This is not the first time we hear household cleaners provide a chemical barrier that makes them an ant deterrent. But does Pine Sol keep ants away? Is it a TRUE ant repellent?
I’d say YES!
Ants are hyper-sensitive to Pine Sol’s robust aroma because they are made with natural pine essential oil and other powerful cleaning agents.
They find it very disturbing and won’t dare come anywhere close.
Of course, there are other ant repellents or killers that are far more effective. But if you have Pine Sol handy, it can still get the job done.
Does Pine Sol Keep Ants Away?
We now know Pine Sol is more than just a great cleaning staple that meets your household needs. It is also capable of keeping ants at bay.
So if you want these pesky bugs to vacate your space, you can use a little splash of pine sol. This will set the entire colony running, as well as eliminate some.
As I said, there are plenty of natural ant repellents, especially essential oils. You can use the following:
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Orange Essential Oil
- Tea Tree Essential Oil
- Eucalyptus Essential Oil
- Lavender Essential Oil
- Cinnamon Essential Oil
- Clove Essential oil
- Cedarwood Essential Oil
- Citronella Essential Oil
Since these oils are antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal, they all make excellent natural disinfectants and bug repellents.
But let’s not veer to other solutions. Let’s stick with the household cleaners, okay?
So aside Pine Sol, what other cleaner keeps ants away?
Well, you can bank on a 50/50 mixture of bleach and water, 409 multipurpose cleaner, and some Comet powder.
Comet appears to be the most effective when tested on an ant parade, only sparing fewer ants. Second in line is Pine Sol; third goes to the bleach/water and 409 cleaner.
Also Read: Can You Mix Pine Sol And Bleach?
So does Pine Sol keep ants away? 100% YES!
But how much do you know about this cleaner besides being the best-selling all-purpose cleaning product?
Let’s find out!
4 Unexpected Uses Of Pine Sol
The fragrance and germ-free results are the reward for cleaning with Pine Sol.
It smells like walking through a pine forest every time you clean. It is why most people have a big nostalgia for it.
But that is not the reason why it cleans so well. It is made with REAL Pine essential oil, water, alcohol solvent with antibacterial properties, powerful cleaning agents, Isopropyl, and Xanthan gum.
All of these ingredients made it stretch beyond regular uses. For instance:
1. Pine Sol Kills Coronavirus
This is not a made-up story. Pine Sol can actually kill Coronavirus.
It was added to EPA’s list of approved killers for Coronavirus on hard non-porous surfaces. You can confirm it at CNN or prnewswire.
Yes, this famous household cleaner was tested and showed results it could eliminate the virus in just 10 minutes.
2. It Kills 99.9% Of Germs
Pine Sol is SO good at killing germs.
This is why clean freaks and germaphobes keep singing glory to this product. You just have to ensure you get the Original Pine Sol that says “kills 99.9% of Germs.”
WARNING!!! The other scents aren’t the same. DO NOT purchase the Pine Glow that looks precisely like Pine Sol. They won’t kill germs effectively, let alone Covid.
To use the Pine Sol full strength, apply it with a clean sponge or cloth on the surface. Wet it and let it stand for 10 minutes, and then rinse it off.
3. Keeps Flies Away
Pine Sol doesn’t just clean floors. Some horse owners swear by it for flies. They use it to keep their horse fly free.
How does it work?
Pine Sol contains pine oil, which flies find offensive. However, it shouldn’t be used directly from the bottle—pour some into a spray bottle first and dilute it with water when using Pine-Sol for fly control.
Make it a fly-repellent mix by mixing one cup of water, vinegar, and a third cup of original scent pine sol. Then spray where needed.
4. Pine Sol Is Wasp Killer
If you have a problem with wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, or bees, pine sol can spare you from their painful stings.
Just don’t use it on honeybees because we need them to help pollinate the food plants in our garden.
You have to use the spray full strength as the insecticide. Mix 80% pine sol to 20% and spray it in your desired areas.
5. It Keeps unwanted Animals Away
If your garden has a raccoon or rodents problem, mix a 50/50 Pine Sol and water, then spray.
The Pine-Sol smell is repulsive to most of these animals, so it will scare them away.
Conclusion
Think of pine sol as a BB gun loaded with a nice smelling shot (scent molecules) which, unlike other harsh cleaners, are meant to be captured and detected by our scent receptors.
Although the reason why has to do with the cleaning agent’s main ingredient: pine oil.
Ultimately, if you are trying to get rid of ants, there are some other options that you can try before resorting to Pine Sol.