Does Pine-Sol Kill Fleas? Vet-Approved Facts & Safety
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Disclaimer: The information about these products has been fact-checked by one of our licensed veterinarians, but the purpose of this post is not to diagnose illness or prescribe treatment. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the veterinarian. We recommend contacting your pet’s veterinarian before using the products described.
If you keep seeing black spots jumping around your home and have noticed tiny red, itchy bumps on your skin, you probably have fleas in your home. If you have pets, they’re probably to blame—but not always. Either way, it’s less important to know how you got them and more important to know how to get rid of them. Pine-Sol is an effective disinfectant that can be used on many surfaces. Not only does it have deodorizing properties, but it can kill most germs as well as those pesky fleas.
If you’ve got some of this handy multi-purpose cleaner in your kitchen, it’s time to bring it out and put it to good use. Although it isn’t an insecticide, it’s made up of ingredients that are toxic to fleas and a few other insects. Provided the instructions are carefully followed, Pine-Sol should not pose a risk to your pets, but be aware that it, like many powerful household cleaners, contains ingredients that can be irritant, toxic or even deadly to your furry family members if used incorrectly or if your pet ingests or comes into contact with undiluted cleaner.
So before you get started on treating the house, you should speak to your vet about the best way to treat and control fleas on your pets; Pine-sol must not be used to treat them.
Why Pine-Sol Is Effective at Killing Fleas
If you’ve spotted fleas in your house, you’ve probably already got every stage of a flea’s life cycle too, which means you have an infestation. Pine-Sol is a great product to use because the alcohol it contains kills fleas, regardless of the form it’s in. That means that it can kill flea eggs, larvae, cocoons, and adult fleas on surfaces.
Another reason why it’s so effective is its inclusion of pine or eucalyptus. These essential oils have been added to the solution to give off a fragrance that makes your home smell fresh and clean. It also happens to be a scent that repels certain insects, such as fleas.
Pine-Sol can be used on a variety of surfaces, which means that you can use this cleaner widely throughout your house, killing the fleas hiding in your nooks and crannies. You can use it on your wooden floors, your carpeted bedroom floors, outside your door on the cement, and in any room with ceramic tiles.
How To Use Pine-Sol to Get Rid of Fleas Effectively
It’s worth noting that in order to be effective outside the house, Pine-sol would need to be used undiluted, which is not safe for pets, so we don’t recommend using it for this.
Mop Your Floors
Be sure to dilute the Pine-Sol according to the directions on the bottle. Use this mixture to mop your floors, including the pantry, garage, and entertainment areas. Pay particular attention to cracks, crevices and hard to reach spaces, as these are where fleas are most likely to be lurking.
Avoid surfaces where your pets spend a lot of time or where their food and water bowls are kept, and ensure you keep food and water bowls out of the way when you are using this product.
Focus on Your Carpets
Fleas and their eggs can hide quite well in carpets, so give them special attention. You should shampoo your carpets as you normally would but add 1/8 cup of the solution to the rinse water. After a thorough clean, along with the additional Pine-Sol, fleas will have a low chance of survival in your carpets.
Is It Safe to Use Pine-Sol on My Pets?
Although you can kill fleas with the use of Pine-Sol on just about anything, you cannot use it on your pets. Pine-Sol contains ingredients that are toxic to pets and should not be used as a flea treatment on their coats and skin. If it is, your cat or dog may ingest the chemicals and become very sick. It can also cause skin irritation as well as burns.
Don’t risk your pet’s health by using Pine-Sol on them. Instead, chat with your vet about flea treatment that you can use on your pets. Otherwise go to your local pet store and get a flea and tick shampoo that has been specifically formulated for your dog or cat.
Your vet may recommend a flea treatment that is available in the form of a liquid that you’ll need to apply to the back of your pet’s neck, a treatment that needs to be given orally in the form of a tablet, or they may recommend a flea collar that your pet will need to wear around their neck.
Conclusion
Pine-Sol does effectively kill fleas, their larvae and eggs. Although it is a surface cleaner and not an insecticide, its ingredients repel and kill fleas at every stage of their life cycle. With pets in the home, the safest way to use it is diluted according to the manufacturer instructions.
Never use Pine-Sol directly on your pets, and keep them out of the way when you are cleaning as it contains ingredients that can be toxic to them too.
Featured Image Credit: Vera Larina, Shutterstock
