Skip to Content

Does Ajax Kill Insects? (Detailed Guide)

Does Ajax Kill Insects? (Detailed Guide)

Ajax is an all-purpose cleaner used to clean multiple surfaces. It contains a 94% biodegradable formula with a recyclable cap.

Homeowners use Ajax cleaner as a secondary product to eliminate pesky insects at home. However, you can choose Ajax bleach or Ajax dishwashing liquid to deter insects from your indoor space.

Yes, Ajax is very effective in killing insects like mice, ants, roaches, and fleas. You can kill spiders and termites as well. You can quickly make an insect repelling spray by mixing Ajax soap cleaner with clean water.

Well, this article looks at how to use Ajax as an all-purpose cleaner and how you can use it to deal with several stubborn insects.

Does Ajax Kill Ants?

Yes! Mixing Ajax and water will help to kill ants instantaneously. However, the dishwashing liquid is not as effective as Ajax bleach in dealing with severe ant infestation. The dishwashing detergent emits a pungent smell that will only repel the ants. As such, it is not a suitable alternative to use as bait for ants.

Tip: Use Ajax all-purpose cleaner to deal with a minor ant invasion.

Ajax contains calcium carbonate, soda ash, dye, trichorocyanuric acid, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, dye, and fragrance. Furthermore, this cleaner fades the smell of dead ants and leaves a refreshing scent inside your home. You can use it regularly to repel insects in your home.

Also, you should note that not all ants will die if they come into contact with Ajax. This solution will only kill a few that have directly contacted it.

Mix an equal part of Ajax and water to ensure an effective concoction. You can also pour the mixture directly into the ants’ nest or soak a few cotton balls in the solution and place them along the ants’ trail.

Any ant that contacts the solution or cotton ball will die. The pungent citrus smell will repel the others that did not reach the solution. You can use Ajax cleaner at least twice a week to eliminate the infestation.

Does Ajax Kill Roaches?

Typically, Ajax will kill some and leave other roaches when sprayed. Though, you can drown the bugs. Drowning them is among the most effective techniques to use. Mix two parts Ajax all-purpose cleaner with one part water to maintain a concentrated solution.

Cockroaches are invertebrates breathing through small holes in their exoskeleton. So, adding Ajax all-purpose dishwashing detergent to water will decrease the surface tension.

Place the solution where you might have noticed roach activity and attract them using baits. The roaches will fall into the water and drown if they get too close. The solution will enter the roaches’ spiracles, and they will suffocate.

Unfortunately, the citrus scent in Ajax will deter roaches. So, when you spray it in specific spots, it will not kill them but repel them.

Pouring the liquid solution on the roaches is not as effective as drowning them. Cockroaches are fast and dodgy. So, they will only get wet but not die. It can also be challenging to spray direct shots of Ajax liquid detergent on these insects.

Regularly wipe surfaces with Ajax and clear dishes in the kitchen to avoid attracting other roaches from the garden.

Does Ajax Kill Bed Bugs?

Yes, you can use Ajax to flush out a few (maybe a handful) bed bugs from the furniture. Nonetheless, Ajax bleach cleaner is not the best product to use as an insecticide if you have a severe bedbug infestation. Ajax may appear ineffective, mainly because of how rapidly bedbugs multiply.

Besides, the citrus smell in Ajax cleaner will deter bedbugs. Also, you should spray enough shots of Ajax directly on the bedbugs to kill them. Note that the bleaching agent in this product has sodium hypochlorite to oxidize the bugs’ outer shell. You can also use Ajax to kill the eggs.

A bedbug infestation can be challenging, especially since they hide in tight spots like furniture crevices, mattresses, between furniture joints, and under the carpet.

Tip: Using Ajax bleach can also be a problem because the bleach might damage or discolor upholstery or fail to reach deep inside the furniture where the bedbugs are hiding.

Does Ajax Kill Fleas?

Yes! Ajax kills fleas. But you can only use it as a temporary solution because it does not repel or flush out an entire flea infestation. But you can still drown the fleas with Ajax as this detergent is used to drown roaches.

Drowning the fleas destroys the exoskeleton, killing them.

Fleas are a problem to pet owners because they pose a health hazard to the pet’s skin or fur. Your pet might lose its hair, get a skin rash, anemia (through blood-sucking), allergic reactions, and scabs. So, you should always use an Ajax to reduce the number of fleas on your pets.

Ensure your pet is not allergic to Ajax before using it to eliminate them. Afterward, dip your pet in a tub of Ajax mixed with clean water and gently scrub all areas, including all the spots that fleas might be hiding. Lastly, rinse your pet thoroughly after all the fleas are dead, then groom him.

Does Ajax Kill Mice?

Typically, Ajax might not kill rats. But, you can ensure mice inhale the bleach in large quantities. Remember that Ajax usually irritates mice; hence, they will avoid areas smelling Ajax. You need bait to kill mice with any cleaning product, including Ajax’s all-purpose cleaner.

Mice are unsanitary and carry diseases. Fortunately, Ajax cleaner will help to remove microbes in mice droppings, blood, or urine that have diseases. So, you should always clean and disinfect surfaces with Ajax cleaner will repel mice and other pests.

Mix Ajax with water, then wipe surfaces to repel mice. Also, you can sprinkle Ajax solution in all rodent-prone areas because continuous inhaling of the scent might eventually kill the mice. You can also try to be more practical and mix Ajax with any food items mice love, like peanut butter, to block a mouse’s digestion system.

Does Ajax Kill Spiders?

Ajax household cleaners can kill spiders. Though, it will be effective if you drown them in the solution. You can use Ajax soap or bleach to kill this insect, depending on the level of infestation. Ajax damages the soft spider’s exoskeleton and removes the protective cuticle suffocating it.

On the contrary, Spiders breathe through their outer body. Ajax bleach will also remove or block their exoskeleton’s spiracles and interfere with breathing, causing death.

Drowning spiders in a mixture of Ajax and water is another effective technique for dealing with stubborn arachnids. When spiders stay in water for too long, they will suffocate.

Spiders will float because of surface tension if you try to drown them in pure water. Similarly, spraying enough Ajax all-purpose cleaner directly on the spider’s exoskeleton can cause significant damage.

Note: The citrus smell of Ajax repels spiders.

Does Ajax Kill Termites?

Ajax can kill a few termites. This product is, however, not effective in eliminating an entire infestation and also, and spraying Ajax in areas where termites cluster will not kill them. You should try to pour Ajax bleach directly on their bodies or drown them in Ajax solution for effective results.

Termites can be difficult to spot because they like burrowing in wood and soil. Thus, eliminating them with Ajax can be a challenge.

Fortunately, termites (like other invertebrates) breathe through spiracles in their exoskeleton. So, Ajax bleach will clog their spiracles and interfere with their breathing if you spray or sink them. The termites will suffocate in a short time.

Termites can also breathe underwater for a few minutes and might crawl to the surface and escape if they do not use water without surface tension.

Note: Using Ajax is not the most effective method you should use to deal with a persistent termite problem. You will need bait or use the recommended pesticide to kill them.

How Does Ajax Kill Insects?

Ajax will eliminate ants, roaches, bed bugs, fleas, mice, spiders, and termites. Remember that most insects are invertebrates and breathe through spiracles in the exoskeleton. So, you will kill any insects if you interfere with their breathing system.

Ajax contains sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate and calcium carbonate, increasing water surface adhesion and preventing insects from floating. The soapy water sticks to their bodies and blocks the spiracles.

Always take the necessary precautions when using Ajax to kill insects. Wear a mask, use Ajax in small quantities, and wash your hands afterward.

Can I Mix Ajax and Bleach?

Yes. You can mix bleach with dishwashing soap and use it as a pesticide to kill insects in your home. But you cannot mix Ajax with bleach because bleach is reactive, and combining the two creates chlorine gas. Ajax, dishwashing detergent, and bleach produce ammonia and other toxic fumes.

Mixing Ajax and bleach can be dangerous to you and your pets.

So, you should not mix bleach with ammonia, acidic products, or alcohol. Instead, use natural products like citrus for effective results.

Conclusion

Ajax is an all-purpose cleaner with many several household functions. You can use it to clean surfaces like countertops, cupboards, and floors.

Also, Ajax is an effective solution that deters pesky insects from your house. The above guide has analyzed how to use Ajax’s all-purpose cleaner and bleach to kill spiders, ants, fleas, bedbugs, termites, and roaches.

Use Ajax today to give your home a new look away from stubborn pests.