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These sprays treat your home, alongside the flea treatment your pet gets. The Indorex Defence can is the overall pick, listed for about a 3-4 bedroom house, and the twin pack gives you a second can for a bigger home. If you would prefer no aerosol, the Pest Expert Formula C+ litre is water-based. The Bob Martin twin pack is listed for pet bedding as well as carpets and rugs.
The Five Sprays Compared
Every column below is what the Amazon listing itself states. Where a listing does not state something, the cell says so rather than guessing.
| Product | Actives and coverage, as listed | Award |
|---|---|---|
| Indorex Defence 500ml | Permethrin + pyriproxyfen IGR; approx. 3-4 bedroom house, as listed | Best Overall |
| Indorex Defence 2 x 500ml | As above, two cans | Best Twin Pack |
| Pest Expert Formula C+ 1L | Three actives incl. pyriproxyfen; 50 m², as listed | Best Professional |
| R.I.P Fleas Household Flea Spray | Active not stated; 600ml, as listed | Best Fast-Acting |
| Bob Martin Clear Plus 2 x 500ml | Permethrin + tetramethrin + S-methoprene IGR, as listed | Best Value |
A household flea spray treats carpets, bedding and furniture. The University of Kentucky is specific about where the biting stage is: “Adult fleas spend most of their time on the dog or cat, not in the carpet.” (University of Kentucky Entomology). What the spray is for is everything else.
Best Overall — Indorex Defence Flea Spray 500ml
Spray
Indorex Defence Flea Spray 500ml
Best Overall
- Ingredients listed as pyriproxyfen, permethrin, piperonyl butoxide and Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium
- The maker claims up to 2 months control and up to 12 months prevention of egg and larvae development
- Listed as treating approximately a 3-4 bedroom house per 500ml can
- Directions: remove pets, birds and fish aquaria; spray from about 50cm; ventilate after use
- The listing claims a YourCat & YourDog readers' Best Flea Product award over 10+ years
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Pick this if you want to treat a whole house with one can. The listing pairs permethrin with the growth regulator pyriproxyfen, the maker claims up to 12 months prevention of egg and larvae development, and one 500ml can is listed for approximately a 3-4 bedroom house. Take pets, birds and fish aquaria out first, and ventilate when you are done.
Pros:
- Permethrin with the growth regulator pyriproxyfen, as listed
- Maker claims up to 12 months prevention of egg and larvae development
- One 500ml can listed for a 3-4 bedroom house
- Clear directions on the listing for pets and ventilation
Best Twin Pack — Indorex Defence Flea Spray 2x500ml
Spray
Indorex Defence Flea Spray 2x500ml Twin Pack
Best Twin Pack
- Listed as 2 x 500ml — unit count 2
- Same listed ingredients as the single can: pyriproxyfen, permethrin, piperonyl butoxide, Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium
- Each can listed as treating approximately a 3-4 bedroom house
- Same listed directions: remove pets, birds and fish aquaria; ventilate after use
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This is the same Indorex Defence spray as the overall pick, listed as two 500ml cans. Each can is listed for approximately a 3-4 bedroom house, so it suits a bigger home or one where a single can may not stretch, and you have a spare to hand.
Pros:
- Two 500ml cans in one pack
- Same listed ingredients as the single can
- Each can listed for approximately a 3-4 bedroom house
Best Professional — Pest Expert Formula C+ Flea Killer Spray 1L
Spray
Pest Expert Formula C+ Flea Killer Spray 1L
Best Professional
- Title states "Approved for Amateur Use"
- The maker states three active ingredients, one of them the growth regulator pyriproxyfen
- Listed as covering 50 square metres per application; 1 litre
- The maker claims a residue that continues to protect for up to 12 weeks
- Listed as water-based and virtually odourless; keep children and pets out until dry, approx. 2-3 hours
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Pick this if you would prefer to avoid an aerosol. It is a 1-litre water-based spray the listing calls virtually odourless, with three actives including the growth regulator pyriproxyfen and coverage of 50 square metres per application. Keep children and pets out until it dries, about 2 to 3 hours by the listing.
Pros:
- Water-based and listed as virtually odourless
- Three actives including the growth regulator pyriproxyfen
- 50 square metres per application, as listed
- Maker claims residual protection for up to 12 weeks
Best Fast-Acting — RIP Fleas Extra Household Flea Spray
Spray
RIP Fleas Extra Household Flea Spray
Best Fast-Acting
- Fetched title: R.I.P Fleas Household Flea Spray; unit count 600 millilitres
- Target species listed as Insect, Flea, Fleas, Mites
- The maker claims 12 months efficacy against flea larvae and house dust mites
- No active substance is named on the listing
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This suits you if dust mites are on your list as well as fleas, since its target species field covers both. It is a 600ml household spray, and the maker claims 12 months of efficacy against flea larvae and house dust mites. The listing names no active substance, so check the can.
Pros:
- 600ml can, as listed
- Target species listed as fleas and mites
- Maker claims 12 months efficacy against flea larvae and house dust mites
Best Value — Bob Martin Clear Plus Flea Spray 500ml Twin Pack
Spray
Bob Martin Clear Plus Flea Spray 500ml Twin Pack
Best Value
- Ingredients listed as permethrin 0.5%, tetramethrin 0.1% and S-methoprene 0.05%
- Listed as 500ml, pack of 2 — unit count 1,000 millilitres
- The maker claims up to 3 months against adult fleas and up to 12 months against eggs and larvae
- Directions: spray from 30cm; listed for carpets, rugs and pet bedding
- Target species listed as Flea
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This suits you if the pet's bed needs doing as well as the floors, since it is listed for carpets, rugs and pet bedding, sprayed from 30cm. The two 500ml cans list permethrin, tetramethrin and the growth regulator S-methoprene at stated percentages. The maker claims up to 3 months against adult fleas and up to 12 months against eggs and larvae.
Pros:
- Two 500ml cans in the pack
- Three listed actives with percentages stated
- Listed for carpets, rugs and pet bedding
- Maker claims up to 12 months against eggs and larvae
Start with your situation
- You have a dog or a cat. The guidance is that eradication requires treating the pet, and often the premises (UKY) — the pet comes first.
- You want to know what you are allowed to use. HSE separates general-public products from professional ones — the legal position.
- You sprayed and fleas are still appearing. UC IPM says that is expected for up to two weeks — where a spray does not help.
- You want the one that names a growth regulator. Three of the five do — the comparison table states which.
The Pet Comes First
No spray on this page is listed for use on an animal. The University of Kentucky puts the order plainly: “Flea eradication requires treatment of pets, and oftentimes the premises.” The premises is what these five treat.
What they treat it for is the part of the infestation that is not an adult. UC IPM: “Products containing the insect growth regulators (IGRs) methoprene and pyriproxyfen are designed to provide long-term control of flea eggs and immatures in the environment.” (UC IPM). Which listings name one is the first criterion below.
The Legal Position on Home Insecticides
HSE’s guidance on using biocides: “If you are a member of the public, you should only use biocidal products that are intended for the general public - sometimes the terms 'amateur' or 'non-professional' might be used instead.” (HSE). One listing here carries that status in its own title — the Pest Expert spray’s reads Approved for Amateur Use. The others are sold on the same shelf; the label on the can is what states it.
HSE also says what the label is for: “Following the label instructions carefully should be enough to allow the product to be used safely and effectively.” Directions that appear on a listing — remove pets, birds and fish aquaria; spray from 30cm or 50cm; keep children and pets out until dry — are repeated on the cards as the maker’s directions.
Where a Spray Does Not Help
It does not kill pupae. UC IPM on insecticide treatment of the home: “This treatment kills larvae but not pupae, so fleas may continue to emerge for up to 2 weeks.” The University of Kentucky gives the window: “Pupae remain inside the cocoon for 1 to 4 weeks.”
It does not reach a cold room quickly. UC IPM: “At cool temperatures, fully formed fleas can remain in their cocoons for up to 12 months.”
It does not treat the animal. A treated house with an untreated pet is reinfested from the pet, which is why the pet comes first above.
What Decides the Choice
1. Whether the listing names a growth regulator
Three of the five do: both Indorex listings state pyriproxyfen, the Pest Expert listing states pyriproxyfen among three actives, and the Bob Martin listing states S-methoprene. The R.I.P listing names no active substance at all. UC IPM names methoprene and pyriproxyfen as the two IGRs used for this purpose.
2. What the listing says it covers
Indorex: approximately a 3-4 bedroom house per can. Pest Expert: 50 square metres per litre. Bob Martin and R.I.P state a volume but no area. The table carries each as stated.
3. What the listing says to do with pets and people
Indorex’s directions remove pets, birds and fish aquaria before spraying and ventilate afterwards. Pest Expert’s keep children and pets out until surfaces are dry, which the listing puts at 2-3 hours. These are conditions of use, and they differ.
If a Spray Is Not the Answer
Vacuum. University of Kentucky: “Vacuuming removes many of the eggs, larvae and pupae developing within the home.” UC IPM: “Vacuum upholstered furniture, cleaning under cushions and in crevices.”
Treat the pet, with a vet. Outside what this page cards; our flea guide covers the full sequence.
Get a professional in. HSE: “If you are not a professional, consider using a professional pest controller to deal with the problem.”
Using Them
- Treat the pet first.
- Vacuum before spraying, including under cushions and in crevices.
- Follow the listing’s own directions for the room. They differ between products and they are conditions of use.
- Keep vacuuming for two weeks. UC IPM: “Vacuum regularly to remove adult fleas that emerge from pupae for the next 2 weeks.”
Did You Know?
Fleas seen in the fortnight after treatment are adults emerging from pupae the spray could not reach. That is the guidance above, not a product failing.