Cat Fleas and Daughters Toys and Clothes

Sansababy

Hi, wondered if someone could help me:

Had a flea problem with our cat that's infested the house. We've so far treated the flat with a pet bomb, the cats been treated with flea and working tablets from the vets and we've steam cleaned both mattresses.

We've washed most clothes and the bedding at 60 degrees but I'm not sure this is hot enough?

Also my daughter, nearly 2, has a woolen blanket which is her absolute favourite thing and is her comfort object. It's very beautiful and is hand knitted, made by an aunt while I was pregnant. How can I wash this? I'm sure it's got fleas as well as my daughter loves rubbing this blanket on the cat (she likes how the cat smells, odd child!), will the wool wash on my machine be hot enough?

Thanks in advance.

Rosemary7391

Does the Aunt have the washing instructions for the yarn she used still? They often come with something. I'd be careful washing it on a hot wash as it might felt. Maybe cooking it with some vinegar or something added might be enough - raising the temperature slowly should help avoid the felting, and the acid will help too. If it's small enough you could try freezing it?

Sansababy

Unfortunately can't freeze it it's as big as my daughter is and even though she's small for her age it's a fairly large blanket.

I do usually just use the wool setting on my washing machine which I think is 40 degrees but not sure this will be hot enough to kill fleas and the eggs.

Silvertabby

I was going to suggest freezing. Then dunk it in a bowl of plain tepid water - and see what floats on top.

I'd also spray down the gap between carpets and skirting boards.

Your post No 3 crossed with my post re freezing! In that case, dunk it in the bath - again plain tepid water - and see what comes out.

Sansababy

Silverbaby thank you I'll try that in the bath thank you

paddypaws101

Couldn't you flea spray it and THEN wash it at 40?

Sansababy

PaddyPaws, what spray would you recommend to use? Needs to all be done between breakfast and bedtime as daughter cannot sleep without this blanket. It's going to be hard enough taking her out the house without it.

sheramber

You could try washing the blanket in your machine on a woollen setting but use some flea shampoo in the machine. I did this for my dogs' blankets when one of them picked up fleas in a holiday house.

Just be aware of not putting too much shampoo in the machine as it may cause too much foam.

However, washing it will be the same problem as spraying it as it is unlikely to be dry by bedtime.

iammumtoone

Have you spray the house thoroughly with indorex? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Virbac-INDOREX-Indorex-Flea-Spray/dp/B00GKHI2PW
if not do so

What treatment is your cat on? is it one that treats the environment as well like advantage?

Once you have the above two things covered then you need to actively hover and shake the blanket daily. Doing this will help hatch the fleas, once hatched they will die either by biting the cat or from the aclaim on the carpets.

During this time keep your cat in the house as much as possible they are your best weapon against killing the fleas as you want them to bite it so they will die.

Try the above and hopefully they will be no need to wash the blanket any different to what you normally do.

EDIT: just seen you have a steam cleaner, could you test a small area of the blanket with this, it should be ok as whilst steam is hot there isn't much water produced so hopefully will be ok. Or maybe try a hot iron on a small section to see if it coped with that. Could your aunt knit up a small test piece using the same wool for you to try these things on?

Sansababy

Thanks everyone. House and cat have been treated. House with a flea bomb thing that was set off, and left. And the cat with Advvantage from the vets. Cat is indoor only cat, so won't be going anywhere - she picked up the fleas when a local stray got in through our balcony door, she (my cat) is usually treated for fleas and worms monthly, but didn't quite treat her in time this month

We shook the blanket to get rid of as many as we could, put it in the bath in warm plain water. Then washed it on the wool wash setting on the machine. Stuck the radiators on to get it dry and then Husband sprayed it with lemon water (Vet said fleas don't like Lemon so it repels them). Seems to have done the trick.

Thanks again.

JIL

I have a dog and never had a problem with fleas until recently, I use advocate on the dog.
However just recently I became aware of a few fleas on a cushion, so I checked the dog and couldn't find anything at all on her.
My dad says the looked like cat fleas and then my daughter got a few bits marks.
I have hoovered, steamed, washed but I'm not sure the fleas are gone.
I read online about using a plug in mosquito killer. Has anyone else had any success or tried this method?

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I came here to start a new op and saw this one and as it's along the same lines I hope it's ok to ask?