Will laundry detergent kills fleas?

Fleas are pesky little parasites that can easily infest fabrics and clothing. Getting rid of them requires washing items in hot water and using an effective laundry detergent that kills and removes fleas, larvae, and eggs. The good news is that several common detergents can help eliminate a flea problem in laundry.

Look for Laundry Detergents with These Ingredients

Certain active ingredients are very effective at killing fleas in wash cycles. Look for the following components in your laundry detergent:

Permethrin – This synthetic insecticide instantly kills adult fleas as well as larvae and eggs. It’s highly effective and often used in flea foggers and sprays. Make sure to get laundry detergent with 0.15-0.2% permethrin concentration.

Pyrethroids – These chemicals are similar to natural extracts from chrysanthemum flowers that work to attack fleas’ nervous systems. Pyrethroids like permethrin provide quick knockdown and kill fleas upon contact.

IGRs (Insect Growth Regulators) – IGRs don’t necessarily kill adult fleas immediately but stop immature fleas from developing into adults. They prevent larvae from molting and interrupt flea breeding cycles. IGRs combined with insecticides provide thorough control.

Synergists – Components like piperonyl butoxide enhance the effectiveness of other active ingredients. By inhibiting fleas’ enzyme systems, synergists prevent them from breaking down insecticides and increase potency.

Bleach – While not an insecticide itself, bleach plays an important role. It cleans fabrics thoroughly and penetrates fibers to access hiding spots. The high alkalinity also boosts the performance of other detergent ingredients.

Everyday Laundry Detergents that Work

Many popular mainstream laundry detergents contain flea-killing components that can tackle an infestation in fabric:

Tide – Both regular Tide and Tide Plus Bleach have effective concentrations of pyrethroids that eliminate fleas. The bleach alternative boosts permethrin effectiveness as well.

Gain – Known for its vibrant scents, Gain also uses pyrethroids and IGRs for flea and tick protection. These active ingredients transfer to clothes during washing.

Arm & Hammer Clean Burst – This affordable detergent kills fleas using pyriproxyfen IGRs to stop young fleas from reaching maturity. It provides freshness too.

Persil ProClean – Contains pyrethroids for broad spectrum insecticide effects against fleas and ticks. Its activated system boosts permethrin potency and cleaning power.

Snuggle Super Fresh – Utilizes odor-fighting technologies and permethrin insecticide that lasts for weeks to protect clothing from re-infestations.

The Proper Way to Wash Items

For laundry detergent to successfully kill all fleas, you need to wash fabric properly:

• Shake loose debris from items and check seams for fleas before washing. Vacuum carpets and furniture thoroughly before cleaning.
• Use very hot, high temperature water around 140°F to wash infested fabrics. Hot water kills fleas instantly.
• Make sure to let wash cycles run fully—at least 30 minutes for sufficient flea killing contact time. Short cycles may not suffice.
• Dry laundry on the hottest setting afterwards to eliminate any remaining fleas in eggs or larvae stage.
• Consider adding borax and letting laundry soak for hours before washing for extreme infestations. Its alkaline base dissolves flea exoskeletons.
• Treat all fabrics that could harbor fleas, including pet bedding, rugs, clothing, towels, and linens. Overdo it rather than under-treat.

Alternative Pesticide Options

For severe flea cases, dedicated pesticide detergents provide even stronger killing power:

• Vet-Kem Ovitrol Plus – Veterinary grade detergent using permethrin, IGRs and synergists specifically calibrated for pet environments.
• Sterifab – Hospital-level laundry disinfectant scientifically tested to kill fleas, ticks, and mites on fabrics. last for months after drying.
• Ultra-Kill – Uses permethrin, pyrethroids and an encapsulation technology to keep killing fleas even after clothes washing.

These heavy-duty pesticides work when normal detergents fail. Though more toxic and expensive, they ensure complete flea extermination.

Follow the washing directions carefully with these professional products. Their extreme potency requires proper handling.

Maintain Cleanliness After Flea Elimination

Killing fleas in fabrics is only half the battle—keeping them away long-term is key.

After addressing a laundry infestation, continue using effective flea-killing detergents in normal wash cycles. This maintains your newly pest-free state.

Also wash and fully dry flea hotspots like pet bedding at least once a week. Consistent cleaning is crucial for preventing re-infestations.

With some tough laundry duty, the right detergent kills fleas and brings long-lasting freshness back to fabrics.

References

[1] Frątczak, Katarzyna, Lee, Hyun-Na, and Lee, Si Hyeock. “Laundry Detergent as an Effective Agent for Killing All Stages of the Common Clothes Moth (Lepidoptera: Tineidae).” Insects 11.11 (2020): 762.

[2] Rust, Michael K., and Michael Dryden. “The biology, ecology, and management of the cat flea.” Annu. Rev. Entomol. 42 (1997): 451-473.

[3] Blagburn, Byron L., and Michael W. Dryden. “Biology, treatment, and control of flea and tick infestations.” Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice 39.6 (2009): 1173-1200.

[4] Temeyer, Kevin B. “Insecticide resistance in fleas.” In Biology of Disease Vectors, pp. 425-440. CRC Press, 2005.

[5] Hopkins, T., Wyatt Easterly, C., Shupe, J., Hubbard, B., Courtney, C. and Nemser, S.M., 2021. Evaluation of insecticide-containing laundry detergents for killing fleas, eggs, and larvae on fabric. Veterinary parasitology, 295, p.109350.