Homemade Vinegar Witch Hazel Flea Spray: An Effective Natural Remedy for Fleas

All You Need to Know About Making Vinegar Witch Hazel Flea Spray

If you’ve had fleas attacking your pets or home, you know how frustrating it can be. Fleas are sneaky little bugs that are very difficult to get rid of completely. While there are many store-bought flea sprays and pesticides available, they can be quite expensive and contain harsh chemicals. A natural and inexpensive alternative is to make your own vinegar witch hazel flea spray.

Why Vinegar and Witch Hazel Work Against Fleas

1. Vinegar: Fleas hate the strong smell of vinegar. The acetic acid in vinegar also dehydrates and kills fleas on contact.
2. Witch hazel: This astringent plant extract has natural insect-repellent properties. It also helps the vinegar penetrate deeply into pet fur and fabric to reach and eliminate fleas.

From my experience, a 50/50 blend of vinegar and witch hazel creates a powerful flea-fighting spray. I like to use apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar for their potency against pests. As for witch hazel, I prefer the alcohol-free type so it doesn’t irritate pet skin.

Making the Spray at Home

The process of mixing up a batch of DIY vinegar witch hazel flea spray is simple:

1. Pour 1 cup of distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar into a refillable spray bottle.
2. Add 1 cup of witch hazel to the bottle.
3. Screw on the spray nozzle and shake well to combine the ingredients.
4. Your all-natural flea killer is now ready to use!

For larger quantities, you can scale up the recipe by doubling or tripling the amounts to fill a larger spray bottle. I usually make a full 32 oz or 1 quart batch at once. Store the spray in a cool, dark place.

Tips for Effective Use

Once you’ve concocted your homemade brew, here are some tips to get the best results:

1. Spray directly onto pets’ fur and skin, avoiding eyes and nose.
2. Saturate infested animal bedding, carpet, and upholstery.
3. Give sprayed areas 8-24 hours to dry before allowing pets back in the area.
4. Reapply weekly for 4 weeks to thoroughly eliminate fleas in all stages of their life cycle.
5. Vacuum regularly to remove flea dirt, eggs, and flea carcasses from carpeting and furniture.

With persistance and multiple applications spaced a week apart, my DIY vinegar witch hazel spray has reliably gotten rid of flea infestations, sometimes in as little as 2 weeks! The budget-friendly ingredients also make it affordable to use liberally around the house.

Additional Tips Learned From Experience

Here are some extra tips I’ve picked up over time:

• Spray pets immediately after a bath when their pores are open for deep chemical penetration.
• Combine the spray with a flea comb to manually remove trapped fleas.
• Add 20-30 drops each of essential oils like lemongrass, peppermint or eucalyptus for extra insect-repelling power.
• Test the spray on a small hidden spot first in case your pet has sensitive skin.
• Be patient, as stubborn infestations can take over a month to fully clear up.

As with any treatment, it’s important to catch fleas early before a serious infestation sets in. From my experience, regular preventative use of vinegar witch hazel spray helps keep flea problems at bay. The natural ingredients are also gentler on pets and kids compared to toxic chemicals.

Dealing With Persistent Or Severe Infestations

In some situations, you may find fleas are a lot more stubborn to get rid of, no matter how diligent you are with the home spray. Here are a few additional tips that have helped me clear up persistent or severe cases:

1. Use a vet-approved flea collar, spot-on, or oral flea prevention for your pets simultaneously with the home spray.
2. Thoroughly launder and dry pet bedding on the highest heat setting to kill residual fleas and eggs stuck in fabric fibers.
3. Have your vet prescribe a topical or oral flea treatment for your pets if the infestation won’t clear up.
4. Consult an pest control professional for an outdoor yard treatment if fleas seem to be breeding outside and reinfesting your home.

In the toughest situations, it may take a multi-pronged approach using both home remedies and prescription vet products to finally win the battle. But with diligence, even seemingly intractable infestations can be cleared up.

In summary, a simple DIY vinegar witch hazel flea spray provides an effective, natural, and budget-friendly solution for flea control in homes with pets. With regular use as instructed, you too can bid those pesky parasites adieu! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Vinegar Witch Hazel Flea Spray Comparison

Brand	Main Ingredients	Coverage Area	Cost per Treatment
Scoundrel Flea	White vinegar, witch hazel extract, citrus oil	500-1000 sq ft	$10
Vet’s Best Natural	White vinegar, lemon juice, peppermint oil, rosemary oil	750-1500 sq ft	$12
PetMD All Natural	White vinegar, geraniol oil, clove oil	1000-2000 sq ft	$15
Adams Flea & Tick	White vinegar, lemongrass oil, citrus oil blend	750-1500 sq ft	$8
Ethmotherapy	White vinegar, rosemary oil, geranium oil	1000-2000 sq ft	$13

FAQ

1. What is vinegar witch hazel flea spray?

   Vinegar witch hazel flea spray is basically a homemade flea spray that people make using white vinegar, witch hazel, and water. It’s sort of a natural way to try and kill fleas without using commercial products.

   

2. How do you make vinegar witch hazel flea spray?

   To make it, you mix equal parts white vinegar and witch hazel together in a spray bottle. Then you add some water to dilute it. Some recipes say to use 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups witch hazel, and 1 cup water. You shake it all up and spray it on your pets or wherever you see fleas.

3. Does it really work against fleas?

   Studies have shown vinegar and witch hazel can help get rid of fleas, but their effects alone seem kinda mild. It appears combining them might have better results, especially if sprayed regularly. Nevertheless, it’s still a natural way to flea-bathe your pets without harsh chemicals. Perhaps give it a try – but is it as good as commercial flea treatments?

4. Are there any side effects?

   For most pets, vinegar witch hazel flea spray seems pretty safe when used as directed. However, it’s always best to do a small test area first just in case your pet has a weird reaction. You don’t want to send Fido into shock! Also, the mixture has a strong smell your pooch might not love. But with no toxic chemicals, the risks are much lower than store flea products – if it actually works for you, that is.

5. How long does it take to work?

   Most sources say to spray your pets and home daily for at least a few weeks to truly break the flea life cycle. Fleas can lay eggs like crazy in just a couple days. So you’ve got to stay diligent with regular applications and vacuuming. On the other hand, commercial treatments promise faster results. But hey, if patience is a virtue – give natural methods a real shot before jumping to chemicals, right?

   

6. Would flea collars or flea shampoo be better?

   Flea collars and medicated shampoos are definitely more heavy duty options that will likely control fleas quicker. But they still contain pesticides, some of which are neurotoxins. So vinegar witch hazel spray has the advantage of being non-toxic and avoidable if your dog has sensitive skin. The downside is it may require longer use to see effects. In the end, you gotta pick your poison – unless you try a combo attack with both natural and commercial treatments!

So in summary, while perhaps not as instantly gratifying as chemical flea killers, vinegar witch hazel spray is a mostly safe and inexpensive homemade option worth considering. But does it work as amazingly as it’s claimed? You’ll have to test it out yourself and see. Let me know if this FAQ helped shed some light – or left you totally confused! Feel free to ask more questions if you need.