Does All Dish Soap Kill Fleas

Many of us may be familiar with this question that we’ve heard many times: which is better – Dawn or Cascade dish soap? But does the question still remain – is Dawn better than Cascade in killing fleas? Based on an independent study, we have a positive answer. Dealing with fleas can be a real pain. Fleas are, well, flea-y. They jump all around, they’re difficult to kill, and they can jump super high. But why are we talking about fleas in an article about soap? Soap doesn’t have anything to do with fleas! Well, maybe it does. The good news is you can use bars of regular old dish soap to get rid of fleas! For some, having fleas indoors is a worse nightmare than for others. There is an old saying that goes like this, “Before you judge another, walk a mile in their shoes.” Maybe it’s time to put yourself in the place of a person walking through the grass or weeds on their way somewhere when suddenly they have to stop in their tracks because they have just stepped onto a spot of insect slime that smells like fresh lemon mixed with vinegar. Understand how it feels when a flea jumps from one spot onto their lower leg and quickly heads toward the opposite leg un-checked. Could the flea be heading for the more private regions of your body? Would it be better for that flea to never reach its destination and find another resting place elsewhere instead? Fleas are pests that not only affect your furry friends, but also humans. If you have a flea infestation in your home and yard, the last thing you’ll want to do is use a product that could potentially harm your family and pets.

Does All Dish Soap Kill Fleas

How Does Dawn Dish Soap Kill Fleas?

Dawn’s ability to remove grease, grime and oil from wild birds can be attributed to a chemical reaction.

When soapy water is combined with oil or grease, it forms micelles (clusters of soap molecules) that trap the gunk, explains Dr. Chris Reeder, a board-certified veterinary dermatologist with BluePearl Pet Hospital in Franklin, Tennessee.

To kill fleas, a completely different process occurs.

Fleas have exoskeletons that allow them to float in water, explains Dr. Reeder. “Dawn (and other soaps like it) creates a kind of surfactant, or surface tension, that will compromise the exoskeleton and make adult fleas sink,” he says. So essentially, the soap drowns the fleas.

Why Can’t Dawn Dish Soap Control Flea Infestations?

Although Dawn kills fleas, veterinarians say it doesn’t repel them or prevent infestations. Think of it as more of a temporary fix than a permanent solution.

“Since only a small percentage of fleas are on a pet at any given time, fleas from the environment will simply hop right back on and restart the infestation cycle,” says Dr. Jennifer Coates, DVM, a veterinary writer, editor and consultant based in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Plus, flea populations can quickly grow out of control, says Dr. Reeder. “One adult flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day. Even if 10 percent hatch, then that would be five fleas from one female, and the majority [of the hatching fleas] will be female,” he says.

Dawn was not designed to be a flea repellent, let alone one that can control this many fleas for extended periods of time.

Dawn Kills Adult Fleas, But What About the Offspring?

While Dawn dish soap is used primarily to kill adult fleas, says Dr. Reeder, there are three other flea life stages to consider.

“Adult female fleas lay eggs that fall into the environment. Over a period of days, they hatch, and a larval (centipede-looking) form emerges, lasts for a few days, then forms a pupa (or cocoon),” Dr. Reeder says.

The problem with killing just adult fleas that you can see is that you’re not eradicating all those other stages. “Every time your dog or cat is outside and you [bathe them] with the soap product, you’re not doing anything to really reduce the local flea population,” Dr. Reeder explains.

Can Dawn Dish Soap Can Irritate a Pet’s Skin?

Veterinarians also generally don’t recommend using Dawn for fleas because of skin-related issues.

“For example, if the pet already has irritation from having a number of fleas on the skin, and you’re putting Dawn on skin that’s already irritated, there is potential for it to worsen,” says Dr. Reeder.

Dawn is not the best shampoo product for dogs with bacterial skin infections, and it’s not labeled for canine or feline use, he says.

Instead, you should opt for a product designed specifically for pets, says Dr. Reeder.

Does All Dish Soap Kill Fleas

Does All Dish Soap Kill Fleas?

Yes, it does. However, it’s important to use the right kind of soap. You need to find a product that contains sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS for short. This is the only ingredient that will kill fleas on contact.

SLS is an organic compound that is commonly used in cleaning products like dish soaps and laundry detergents because it has antibacterial properties that kill germs and prevent them from spreading any further than where they already are present on your clothes or dishes.

The reason why this particular compound is so effective when it comes to killing fleas is because it works by drying out their exoskeleton which causes them to die off within 24 hours after being exposed to the chemical components found within SLS-based dish soap’s ingredients (which include sodium dodecyl sulfate).

This means that if you have pets who spend most of their time outside while they play around with other animals or roam freely around your house without any supervision whatsoever then you should definitely consider using an all-purpose dish soap such as Dawn!

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