If you have a well-manicured yard or lawn, then there is probably nothing you wouldn’t do to keep it in pristine condition.
That includes spraying the yard with dawn for fleas to ensure it is in good a condition as possible.
But is dawn soap that ideal for lawns? Wouldn’t it have any effects on the grass whenever you use it on your lawn?
We have here things you need to know like how to do this and the effect of dish soap on lawns.
How To Spray Yard With Dawn Dish Detergent?
Of course, you can. Dawn dishwasher soap is one of the many homemade solutions you could have for flying bugs like fleas.
A little of the dawn soap in suitable proportions can help you get rid of fleas in your yard.
- Mix Water And Dawn Soap In A Sprayer
Get a sprayer and mix water and about 1oz of the soap. Shake thoroughly to ensure the water mixes with the soap well.
- Spray The Yard
Spray the whole garden with the mixture paying special attention to places you suspect have lots of fleas.
Repeat the spraying until you are sure you have covered every inch of your yard.
It would be best if you did this in the evening to increase the chances of getting as many fleas as possible.
- Check And Confirm That There Are No Fleas
Check for fleas the following day. If you notice any more fleas, then it means the eggs that were left behind hatched.
Spray again every evening to eliminate them. You will have to be doing this for as long as possible. That’s the only way to avoid giving the fleas any chance to return.
To kill the eggs of the fleas, you will have to spray your yard with dawn soap continually.
After you are sure there aren’t any fleas in your yard, you could be spraying monthly to keep them at bay.
What Is The Effect Of Dish Soap On Lawns?
We know we have already mentioned that dawn soap is a practical, easy way to eliminate fleas in your yard.
What we haven’t told you is the effect it could have on your yard. Most soaps have chemicals that wouldn’t bode so well for grass on a lawn or yard.
So, is dawn soap that safe for use in a yard with grass?
It depends on the amount of dish soap you use. You might have noticed that we mentioned using only 1oz of the soap with water in a spray bottle.
That’s because too much of it could have repercussions for your yard.
Dawn soap is made with chemicals that would dry and kill most grasses and weeds on immediate contact.
If you use too much of it, you could end up with a charred yard that won’t be as beautiful as you want.
That’s why it’s a good idea only to use it in small amounts as soon as you notice any signs of fleas. It would also help if you used your garden hose reel to clean the dawn soap after spraying.
Another way to ensure the soap is kind on your lawn is to spray only the affected parts.
The temptation to spray everywhere will be pretty high since you don’t know where precisely the fleas are hiding.
However, you could find the most affected areas with a little looking and pay close attention to them. You don’t have to spray your whole yard if you can avoid it.
The 24-hour residual effect should, however, enable most other grasses to survive the dawn detergent. The theme here is to use it in as little amounts as possible.
What Chemical In Dawn Dishwasher Soap Kills Grass And Weeds?
There is quite the price to pay for using dawn soap to kill fleas in your yard. You might have to contend with drying grass for some time.
What is the dawn dishwasher soap that makes it that bad for grass on lawns, though?
Of the many chemicals in the dawn dishwasher, soap is sodium lauryl sulfate. This chemical confers to the soap an ability to make dishes cleaner faster.
Unfortunately, that is also what makes it harmful to lawn grass.
The chemical in the soap works by dehydrating the fleas, killing them. The problem is that it isn’t the fleas alone that suffer this fate.
It will also dehydrate the grass and leave it dry if you use it in excess amounts.
That’s why it’s a good idea always to use minimal amounts of the dishwasher in your mixture when spraying.
If you think the price is too steep for you to pay, you could try out alternatives that might be safer.
What Is The Best Alternative For Dish Soap?
Although cheap, effective, and easy to use against fleas, dish soap can have repercussions for the grass.
However, there is an alternative to all that. Insecticidal soap is a worthy replacement if you are concerned about the health of the grass on your lawn.
Insecticidal soap is a less toxic option if you seek a long-term solution for fleas in your yard. It has fewer harmful chemicals that kill fleas while protecting the grass.
One thing you will like about this pesticide soap is that it is pretty specific in its action. What that means is that it won’t indiscriminately kill all the insects.
That is an important aspect of any soap you want to use in your yard.
That’s because not all insects are harmful. Some bugs and bees are beneficial to your grass and help it to grow healthier.
The insecticidal soap does an excellent job of avoiding killing all the insects and only acts on the fleas.
We wouldn’t say the same about dawn dishwasher soap.
Therefore, if you want a long-term solution for fleas in your yard, it would be a good idea to try the insecticidal soap instead.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes. It coats them first, then kills them!
Dawn can kill fleas within just 5 minutes.
Dawn soap is cheap and easy to use against fleas. That’s what makes it a popular choice for most people. Its effectiveness is something else that makes it so well-loved. It can kill all the fleas in your yard with ease.
Dawn dishwasher soap is okay if you use it in small amounts. 1 oz of the dish soap in water should be enough to kill fleas. However, if you use it in excess amounts, you could dry the grass in your yard.
Absolutely! Mix a little dawn soap with water, then wash your dog or cat with the mixture. That will help kill the fleas on your pet and prevent them from taking the fleas to your yard.
Final Thoughts
Spraying the yard with Dawn for fleas is an effective way to eradicate and protect your yard from fleas.
You, however, need to go about it with care as excess amounts of the dawn detergent could dry your grass.
We hope you now have a better idea of how you will eliminate fleas in your yard. If you can’t get dawn dishwasher soap, get an insecticide soap.
It would work better and also be safer for the yard.
All the best.
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How much water should be mixed with 1 oz of Dawn soap