As anyone with pets can tell you, keeping a house clean when you have a furry friend can be a challenge. From muddy paws, to hairballs and fuzz, pets present some unique cleaning problems – especially where cleaning floors and furniture is concerned. Carpets can be more difficult than other types of flooring, just because they generally tend to trap more dirt and fur, as well as smells and other unwanted debris. One of the things that having a pet can do to your carpet is bring in more guests: like fleas.



Fleas are those annoying little blood-sucking pests that come into your home clinging to that outdoor dog or cat. Their bites can cause itching and red bumps, as well as misery, for both your pet and you. Adult fleas spend all of their time riding on their hosts, which are usually your pets, and don't spend time hanging out in your carpets or other fabric household items. Eggs, too, are found on animals; the adult fleas lay their eggs in the hair or fur of your pets. The stage at which fleas really spend a lot of time in your carpet is at the larval stage. Here, they feed off of dried blood and other matter left in areas where your pet lays (this material is produced by the adult fleas, and falls off in these areas).

The only way to truly get rid of these flea larvae is by carpet cleaning – fleas don't stand a chance if you follow some of these steps to kill them. Your first step is to vacuum. Believe it or not, this easy type of carpet cleaning – fleas can't live through. If you vacuum regularly, you will remove eggs and larvae from the carpet, which will stop them from growing into the adult flea pests. After vacuuming, be sure to seal your vacuum bag in a plastic bag, and throw the plastic bag away outside immediately. This will stop the fleas from being able to escape back into your house.

You can also apply insecticide to your carpet. Be sure to keep pets and people off of the carpet that you've treated until the insecticide dries (it can be toxic, especially to pets and small children). Then, perform some regular carpet cleaning – fleas that have died, as well as any chemical residue, will be picked up easily with a good steam cleaning. Of course, to keep your home truly flea free, you need to treat the infested pets as well. This way, your carpets will stay clean and without fleas.