How to Wash Clothes with Fleas
Sometimes when we go to the countryside for a few days we might detect unwelcome visitors in our clothes which we then struggle to get rid of. Siphonaptera, the scientific name for fleas, are parasites that live on the blood of mammals. Such cute little bugs can transmit serious diseases such as the bubonic plague or typhus.
Pets are very likely to become hosts to fleas, which can lead to these insects moving onto human clothing or the scalp. Here at OneHowTo we'll show you how to wash clothes with fleas so you can get rid of them permanently.
Steps to follow:
The first thing you have to do is identify where the contact with the fleas took place. If this was through your pet, in addition to cleaning the infected clothes, you should also wash your pet with a special product to remove these parasites as well cleaning the items that may have been in contact with the animal: your pet's sleeping area, the toys, the sofa cover, your bed sheets...
It is important to eliminate the source of transmission so that the problem does not arise again. You need to prevent the proliferation of the fleas on your pet by using specific products sold in specialized centres to repel parasites. In OneHowTo we tell you how to eliminate fleas from your home.
If you notice that the origin source is another, such as a rural surrounding landscape or farm animals that you cannot avoid, then you must be cautious and use a set of clothes specifically for when you are working outside and avoid putting these in contact with the other parts of the house.
If the items that need to be cleansed of fleas are very dirty or have been in contact with the parasite for a long time it is best to get rid of them altogether. Fleas are able to lay 20 eggs a day, which means that even if these are washed thoroughly not all insects will be eliminated.
Other garments can be put in the washing machine. Use long wash programs, your usual detergent and add a splash of bleach if the clothes allow it. Put the washing machine at the highest possible temperature without damaging the material. If you have a tumble-drier, dry them at high temperature. If you do not have a tumble-drier apply the longest spin program.
After washing the clothes, we must ensure that the entire flea population is eliminated. Remember that these parasites may lay from 600 to 1000 eggs in their short lifetime, so we are talking about huge amounts of insects nesting in our clothes, depending on how long they have been in contact with the source of infection.
To prevent any flea from remaining alive, wash your clothes every three days to ensure that there are no more parasites. Finally, sprinkle some natural insecticide that will not cause irritation but will help repel the insects on the infected garments. Limonene and linalool are the two repellent substances from citruses that are confirmed as effective in controlling flea infestations.
Place a dehumidifier in areas of the house that are at a greater risk of being accessed by fleas. Fleas require an environment of over 50% humidity. If we control the humidity to below 50%, we make sure they will die.
Although they are natural products, avoid spraying the citrus directly on animals or humans. They can cause irritation in our respiratory problems, so you should only apply them on clothing and in ventilated rooms.
In short, it is important that should there be a flea infestation in the home you increase the measures of hygiene of both you and your family. Children should be very careful and frequently wash their hands, especially before eating, as ingesting a flea can be dangerous.
This is how to wash clothes with fleas - remember that it's more useful to prevent the infestation!
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