Mice are stubborn rodents destroying carpets, wood, and other household items. Furthermore, they might transmit contagious diseases to your kids or pets. So, you must deal with their invasion immediately to guarantee safety at home. Using pine sol to keep mice away is not the most reliable approach to use because it does not contain ingredients that kill mice.
But there are several techniques you can use to kill mice. However, some can be effective, while others require an expert approach. Most people use traps, bait stations, and other mouse control methods to capture or kill mice. But does pine sol guarantee effective outcomes?
This guide looks at how to use pine sol to kill mice. Also, it examines whether the active ingredients in pine sol will attract mice.
What is Pine sol?
Pine sol is a brand of multi-surface household cleaning products manufactured by the Clorox Company. These general cleaners contain concentrated pine-scented formulas effective in cleaning and disinfecting multiple non-porous surfaces at home. After using any variation, it will leave your indoor space fresh and deodorized.
Pine-Sol is most commonly known for its original pine formula. However, it also offers a range of other scents and special formulas like Lavender Clean, Lemon Fresh, sparkling wave, and Multi-Surface Cleaner. It contains active germ-killing ingredients like pine oil, alcohol, and surfactants that break down dirt & grime and kill bacteria, viruses, and other stubborn stains, leaving surfaces free from germs.
The good thing about pine sol is that it is safe to handle and does not corrode the skin. However, you must always use it according to the instructions on the label to avoid mishandling. Also, you must keep it out of reach of children and pets to avoid contact with the skin or eyes.
Pine sol is versatile and can clean and disinfect kitchen appliances, bathroom floors, furniture, and other high-traffic areas at home. Also, you can use it in different settings at home, office, hospital, and school. Pine sol will leave a refreshing scent and you will not need scented candles or deodorizing sprays.
It is important not to mix pine sol with other cleaning detergents or chemicals because it can cause dangerous reactions or accidents. Carefully follow the guideline on the label to know how to handle it appropriately.
Does Pine Sol Keep Mice Away?
Unfortunately, there is no scientific proof that supports pine sol can keep mice away. But many homeowners believe pine sol will keep mice away because it eliminates dirt from leftover crumbs on the kitchen floor and countertops. Also, it will mask the smell of food and keep them away.
Mice and other household rodents are attracted to food, shelter, and water. Unfortunately, human houses facilitate all these needs, and you might notice an increase in the mice population in your home if you do not maintain proper hygiene.
Using scented cleaning products can help to mask the smell of leftovers in the kitchen. So, any pine sol variation can help keep mice away because they contain strongly scented formulas that leave surfaces smelling fresh.
Apart from using pine sol to clean different surfaces and deal with severe mice infestation, you must also use other approaches to keep them away. Seal all cracks and crevices along the walls and store food in sealed containers. Also, clean the floor regularly and set up traps in areas you have noticed mice activity.
In general, mice will not invade your home if they cannot smell food. So, using any pine sol variation will keep them away.
How Do You Use Pine-Sol to Repel Mice?
Pine sol is an easy-to-use cleaning and disinfecting detergent. You can use it undiluted on different non-porous surfaces for effective results. However, you can dilute it with enough water to wipe leftovers from broader surfaces like kitchen floors, sinks, and countertops.
Some homeowners believe that the scent of pine sol might attract mice into the house. But, there is no evidence to support this claim. Instead, using pine sol to clean up mice urine and faeces can prevent attracting more mice because it eliminates the ammonia-like pungent smell of mice.
Note that pine soil is available in multiple easy-to-use variations. The scent in these products masks surfaces and prevents mice from detecting the smell of food.
Here is how to use pine sol on various surfaces:
Step 1. Add 1/4 cup of Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner to a bucket containing one gallon of water. It could be warm or cold water, depending on your preference.
Step 2. Wet a cloth or mop in the mixture.
Step 3. Wipe down the floor, countertop, kitchen appliances, and sink thoroughly to remove dirt or grime.
- Step 4. Follow up mopping, then rinse with water immediately.
- Step 5. Use a clean towel to dry or buff the surfaces.
It is always important to clean up areas where mice have been with powerful cleaners because their urine and faeces can contain harmful bacteria and viruses. Pine-Sol, in this case, is a useful cleanup product that can get the job done efficiently.
Overall, take the necessary precautions to eliminate all attractants in the kitchen or living room and prevent mice infestation. Remove the sources of attraction and implement effective mouse control measures at home.
Scents That Mice Hate
No scent will completely repel mice. But according to beliefs, there are a few scents that mice hate the most and find unpleasant to sniff. A few include peppermint oil, citronella, cayenne pepper, mothball, vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves. However, they might still be attracted to food with these smells.
Here are reasons why mice hate certain scents the most.
Peppermint oil: Most homeowners believe the robust and minty smell of peppermint might overwhelm a mouse’s sense of smell and irritate its mucous membrane and eyes, making it hard to locate food.
Peppermint can also cause irritation and discomfort in a mouse’s eyes.
Cloves: It is not fully clear why mice hate cloves. However, many people still believe that the strong smell of cloves can be overwhelming to mice. That is why they use it as a natural way to deter mice.
Ammonia: The sharp and pungent scent of ammonia is unpleasant to mice. So, many homeowners use household cleaning detergents with ammonia content in areas where mice activity is frequent.
Mothballs: Mothballs contain naphthalene, which is toxic to several rodents, humans, and pets if used in large quantities. Also, mice feel dizzy and experience respiratory distress if they inhale the chemicals in these pesticide pellets. The strong odour will also be unpleasant to mice.
Citronella: Citronella is a well-known insect repellent. However, it can keep mice and rats away because of its strong and distinctive smell.
You can try to use any of these scents to deter mice from your house, even without scientific proof. But note that you should not solemnly rely on them as the only remedies. Take all the other necessary precautions when dealing with mice.
Natural Ways to Keep Mice Away
You can use other natural techniques to repel mice apart from the natural mouse-repellant scents or essential oils. The easiest approach to keeping mice away is to eliminate the food source, water, and shelter. Also, you can adopt a cat to deter them naturally.
Here are five of the most effective techniques you should try.
Adopt a cat
Cats are natural mouse predators. They will vacate upon smelling the cat’s natural scent.
Keeping a cat guarantees a successful outcome in controlling the number of mice in your home. You can put cat litter near areas you have witnessed mice activity to scare off the mice if the cat does not hunt the mice.
Use live traps
live traps can be a practical technique for catching and removing mice from your home. Set and place the traps near areas where there is mice activity. Also, you can place bait on the traps to attract more mice.
Live traps are a humane way of capturing mice because you can release them safely back into the environment instead of killing them.
Seal all entry points
Mice are clever rodents. They can locate and fit through small cracks, holes, gaps, and crevices along the wall. So, you need to seal up all visible openings using caulk or durable weather-stripping on gaps around pipes, foundation, doorway, vents, and siding to keep them from accessing inside your house.
Remove all soft nesting material
Keep all soft material in a plastic or heavy-duty bin to prevent mice from building nests around your home. Some of the common materials found indoors include fabric, rugs, cardboard, paper, lightweight plastic, and blankets.
You should also pay close attention to your outdoors by tidying foliage and tree branches.
Eliminate food sources
Food and water are among the most common mice attractants. Remember that mice need small amounts of food each day. So, remove their favourite dessert by keeping grains, pet food, and other dry foods in sealed plastic containers, tamper-proof bins, or containers they cannot chew through.
Lastly, keep the kitchen clean and free from leftover food.
Conclusion
Pine sol is a product with many uses at home. You can use it to clean surfaces that might attract mice or disinfect areas prone to mice activity. The active formulas in pine sol eliminate foul odor and are safe to handle and you can use it to deal with widespread mice invasion.
You might also want a practical solution that repels mice. Choose a commercial product with a powerful formula to kill or repel mice and pesky rodents. Do not only use pine sol as the only remedy for dealing with mice at home. It is important to use other practical control measures to kill mice.