Borax and an insecticide. While this product is usually used to kill wood-eating insects, it also works well on fleas.
- Clean your screens and door frames with a cleaner containing a bit of lemon juice. Fleas hate citrus and won’t come near it. As an extra benefit, if your door frames are wooden, it’ll make them shine nicely.
- Mix orange essential oil with water. It’s recommended to test a small amount of the essential oils on your pet to see if they react to it. Dogs, especially, have sensitive noses and may not like the scent you use. Since there are numerous citrus-scented oils, you’ll likely find one that your pet tolerates.
- Plant things like rosemary and marigold in your yard. This option is for those looking to be even more proactive in preventing fleas from infesting their pets. Such plants won’t kill the fleas, but they’ll deter them from coming into your yard. Citronella is also a flea deterrent, yet it can be harmful to pets if ingested, so be careful where you plant this one.
- Use nematodes. These can be found in pet or garden stores, usually. The exact name is Steinerma Carpocapsea. These larvae-eating creatures not only kill fleas but can also help with Japanese beetles.
Final Thoughts
Natural remedies, such as peroxide, can be very effective on fleas when correctly diluted with water. Not only does it work to treat the flea issue, but it also makes your pet more comfortable through the process.
Remember, peroxide shouldn’t be ingested or enter your pet’s eyes. Additionally, it should never be placed directly on their skin, only when diluted with water. The peroxide can damage skin cells or tissue and cause severe dry skin in animals.
When done weekly, a proper peroxide bath can help your furry friends and their bedding to be flea free.
