A flea infestation usually occurs on your pets… but it will spread, often to you and your clothing! What do you do when that happens, can you get rid of those fleas?
Will fleas die in the dryer?
Fleas will rarely survive the dryer. If you have fleas on your garments, the dryer will be your best friend! Here is why the chances of flea survival are slim:
- Fleas die when exposed to the heat in the dryer
- The tumbling action in the dryer is likely to harm them
- Detergents and water will wash them away and drown them.
To get rid of fleas in your clothes, you should launder them for at least ten minutes and keep them at 140 degrees. Super dry conditions cause desiccation, and this is not conducive for fleas.
They are pretty sensitive to temperature changes. They freeze when it gets too cold and die instantly when the temperature increases significantly.
Will Fleas Die in the Dryer?
A flea infestation is a real pain to deal with, and is genuinely dangerous to some pets. They typically infest our furry friends, but the infestation can quickly spread throughout the house. Carpets are a major source of frustration, and even hardwood floors can be a problem.
Clothing is another flea favorite as well. They’ll find their way to your closet and all of a sudden, you’ll have tiny fleas jumping all around, driving you nuts.
If this starts to happen, it’s time to fire up the clothes dryer!
Steps to Launder Flea-Infested Garments
Fleas survive in environmental temperatures of between 21 and 30 degrees Celsius. Therefore, your dryer is a readily available tool in your home that can prove helpful in getting rid of these annoying insects.
The following is a step-by-step process on how to kill fleas with your dryer:
Fleas survive in environmental temperatures of between 21 and 30 degrees Celsius.
- Wash your clothes for around 10 minutes. During this time, keep it at 140°F. You can extend the time, but make sure it is at least 10 minutes. Remember to be cautious of how delicate your clothes are.
-  Repeat the washing at least three times. For example, if you are washing your pet’s bed or beddings, go through the cleaning process more than once and be thorough before putting them in the dryer. This is because they could be housing the flea’s eggs or larvae.
- If the clothes are white, add some bleach. Bleach kills insects exposed to it, so soak the bedding and clothes with bleach for a couple of hours before you wash them.
- Turn up the heat. If you want to be thorough and kill all the remaining survivors, dry your clothes with the highest possible heat setting. Â
- Don’t spray. Some people choose to spray instead of laundering. However, this is ineffective as spraying flea treatments will not eliminate the larvae and eggs. Â
Flea Circus!
Fleas are tiny insects that are approximately a quarter of an inch long. They’re just about the same size as fruit flies, and are often confused for fruit flies. You can just barely make them out with the naked eye, but it can be hard.
Fleas can cause significant harm to you and your pets, especially if they have fur (or feathers!).
Flea bites are primarily a nuisance, but their presence can trigger irritation and even cause an inflamed rash on your poor furry friend’s skin. In addition, fleas feed off the host’s blood, and if this goes on for a while without any action, it can lead to the animal having anemia.
Aside from draining blood, they can also carry infectious diseases and tapeworms.Â
Do Fleas Bite Humans?
Yes, fleas absolutely will nibble on your skin. YuckY1
Even though fleas mainly feed on non-human animals, their bite is still not something you want. Although they can trigger allergic reactions, they tend to leave small red spots on the skin, usually in groups of two or three.Â
These bites often happen on your legs, ankles, and feet. If the flea infestation is left unchecked, they can bite just about anywhere, particularly areas with dense hair such as the legs and chest.
It is usually not a concern to many people because there is typically minimal reaction if the individual has no allergies.
Children, however, are likely to have allergies; this might show itself in the form of itchiness and swelling.
The spot around where the flea took a bite might be painful and become irritated. Rashes and hives might appear.Â
In some scenarios, fleas can carry diseases that transmit through biting. these include plague, cat scratch fever, typhus, and flea-borne spotted fever. There is an argument that the black plague was spread by fleas. It killed somewhere around half of Europe! Fleas on humans are a major issue.
How Do You Deal With a Flea Bite?
After a flea has bitten you, there are different home remedies you can try or several medications you can purchase online or in stores. Some of them include:
- Antihistamine medications
- Calamine lotion
- Cortisone
- Tea tree oil
- Vinegar
Most of the time, however, you might not need any of these as fleabites tend to resolve without treatment. For this to happen, avoid scratching it, as this can lead to a secondary infection.
Fleas that bite humans are usually their secondary option; they prefer animals because humans don’t make good hosts. Hungry fleas that are yet to find an animal host are usually the ones that reside to biting humans.
If a child or adult is close by to an adult flea fresh from its cocoon, it will bite to get its first meal.Â
What To Do If Your Pet Has Fleas
A lot of times, it is the pets that bring the fleas into the house, so you need to resolve a flea-infestation-free prevention plan.
First, as a pet owner, you must check in with the vet and see if there are any health problems resulting from flea bites.
The vet should offer some recommendations on some of the treatments you can opt for that are practical yet inexpensive.Â
After the treatment, you should also ensure you deal with the infestation at home. Fleas won’t survive in the dryer, but if there are anywhere else, like in the furniture or bed, you might need the help of a professional exterminator.
Fleas won’t survive in the dryer, but if there are anywhere else, like in the furniture or bed, you might need the help of a professional exterminator.
Spraying around the house won’t be as effective as fleas are difficult to kill. If you are uncertain whether you have fleas in your home, you can try walking in white socks all over your house, particularly where your pet moves around. If you notice tiny black bugs at the bottom of your sock, this is a clear indication that you have a flea infestation on your hands.    Â
Getting rid of fleas is not easy, mainly because of their size and speed of reproduction. Fleas are tiny and reproduce very quickly. A female flea lives for around 100 days; within the female’s lifespan, it can produce from 500 to 2000 eggs.
If your pet has fleas and comes in contact with your clothes, your clothes could pick up the fleas.
Conclusion
If you’ve got a flea infestation on your hand, a clothes dryer will be quite a powerful tool to control the fleas. The heat and agitation of the dryer will get rid of any fleas present in your clothes.
If only you could get rid of fleas on your pets as easily!
