Yes, Pine Sol can kill bed bugs but only if you spray so much on one bed bug that it drowns in the liquid. If you simply spray a small amount on the bug, their exoskeleton protects them from it and the bug is able to run away and escape. The strong smell and alcohol content of Pine Sol is able to temporarily deter bed bugs but it is not a practical or completely effective way to eradicate all the bed bugs from your home.
In this article, we will discuss why Pine Sol does or does not kill bed bugs and what products actually work against these annoying pests.
What is Pine Sol?
Pine Sol is a multipurpose cleaner that is used on laundry as well as solid surfaces. The “Pine” in its name pertains to the pine oil that is its active ingredient. But more recent formulations of the product use the pine oil more for its fragrance and no longer as its active ingredient.
Does Pine Sol kill bed bugs?
Yes, Pine Sol can kill bed bugs, but only if you drown it in excessive amounts of the product. You will end up using and spraying a lot of the product that is why it is not a practical bed bug killing product. You will only end up wasting the product and wasting your money. There are far more effective and less expensive ways to kill bed bugs. These tested and proven products are lab-tested and made specifically to kill bed bugs.
Heavy Pine Sol usage in your home will also make the bed bugs hide away even more because they do not like the smell and the alcohol in the product. So, if you want to use the Pine Sol to kill bed bugs, you would have to trap them in a container to drown them.
Does Pine Sol kill bed bug eggs?
Yes, Pine Sol can kill bed bugs if used the right way. It can take a day to make sure it is effective. Make sure you spray the product directly on the bed bug eggs until they are soaked.
You can make a solution of one part Pine Sol and two parts hot water. Pine Sol is more effective against bed bug eggs because they cannot run away and are just soaked in the product. The outer shell of the eggs will eventually break down exposing the interior of the egg, effectively killing the would-be bed bug.
Can I use Pine Sol to kill bed bugs?
Yes, you can use Pine Sol to kill bed bugs. Make a solution of one part Pine Sol and two parts hot distilled water and place it in a clean spray bottle. Spray the solution on the bed bug and make sure they are drenched in the liquid. This will help their exoskeleton disintegrate which then dehydrates their insides.
If you are convinced that the bed bugs you just killed are the only ones in your home, you can also use the same solution to deter the bed bugs and prevent them from coming back.
Using the same solution mentioned above, spray it on the areas in your home that you know bed bugs have hidden in before.
Spray the solution in the cracks on your walls and make sure it gets in the tiniest crevices to affect any bugs and eggs that may have wedged themselves deeply. Let the solution seep into the walls. This will not damage your walls, in fact, it will help clean your walls by removing any stains left there by the bed bugs.
You can also use Pine Sol to clean any bed bug stain on your mattress. Bed bugs can leave blood stains when you roll over a bed bug that has just fed. Bed bug feces also leave inkblot-like stains on your mattress, linen, and clothes. Pine Sol is a strong enough detergent to remove these annoying stains. To deter bed bugs from your mattress, spray it with the Pine Sol solution, especially in the edges and seams.
What are other ways to remove bed bugs from my home?
Vacuuming your home
Vacuuming your floors and carpet are a given, but make sure you also vacuum any item in your house that has a furry texture such as your mattress, furniture, duvet, and mats. These textured surfaces can house bed bugs too. They have a lot of areas bed bugs can hide in. vacuuming will help remove the bed bugs on the fibers.
Vacuum the walls to remove bugs and eggs in the cracks.
Mattress encasement
Use a bed bug-proof plastic encasement on your mattress and box spring. This cover will keep bed bugs from infesting your mattress and it will also starve and kill the bed bugs that are already in your mattress. Make sure to keep the encasement on for longer than a year because some bed bugs are known to survive over a year without feeding.
Wash your linen and clothes
Wash your clothes and linen regularly. Place them in the washing machine and run them on the hot wash cycle for over 30 minutes. The heat, water, and soap will kill most, if not all, of the bed bugs. Then place the laundry in the dryer and dry it on the highest temperature setting for at least 30 minutes. If there were bed bugs or eggs that survived the wash, the heat from the dryer will kill them.
Conclusion
Yes, Pine Sol can kill bed bugs, but only if you spray the solution on the bed bug generously until it drowns in the liquid. It is not a practical way to kill bed bugs since it will only result in you wasting the product and your money. If Pine Sol is all you currently have in your house and you want to kill the bed bugs you just spotted, spray them with a solution of one part Pine Sol and two parts hot water. This will drown the bed bug and the Pine Sol will help disintegrate their exoskeleton, hence dehydrating their insides. The same solution can also be sprayed on bed bug eggs. Spray the liquid on the eggs to soak them and they will die in a day.
Spray the solution in areas of your house you suspect to have bed bugs as it will act as a deterrent.
Image: istockphoto.com / Evgenia Tsvirko