Dawn dish soap kills bed bugs because it contains strong irritants and surfactants that can destroy an insect’s outer shell on contact. Additionally, it has a citrus scent that repels bugs on any surface. Bed bugs will not crawl on dawn solution since they cannot stand its fragrance.
To kill bed bugs and their eggs, combine 125ml of dawn dish soap with 100ml of hot water in a spray bottle and sprinkle it on them. Then soak a hand towel with the solution and use it to wipe off their eggs. After that, add 1/2 cup of dawn in your mopping bucket when cleaning to get rid of hidden bed bugs on wooden floors.
Dawn comes in different types and the most effective one against bed bugs is the 3X Ultra Blue because it is stronger than the non-ultra varieties. The regular one is not concentrated and doesn’t work with ease against bugs when compared to Dawn Ultra. However, Platinum Dawn can also kill bed bugs effectively since it is loaded with strong disinfectants and surfactants.
Can dawn dish soap kill bed bug eggs?
Bed bug eggs are soft and sometimes, they tend to stick on surfaces. Since dawn dish soap is designed to cut through greasy stains, it can kill bed bug eggs by detaching them from any surface. Once they are down, dawn will also soak and destroy the eggs’ contents thanks to its antibacterial properties.
To increase its effectiveness, combine equal parts of dawn and hot water and shower the eggs with the solution. This is a sure way of killing the eggs instantly since they cannot withstand a mixture of the two. Hot water kills bed bugs and this will help in terminating the females that lay eggs in the area on contact.
Bed bugs lay eggs in rounds and females hide in warm, dark areas to do so. Dawn may be too thick to penetrate into those areas. It is therefore important to make a soapy solution of dawn and water so that the solution can flow into gaps and cracks where the eggs and the female bugs are bidden.
For bed bug eggs that are stuck on surfaces, simply pour 4 ounces of dawn dish soap into a bucket. Then add 8 ounces of warm water and mix to make a soapy solution. Then deep a clean hand towel into the mixture and use it to scrub the eggs off. Those eggs are always soft and can be easily squashed in the process.
Do not worry about the egg’s contents that may spill when squeezed since dawn has strong antibacterial and sanitizing properties that can neutralize them. However, do not do this with your bare hands. Put on some gloves to avoid excessive soaking on your skin and contact with any germs and grime especially if there is a serious infestation.
How to kill bed bugs with dawn
You can either combine dawn with hot water in equal parts and spray it on bed bugs. However, straight dawn on bed bugs can also kill them as long as they are covered with it. It is important to mix dawn with hot water to improve its flowing ability since bugs hide in cracks.
Dawn soap is a surfactant meaning that it has the ability to break water surface tension. This will enable the bugs to drown on contact. A combination of water and dawn makes a soapy solution that can drown and suffocate bed bugs to death if they are drowned in it.
Bed bugs leave behind unpleasant stains and grime in their hiding areas which should be removed after they are gone. Dawn dish soap is also formulated to remove tough stains and this can help in getting rid of bed bug marks on any surface. It also contains sanitizing properties that can eliminate any pathogens left behind by the bugs.
Sometimes, bed bugs hide on wooden floors and they can also lay eggs in there. Do not worry about the blue color of dawn since it will not stain your floor or upholstery. To get rid of bed bugs on wooden floors, add 8 ounces of dawn dish soap to 3 liters of warm water in a mopping bucket. Then use this to clean the floor.
Squeeze the solution into any cracks and gaps so that it gets into the hidden bugs. When you are done, make another solution of dawn and use it to rinse the floor. Repeat this daily until the bed bugs are all gone. This will also help in killing other bugs like fleas on hardwood floors. Additionally, the floor is also left clean with no stains on it.
Dawn and vinegar for bed bugs
A strong solution of dawn and water is enough to get rid of bed bugs. However, vinegar can be added to the solution or used to clean the grime left behind when rinsing. White vinegar kills bed bugs and adding 2-3 ounces in a 250ml dawn solution will improve the bug control rate.
However, it is recommended to add this to the final rinse just as an additive. When cleaning wooden floors that are not varnished, do not use a combination of vinegar, dawn, and hot water. Those three are strong enough to discolor the surface and using them continuously may destroy the wood after some time.
Even with the wood has a good finishing on it, using hot water and down is not advisable. The water can just be warm but not hot. Vinegar should be added in small amounts just to get its repelling effect on the surface after cleaning.
When getting rid of bed bugs on your mattress, sprinkling a concentrated solution of dawn can work. Soaking your mattress with the solution is not really a good idea. The ideal way to do it is to identify the bed bugs and spray the solution on the target.
If possible, use it on your mattress on a sunny day when you can take the bedding out. Find the cracks and gaps on the mattress, spray any visible bugs and their eggs, Then use a clean towel soaked in dawn solution to scrap off the eggs.
Excessive exposure of bugs to sunlight can improve dawn’s efficiency. Even though sunlight cannot kill the bugs unless they are exposed to it for long. It will raise the temperatures and dawn dish soap will also irritate them thus they will either leave or die in the process.