How Long Does It Take For Steam to Kill Fleas

Fleas will attack your carpets, furniture, and clothing in your home – quickly growing into a major problem. Many homeowners turn to pesticides to remove fleas, but some may be harmful to humans and pets. However, hot & pressurized steam is a suitable, non-chemical method to kill fleas.

• But on the question of how long that steam will take to kill the fleas depends on different factors such as the duration of exposure and the steam temperature – you may still need to vacuum.

So, in this post, I’ll outline the time steam requires to kill these fleas. Further, I’ll recommend the most suitable steam cleaner that I’ve found so far for removing fleas and cleaning.

Typically, exposing fleas to steam at a temperature of 203°F (95°C) for a minimum of 30 seconds can kill both adult fleas and their eggs. But positing the steam hose for a long time such as 2 minutes on an area that has fleas will kill all these bugs. 

Review: How Long Does It Take For Steam to Kill Fleas

Steam at 203°F (95°C) will kill both adult fleas and flea’s eggs in about 30 seconds.  However, exterminators recommend that you vacuum the spaces to be steamed – this should be done prior to and after the flea steaming process.

• Besides, you should use natural repellents such as peppermint or eucalyptus, flea insecticides, and vacuuming – which will help thwart a re-infestation of the area with the bugs.
• I also recommend that you steam-treat the areas or surfaces in 2-3 weeks’ time – this will assist in exterminating any adult fleas or fleas eggs that may not have been killed in the first treatment.

To get the best out of the steam cleaners, ensure to pick one that has many cleaning accessories to ensure you get the many hidden areas of your house – which fleas tend to hide.

Using Steam to Kill Fleas: Step by Step

Steam will be super effective in killing fleas as it’ll readily penetrate the fibers on your bedding materials, furniture, and carpets. Exposing the fleas to the high-temperate steam will dehydrate the bug’s body while also denaturing its proteins.

Besides, steam will kill flea larvae and flea eggs – these life stages are quite challenging to exterminate using other methods. Below I outline the steps you’ll require to take while using Steam to attempt to kill fleas.

Step 1: Vacuuming thoroughly 

First, before you begin steaming, I recommend you undertake a thorough vacuuming of the spaces that are affected. Unlike steaming, vacuuming will be more thorough in killing all flea lifecycle from the surfaces such as furniture and carpets.

• Besides killing the flea’s eggs and adult fleas, vacuuming will also loosen all the flea larvae that may have plowed itself deed into the fibers of the upholstery or carpet.

Get a filter with high efficiency and make sure the vacuum machine has strong suction – this will help in removing flea eggs and adult fleas. After vacuuming, ensure to empty the machine’s canister as this will dispose of the flea eggs and adult fleas that would escape and hide in various locations in the house.

• Once vacuuming is done for the various surfaces, you may now cross over to using steam to remove any remaining flea’s eggs, adult fleas, or flea larvae.

Step 2: Pump up your Steam Cleaner 

After you’re done with the vacuuming, it’s now time to pump up that steam cleaner to remove any of the flea eggs. Adult fleas, or larvae that may be remaining.

• Start by checking the machine’s instructions – for example, you’ll need to examine the level of water to use – some of these instructions will ensure you don’t injure anyone or also damage the steam cleaner.

The steamer requires you to use some distilled water since this kind of water has minimal impurities and minerals. Such impurities, mainly found in tap water, will clog and damage the machine. So, using distilled water will ensure the steam cleaner will last longer compared to using tap water.

I suggest you use some containers as measuring cups to fill the steamer with the distilled water – but ensure you won’t overfill the steamer’s water tank since you don’t want to have leakages.

Step 3: Applying Steam on Surfaces 

Next, it’s now time to steam the surfaces to deal with the fleas, odors, and stains. Ensure to have a nozzle that’s high-pressure and that the steamer has a powerful motor.

Apply the high-pressure steam beginning with locations that are very far from the room’s entrance – target the bedding, furniture, and carpet too.

• Make sure to point the steam nozzle onto the targeted areas for about 5 seconds – allowing adequate time for the hot steam to enter the fibers. Give special steaming attention to areas where pets love to sleep such as a chair, or bed.

The steam will remove fleas and dirt on various surfaces including furniture – you may need to use an upholstery attachment for this. Finally, undertake effective cleaning and wipe the surfaces of all the moisture left.

Next, you can also remove fleas and dirt from the fibers of your bedding. The method will remove the odors and stains effectively.

Conclusion 

Steam cleaning is an effective method to remove fleas, odor, and dust. The hot, pressured steam is a non-chemical and eco-friendly techniques that’s inexpensive, DIY and easy alternative for homeowners.