Baking Soda For Fleas in Carpet [12 Steps To Use]

To kill fleas in your carpet, sprinkle baking soda and let it settle for 24 hours. This will also kill their eggs and larvae because it dehydrates them. After that, clean or vacuum your carpet to remove the dead fleas together with the baking soda particles.

How to kill fleas in carpet using baking soda: 12 Steps

Fleas will always hide at the lower base of your carpet and only come out to look for their prey. If you have a fluffy thick carpet, then you should do some thorough cleaning.

Here are some simple steps on how to thoroughly clean your carpet to get rid of fleas using baking soda:

1. Vacuum the carpet first to get rid of extra dirt particles
2. If you do not have a vacuum, simply sweep the carpet using a brush just like you always do
3. Then get a hand full of baking soda and sprinkle it equally on the carpet
4. Use a soft brush to shake the particles so that they sing to the bottom of the carpet
5. Let this settle for at least 24 house (1 day) for best results)
6. If possible, keep the pets away from the carpet during this period
7. Then wash the carpet with a carpet deep clean or even vacuum it
8. If you do not have any, get a bucket of warm water with some carpet cleaner or shampoo in it
9. Ensure it is well leathered then deep a soft hand towel in it
10. Use this to clean the carpet and repeat the process if the leather is out
11. Press the hand towel hard enough to get to the bottom of the carpet where fleas lay the eggs
12. You can then use another clean hand towel to dry it or just take the carpet out and air it to dry naturally

How long does it take for baking soda to kill fleas?

It takes approximately 4-12 hours for baking soda to kill fleas via a process known as osmosis. This is because it will take some time for the baking soda particles to drain the larvae and leave them completely dehydrated such that they can no longer survive.

Killing fleas with baking soda may also take 2 hours in some cases depending on the amount of baking soda sprinkled on the carpet. The more you use, the shorter the duration since the contact chances will be increased.

However, this does not mean that you overdo it since you do not want to cause any harm to your pets or young ones. You may want to be a little more generous when sprinkling the baking soda on your carpet if it is infested by fleas.

How long should you let the baking soda settle?

However, it is always advisable to let it settle for a period of 12-24 hours so that it takes a full effect on the fleas especially if using it on your carpet. This is because it is a fact that the baking soda will not get to the fleas at the same time.

Some will get it earlier while it may take time for the particles to reach the base of your carpet. You have to shake the particles to get to the bottom of your carpet. You can use a soft brush to help you do this and remember to be gentle while at it.

This is why it is always advisable to use a soft brush to ensure the baking soda particles get to the carpet base. Baking soda will also help in getting rid of other pests on your carpet like carpet beetles down there if well applied.

What to mix with baking soda to kill fleas in carpet?

You can mix salt with baking soda to kill fleas. A mixture of the two will be making a more powerful concentration that will even wipe out fleas from your carpet very fast.  

Salt is also concentrated and the fleas will not survive it especially when sprinkled on the carpet with baking soda in it. Here is how to use a mixture of baking soda and salt to kill fleas in your carpet:

1. Get a cup of baking soda into a container
2. Add a cup of baking soda into it and mix the two
3. Sprinkle The solution on the carpet and let it settle for up to 12 hours
4. You can them vacuum the carpet to get rid of the dead fleas and the particles

You can also mix white vinegar and baking soda to kill fleas in your carpet. This will also help in removing any stubborn stains on the carpet since a mixture of the two will result in sodium acetate and carbonic acid.

This combination is a really good cleaning agent and you can also use this to clean other areas of the house when infested by fleas and other crawling pests in the kitchen.

Baking soda and vinegar for fleas

However, you will want to use white apple cider vinegar with baking soda when cleaning your carpet especially if it is bright in color. Here is how to mix white vinegar and baking soda to kill fleas in your carpet:

1. Add ½ cup of baking soda into a clean container
2. Pour 1 cup of warm water into the container
3. Add ¼ cup of white vinegar in there and mix well to form a solution
4. Pour this into a hand sprinkling bottle
5. Spray this generously on the carpet and nay other area infected by the fleas
6. Let it settle for as long as it (One 1day) can to kill and repel any fleas on the carpet
7. You can them vacuum the carpet for best results after that

Apple Cider Vinegar can sometimes leave a stain on bright carpets and this is why we sometimes avoid it especially if you do not want to use extra effort while cleaning. Basically, avoid any colored vinegar when mixing it with baking soda to kill fleas or other pests like carpet beetles.

Why do fleas keep coming back to my carpet?

As much as fleas can also prey on humans, they like feeding on pets like cats and dogs in the house and this is one of their major attractions. Pest will also attract fleas in your car and this is why you should always ensure they are clean.

This means that if your pets have fleas, you will need to clean them as well. If you do not do that, the fleas will keep coming back to your carpet.

The fleas kept coming back after some time because when my pets mix with others that have fleas out there, they kept bringing them back to the house.

Basically, if your pets are mixing with others out there, then the fleas will keep coming back on your carpet and in the house at large. The worst you can have is fleas in your bedroom carpet which may end up on your bed if they are hungry.

Is Sprinkling baking soda on carpets safe for pets?

No, it is not safe to let your pets on the carpet if you have sprinkled baking soda on it. This is because baking soda may be harmful to your pet’s life if they happen to ingest in in large quantities.

After sprinkling baking soda on the carpet, it is advisable to keep your pets away from it. It may be difficult to do this but you will have to find a way to keep them away for their own safety.

However, when your pet ingests baking soda in small quantities, it may not really have a significant effect on them. This is just a way of letting you that you should not be worried if your pets happen to stumble into the carpet for a short time after spreading some baking soda on it.

This is why it is best to do this at night when your pets are sleeping away from the carpet and it is easy to lock the doors. Fleas will go away without pets because those are one of their major attractions.

The 12 hours of a full night is easy to monitor and control as compared to the day when everyone is up and about since it may also not be safe for your little ones.

According to the US National Library of Medicine under the National Institutes of Health, ingesting baking soda in large quantities may result in complex metabolic disorders. The first cases of hemorrhagic encephalopathy were reported from baking soda ingestion.

Reference:

1. US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Hemorrhagic Encephalopathy From Acute Baking Soda Ingestion  
2. Salt vs. Baking Soda Dissolving, By Art Corvelay, sciencing.com