(Last Updated: April, 2024)
What Changed?
- Added Kenmore Elite 31150
- Removed discontinued products
- Updated pros/cons for Dyson V7 Animal
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If you have fleas in your home, it can seem like they'll be there forever.
Listen up folks. It gets better with the right tools!
With a good vacuum for fleas and a consistent cleaning schedule, you can tackle the flea problem in your home.
So, what is the best vacuum for fleas? According to our tests, the best vacuum for fleas is by far the the Kenmore Elite 31150.
With fleas, you can't afford to lack power. The Kenmore Elite 31150 is one of the strongest vacuum cleaners that money can buy. It makes quick work of fleas deep in your carpet and on upholstery.
We tested a handful of vacuums to find the best ones that help to kill fleas, here are the results of those tests.
7 Best Vacuums For Fleas We Recommend:
More About The Kenmore Elite 31150
This super powerful bagged vacuum from Kenmore Elite is tough on pet hair and fleas, but totally safe for pets and people with asthma or allergies.
When you're dealing with fleas, especially awe did have issues with it getting stuck on high pile/shag carpeting. If you have regular pile carpet though, and can afford the higher price tag, this vacuum is the hands down best choice for getting rid of fleas.
This vacuum is designed to be a powerhouse. It's not the lightest, it's not the quietest, but its suction power and cleaning abilities are unmatched.
If you have consistent issues with fleas, you may still need to do a few cleaning sessions with the Kenmore Elite 31150, but unlike cheaper options, this vacuum is basically guaranteed to suck up fleas and their eggs from your carpeting.
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Pros:
- Super powerful suction..like WOW!
- Extendable hose for furniture
- Safe for allergies and asthma
Cons:
- Not great for hardwood floors
RElated Products | |
|---|---|
Dyson DC65 Animal  | Shark Rotator  |
Moosoo Cordless Vacuum  | Dirt Devil Razor  |
More About The Bissell Cleanview Swivel Rewind
This Bissel Cleanview is a powerful vacuum for households with one or more pets, and with carpet or hard floors. It is great at picking up hair and fur, as well as fleas. This corded, bagless vacuum comes with a 27-foot retractable cord and high suction power. You also get special attachments to use on pet hair, HEPA filter and an extendable hose for cleaning hard to reach areas.
This is a great all-around vacuum for flea control, flea removal and other pet messes. It is powerful, versatile and very affordable for the quality.
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Pros:
- Long Cord
- Extendable hose for hard to reach spots
- Attachable pet hair comb
Cons:
- Limited by power cord length
RElated Products | |
|---|---|
Dyson DC65 Animal | Shark Rotator |
Moosoo Cordless Vacuum | Dirt Devil Razor |
More About The Shark Rotator TruePet
This Shark upright vacuum is a powerful, high suction vacuum for hair and other pet messes. It comes with a long retractable cord, front LED lights to see the mess in front of you as you go, and a convenient hardwood mode to clean hardwood floors without damaging them.
This vacuum is a little pricier than some, but it is very versatile. We love the TruePet Motorized Brush roll as well as the Pet-Multi Tool Ultimate which is really great at pet hair cleaning.
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Pros:
- Safe on hardwood floor surfaces & bare floors
- Easily switch between settings with fingertip controls
- High suction to pick up hair and fleas
Cons:
- Slightly more expensive than some others
RElated Products | |
|---|---|
Dyson DC65 Animal | Shark Rotator |
Moosoo Cordless Vacuum | Dirt Devil Razor |
More About The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser
This Bissel vacuum is designed specifically to clean up pet hair. It comes with an efficient tangle-free brush that prevents pet hair from getting tangled and clogging up the vacuum as you clean. The build is a corded and bagless vacuum cleaner design, with a long retractable cord, super high suction power, and extra long 8-foot hose with a crevice tool for cleaning in hard to reach areas.
Because it is designed with pets in mind, this is a great vacuum for ridding your house of fleas. The easy swivel steering and long hose ensure that every single spot of your carpet will be cleaned, leaving no fleas or hair behind.
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Pros:
- Comes with special pet tools
- 8.5Amps of power
- Convenient and easy to use swivel steering
Cons:
- Not as effective on hardwood floors
RElated Products | |
|---|---|
Dyson DC65 Animal | Shark Rotator |
Moosoo Cordless Vacuum | Dirt Devil Razor |
More About The Shark Navigator Lift-Away
The Shark Navigator is of high quality and is well positioned as an affordable vacuum on the market It is corded and bagless, with easy swivel steering, and comes with an attachable pet hair brush that will dig deep into the carpet to lift up all pet hair and kill fleas.
One of the best features of this vacuum is the large, easy to the empty dustbin. It can hold twice as much dirt and hair as other vacuums, allowing you to clean the whole house without needing to stop and empty the dust bin.
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Pros:
- Easy swivel steering
- Extra large dust bin
- Comes with pet hair brush
Cons:
- Not great for hardwood floors
RElated Products | |
|---|---|
Dyson DC65 Animal | Shark Rotator |
Moosoo Cordless Vacuum | Dirt Devil Razor |
More About The Shark Rocket DeluxePro
This vacuum is compact and lightweight without sacrificing any of the usual high suction power of a Shark vacuum. The bagless design makes it super slim and easy to handle, on the floor and other surfaces. It is a two-in-one vacuum – tough on the carpet and safe on the hardwood.
An attachable pet hair brush makes this a good vacuum for pet hair and fleas. Just make sure to detach the brush when you use the vacuum on the hardwood.
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Pros:
- Lightweight and easy to use
- Comes with pet hair brush
- Safe on hardwood floors
Cons:
- Smaller dust storage – will need to be emptied regularly
RElated Products | |
|---|---|
Dyson DC65 Animal | Shark Rotator |
Moosoo Cordless Vacuum | Dirt Devil Razor |
More About The Dyson V7 Animal
Another option designed specifically for a house with pets, this Dyson vacuum is cordless, bagless, lightweight and super easy to use on all surfaces of your home. A drive cleaner head digs deep into the carpet to lift all hair, fleas and pet messes, leaving nothing behind.
This is one of the best vacuums for convenient and high-quality cleaning. But it does come at a slightly higher price than some other options on our list.
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Pros:
- Lightweight and easy to use
- Convenient wall-mount storage
- Versatile design
Cons:
- A little more expensive
RElated Products | |
|---|---|
Dyson DC65 Animal | Shark Rotator |
Moosoo Cordless Vacuum | Dirt Devil Razor |
How Vacuuming Helps Control Fleas
As pet owners, we cannot always stop our pets from bringing fleas into the house. But regular vacuuming can kill a flea infestation before it starts.
One of the most important ways vacuuming kills fleas is by lifting up eggs and larvae in the carpet before they become adult fleas. It can also force adults in the cocoon stage to open.
This is extremely important because cocoons can remain buried for as long as five months undisturbed. That means that you could be dealing with a flea infestation any time.
The other important thing vacuuming does is remove the food source of larvae.
Flea larvae feed off the feces of adult fleas. By regularly cleaning your carpet, you are removing that food source and preventing larvae from growing.
You may not always be able to see adult fleas, eggs, and larvae in your carpet. The safest way to prevent an infestation is just to vacuum your carpet as regularly as possible.
A deep cleaning brush for pet hair will help to lift up invisible eggs and larvae before they become a problem.
While most vacuums will help your flea problem, a vacuum designed for households with pets is your best bet for a secure deep cleaning that stops infestations at the source.
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Choosing the Best Vacuum for Fleas
There are many different features to consider when choosing the best vacuum for fleas. Some of these features include suction power, the beater bar, and the attachments that come with the vacuum.
Beater Bar
Vacuums contain beater bars which dig into carpet fibers at different depths in order to remove debris. You definitely want to consider purchasing a vacuum with a beater bar as studies have shown that the friction and heat caused by the beater bar can actually trigger cocoon emergence.
This will allow you to suck up fleas before they can fully form and become a nuisance. The beater bar can also trigger naked pupae to develop.
Suction Power
Purchasing a high powered, high-quality vacuum cleaner will actually prove to be more effective in removing fleas and debris from your carpet. This is because these types of vacuums come with very good suction power.
The only trade-off here is that sometimes, vacuum cleaners with high-quality suction power tend to lean more toward the expensive side.
Bag or Canister Vacuum?
Choosing a bag or a canister vacuum for debris does not necessarily matter when it comes to flea removal. About 100% of pre-adult fleas will be sucked up by your vacuum while 95% of adults will be removed.
The adults that do survive the vacuum process will be so damaged that a host will be hard to find.
There is no need to worry about sanitizing your dust canister vacuum, bagged or bagless, as everything will be destroyed.
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This is why a bag or canister canister choice is merely personal preference.
Base Plate Height
The height of your vacuums’ base plate is extremely important because it is optimal for getting the best suction possible.
Ideally, you want to purchase a vacuum that has an adjustable base plate in order to be optimized for different floor types. Fleas don’t only reside in carpeted areas. They can develop on tile, rugs, hardwood flooring, and linoleum.
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Hose Attachments
Fleas can begin development in the smallest of spaces, whether the corner of a room or a crack in the hardwood flooring or the edge of a baseboard. Depending on where the host travels, they can also end up on your couches, other furniture, and pet furniture.
With a good variety of hose attachments, you will be able to reach deep into the nooks and crannies of your home and be sure that you are killing all possible flea infestations.
Pet Hair
If you’re dealing with fleas, you more than likely have a pet residing in your home. Pet hair and debris is the perfect habitation for flea larvae to germinate.
Purchasing a vacuum that is ideal for picking up pet hair is something to consider as this type of vacuum will help to rid your home of any unwanted hiding places for fleas.
Maneuverability
Flea eggs can fall anywhere their host is walking. This means that fleas eggs can end up just about anywhere in your home.
Once the flea eggs hatch, the flea larvae will reside in the general vicinity but will move away from the light. This means that they can end up in places where you wouldn’t normally look or clean.
This is why it is important that you purchase a vacuum cleaner that has good maneuverability in order to get in those hard to reach places.
Tips: How to Remove Fleas Using Vacuum
If you are looking to remove fleas using your vacuum, here are some helpful tips and tricks that will help you make the experience as easy and painless as possible.
Where to Vacuum
When you first set out to get rid of fleas within your home, diligently and thoroughly vacuum your entire home.
Fleas will more than likely reside in the rooms where your pets spend most of their time. This is any room where your pet sleeps, grooms and eats.
In bedrooms, this would be at the edge of your bed or on the side of your bed where your pet spends their time. In the living area of your home, take special focus to vacuum around the sofa and end tables.
If possible, remove any furniture from the problem rooms that you are vacuuming. Flea larvae like the dark so they will more than likely be found underneath furniture.
If it’s not possible to remove furniture from the room, use different hose attachments on your vacuum cleaner to get those hard to reach places.
Be sure to also vacuum your couch and bed thoroughly, removing any pillows or cushions.
How Often to Vacuum?
Vacuuming is the most effective task in removing flea eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae moves deeper into the carpet and coils up when it is disturbed.
These eggs hatch about 2 days after they are laid so it is important that you vacuum at least every other day to prevent the larvae from developing.
Vacuuming & Insecticides
If you are going to spray insecticides on your carpet, be sure to vacuum beforehand. Vacuuming can lift the fibers of your carpet thus allow the insecticide to penetrate deeper into the carpet.
It is important that you read the instructions on your insecticides so that you know when you can vacuum once again. Some say vacuuming can mess with the insecticide, but in some cases, it could help lift the adults up and toward the insecticide.
Can You Really Vacuum Fleas Off?
Vacuuming is not technical enough to fully get rid of your flea problem. Yes, it will help immensely. But there are additional measures that can be taken.
Obviously, a vacuum with good suction power is key in removing fleas. And once you are finished vacuuming you will want to empty your dust canister (bagged or bagless) outside in order to prevent more flea formation.
Your vacuum cleaner will pick up eggs and adult fleas, but flea larvae tend to coil into the carpet. You can consider shampooing your carpet because this can help kill the larvae. Once your carpet is shampooed, you can then vacuum as an extra protective step measure.
Getting Rid of Fleas in Your Carpet
So how exactly do you get rid of fleas in your carpet? These few steps will guide you through getting rid of fleas in your carpet.
Start by washing your carpet. You can use a salt and vinegar mixture with lemons added in as flea detest the smell of lemon. Once washed, leave your carpet area alone for about 24 hours before vacuuming.
Then you need to vacuum your carpet thoroughly, cleaning all along the edge of the carpet as well. Depending on your flea problem, you will want to vacuum every day then drop down to every other day once the problem decreases.
Lastly, you will need to clean up. Make sure to take your vacuum outside to empty it and any bags with dirt and dust need to be sealed to ensure that the fleas will not return into your home.
An extra precaution you can take is to clean your vacuum tank with warm soapy water to get rid of any flea residue in your vacuum.
Conclusion
Choosing the best vacuum for getting rid of fleas can make all the difference in not only your pet's life but in yours as well. Every vacuum has its pros and cons, but the one thing you should remember is that you should always choose a vacuum that is going to attack the problem as a priority. We hope this guide is a help to you in finding the perfect vacuum for your flea destroying needs.
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