5 Steps to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Car (with Pictures)

If you frequently travel with your dog, it can be quite easy to get fleas in your car, and many people want to how to get rid of them. Luckily, it can be much easier to get rid of the fleas from your vehicle than from your home, so keep reading as we provide you with a step-by-step guide to remove these pests as easily and quickly as possible.

Getting Rid of Fleas in Your Car

Get Prepared

Look over this list to see what materials you have and what you might need to get. Gathering your tools before starting will help prevent any unexpected stops. Fortunately, you won’t need many supplies for this project, and there’s a good chance that you won’t need everything listed here.

Tools and Materials

The 5 Steps to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Car

1. Step Away From the Vehicle

The first and arguably only thing that you need to do to remove the fleas from your car is to stop allowing your pet inside. Fleas can only live a short time unless they are on an animal and die off quickly on other surfaces. They cannot survive on humans and will not multiply by biting you on your way to work. If you don’t let any animals into your car, there will be no fleas in a few weeks.

2. Baking Soda

If the thought of fleas in your car is disturbing to you, even though they will die off soon, you can speed up the process by dusting the inside of your car with a thick layer of baking soda. It is not toxic, it is inexpensive, and it works well to kill fleas by dehydrating them. Baking soda is also fantastic at absorbing odors and even stains. Allow the baking soda to sit as long as possible before moving on to the next step.

3. Vacuum

After you’ve let the baking soda sit for as long as possible, remove it using a shop vac. Take your time, and make sure you pick up all the baking soda. We recommend placing a flea collar inside the shop vac in case any fleas are still alive or any eggs hatch. We also recommend leaving the shop vac outside the home for several days. If you can’t store it in a garage, keep it in the vehicle. Once you finish vacuuming, you should notice that most of the fleas are gone. You also hopefully have the added benefit of a cleaner car that smells better thanks to the baking soda.

• See Also: 8 Different Types of Car Seat Materials (With Pictures)

4. Repeat

If you still notice fleas in your car after vacuuming, repeating these steps once or more in a day or two should be all that is required to eliminate the fleas.

5. Other Options

Look Over the Vehicle

If those steps did not eliminate the fleas, it’s a highly unusual situation because they need an animal for nourishment. Preventing your dog or cat from entering the car will cause them to starve to death. Some eggs may hatch in a few days, but they too will quickly die without an animal around. If the fleas remain, look over your vehicle and the locations where you park it. A flea-infected animal might frequently be close to your car or truck to transmit the fleas there. Squirrels and other rodents can carry fleas, as can rabbits, stray cats, and many other animals.

Steam Clean

A steam-cleaning machine can be an effective way to remove fleas from your vehicle. It provides a much deeper clean than a vacuum, and the chemicals in the detergent can be highly effective at destroying any flea eggs. However, it’s an expensive option unless you own a machine, and it also takes a long time to complete.

Boric Acid

Boric acid is similar to baking soda, but it’s much stronger and is quite effective at killing fleas and destroying eggs. You can use it instead of baking soda if you want, but you will need to be more careful about removing it all with the vacuum because it can harm your pets.

Flea Collar

One option is to place a flea collar — or 10 — around your car and let them sit to do their work. They will help reduce any current populations and help prevent new flea colonies from forming in the future.

Can I Use a Flea Bomb in My Car?

Yes, you can set up a flea bomb in your car just like you would your home. Press the button, close the doors quickly, and wait about 48 hours before entering the vehicle. The bomb will likely kill any fleas, and it doesn’t require much work.

See Also:

• How to Flea Bomb a House – Step-by-Step Guide (with Pictures)
• How To Get Rid Of Fleas In Your Yard (8 Simple Steps)

Summary

Removing fleas from the vehicle is extremely easy, and all you need to do is prevent any animals with fleas from entering the vehicle for a few days, and they will die off fairly quickly. However, if you have an important engagement that requires you to have a flea-free vehicle, the other steps on this list will help you accomplish your goal. We recommend safer, non-toxic methods, like baking soda and a shop-vac, but steam cleaning, boric acid, and flea bombs are incredibly effective.

Featured Image Credit: Pavel Kransenky, Shutterstock