How to Clean Your Home When Your Pet Has Ringworm: Hair, Surfaces and Laundry

Ringworm is not a worm. It is a fungal skin infection that dogs, cats and people can all catch, and its spores ride around on shed hair and skin flakes. Your veterinarian treats your pet. Your job at home is to clean up the hair and spores so the infection does not spread to other pets or family members, or come back after treatment. This guide covers how to set up, how to clean and disinfect, laundry, and the final clean once your vet gives the all clear.

It is written in line with home cleaning advice from RSPCA South Australia and the Worms & Germs infection control blog at the Ontario Veterinary College, both linked under further reading. It covers cleaning only. Diagnosis and treatment are for your veterinarian, and if anyone in the family has a skin rash, they should see their own doctor.

Why cleaning matters with ringworm

Ringworm spreads easily between animals and people. Wherever an infected pet sheds hair or skin, the fungus can be left behind, which is why it can linger in a home for a long time.

In practice, most of the spores sit on tiny bits of infected hair, and the hair can shield them from disinfectant. That makes physically removing hair the most important step, before you disinfect anything.

Set up one easy to clean room

Cleaning is far easier if your pet stays in one small space with little furniture and no carpet while it is treated. A bathroom, laundry room or a large crate on a hard floor all work.

Take out rugs, cushions and anything fabric you do not need in there.
Give your pet bedding and toys that can go in the washing machine.
Keep a set of clothes just for time with your pet, so you do not carry spores around the house, and wash them each week with the other contaminated items.
Keep a pair of gloves and a lint roller by the door.

Step 1: remove the hair

Before any disinfectant goes on, clean every hard surface properly: vacuum and sweep up all hair and debris, then wash the surface with detergent and water. Disposable dusting cloths pick hair up, while a broom tends to push it around and into the air.

Rinse well afterwards. Leftover detergent can stop some disinfectants from working.

Step 2: disinfect hard surfaces

Once surfaces are clean, apply a disinfectant to everything that is not porous. If you buy a cleaner, pick one whose label says it works against ringworm fungus, use plenty, and leave the surface wet for the full contact time on the label, often around 10 minutes, before wiping.

Household bleach is another option. Recommended dilutions vary from about 1 part bleach in 10 parts water to 1 in 100, so ask your veterinarian which strength they prefer. Whatever you use:

Follow the product label, including the contact time.
Never mix bleach with other cleaners.
Test on a hidden spot first, since bleach can mark wood, some floor finishes and fabrics.
Keep your pet out of the room until surfaces are rinsed and dry.

Floors, rugs and furniture

Wood floors: pick up hair and dust daily with a disposable dusting cloth, and mop with a wood floor soap rather than bleach.
Carpet: carpet is very hard to fully decontaminate. It needs frequent vacuuming, with the bag or bin emptied straight away. This is the main reason to keep your pet off carpet during treatment.
Rugs and sofas: vacuum them thoroughly once your pet is settled in its room. Washable rugs can go in the machine with the other contaminated laundry.
Walls, lamps and other surfaces: wipe and scrub them the same way as floors.

Emptying the vacuum

Do not let spores sit in the vacuum. With a bagged vacuum, throw the bag out as soon as you finish. With a bagless one, empty the canister into a bag, tie it and put it in the trash straight away. Wear gloves while you do it. Afterwards, see how to clean a pet hair vacuum and its filters for the brush roll and filters.

Laundry

Wash it separately. Keep your pet’s bedding, toys and the clothes you wear around it apart from the rest of the household laundry.
Do not overfill the machine. A loosely loaded machine moves fabric more and washes hair out better.
Clean the machine afterwards. When the contaminated loads are done, wipe the washer and dryer with a disinfectant and run the washer empty. See how to clean pet hair out of a washing machine and dryer.
Things you cannot wash: items that cannot be laundered or properly disinfected may have to be thrown away. Ask your vet before throwing out anything valuable.

For pet beds with foam inserts, see how to clean a dog bed or cat bed.

Brushes, bowls, the car and the furnace filter

Brushes and combs: clean them of hair, wash them in hot soapy water and then disinfect them, along with cages and carriers. Keep a separate brush for the infected pet. See how to clean grooming brushes and combs.
Car: vacuum the seats thoroughly and wash any seat cover your pet has used.
Heating: clean heating vents as well as you can. If you have forced air heating, change the furnace filter often, weekly if you can, while you are cleaning up.

How often to clean

While your pet is being treated and kept in its room, a full clean and disinfection twice a week is a good routine. In between, pick up hair and debris every day, for example with a cleaning wipe on the surfaces in your pet’s room.

Keep going until your veterinarian says your pet is clear. Cleaning only works alongside the treatment your vet prescribes.

The final clean

Once your vet gives the all clear, give the whole house one last thorough clean and disinfection. Keep your pet’s room closed until it has been cleaned and disinfected at least twice, and wash all the bedding, toys and clothes used during treatment one final time, separately from other laundry.

If your vet diagnoses parvo instead, the cleaning is different again. See how to disinfect your home after parvo.

Keep cleanup supplies ready

Our Pet Cleanup Kit is a stain and odor cleaner for carpets and fabrics. It is not a ringworm disinfectant, so use a product your vet recommends for the steps above.

Dealing with fleas instead? See how to clean your home during a flea problem.

Frequently asked questions

Can ringworm spread from my pet to my family?

Yes. People can catch ringworm from pets, and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk. Anyone with a suspicious rash should see their doctor.

What kills ringworm spores on surfaces?

Remove the hair first, then disinfect. Use a cleaner labelled as effective against ringworm fungus, left wet for its full contact time, or diluted household bleach at the strength your vet recommends.

Can you get ringworm out of carpet?

It is hard. Carpet needs frequent vacuuming with the bag or bin emptied straight away. Keeping your pet off carpet during treatment is the simplest fix.

How often should I clean when my pet has ringworm?

A full clean and disinfection twice a week while your pet is treated and confined, with hair picked up daily in between.