We love our pets, but let’s face it, they’re expensive to keep and take care of. Between veterinarian visits and keeping your pet well fed, you certainly want to avoid any unnecessary costs.

Pets are prone to visits by fleas. The tiny parasites leap on, bury into warm fur, and snack away on your animals. Unfortunately, fleas can also snack on human blood as well. Everyone in your household will be scratching and then a full cleaning of your home will be required. Flea treatments and steam cleaning your carpets are expensive, so here are some low-cost ways to try to stay flea free when you’re on a budget. First, wash your pet in soapy water. Soap kills fleas. Insecticide shampoos are relatively inexpensive and can be worth the money to help kill larvae on your pet and those tough little fleas that seem to be unbeatable. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that they contain pesticides which will be absorbed into your animal. However, these pet shampoos aren’t necessary to kill fleas and rid your pet of the pests. Next, you’ll need to vacuum your whole home. It is recommended that carpets should be vacuumed at least twice a week to keep fleas under control, however it may be necessary to vacuum daily. Pay special attention to the places your pet likes to curl up best and make sure you vacuum right to the baseboards. Fleas hide in all sorts of little places. Dispose of the vacuum bag by wrapping it in a plastic bag and throwing it away. Take all your bedding that is in contact with your pet and wash it in the machine in hot, soapy water. Don’t forget anything. If your pet likes to curl up on a pile of clothes, wash those clothes too. A pet’s bed or blanket is another thing that you’ll have to throw in the washing machine. Trying to wash any item made of cloth your pet comes in contact with is best to get rid of fleas. Lastly, if you are not concerned about the effect of toxic chemicals you can spray your house with a flea treatment spray. These sprays are a bit more expensive than pet shampoo but worth the price. Soak your carpets, spray the cracks of baseboards… leave no stone unturned. The spray will cost far less than a steam treatment from the cleaners. However, as long as you have pets you are going to have to deal with fleas. It may be worth your while to purchase your own steam cleaner so that you can regularly clean your own carpets and kill fleas and larvae. While steam cleaners do tend to be expensive, the savings over the long haul would be worth it and of course, you can watch out for a second hand one. In the meantime, the only viable alternative to either steam cleaning or insecticide spray to get rid of fleas is to wash everything with lots of soapy water. It’s almost free, and it works!