Don't want to spend your hard-earned dollars buying pesticides to kill insects? Then don't! Windex is designed to help clean glass and hard surfaces. However, it may also be used to kill some common household pests like bugs, ants, and mosquitoes.
So, if you're all for everyday household items that can do double duty, Windex is a perfect choice. It'll help you save time and money, not to mention you'll use a slightly less toxic product to achieve about the same results.
It's a win-win for everyone, including the environment.
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What Is Windex?
Windex is one of the most recognized commercial glass cleaning solutions. Windex has been marketed throughout decades and has become tremendously popular among home and business owners. Windex glass cleaner reigns supreme in most households because it effectively dissolves even the most stubborn stains, doesn't streak, and is pocket friendly.
The chemical compounds in Windex contribute to its cleaning strength, helping it cut through tough grime, grease, and dirt with ease. For instance, one of the chemical ingredients in a Windex bottle is 2-Hexoxyethanol. 2-Hexoxyethanol is a surfactant that molecularly surrounds contaminants and breaks their hold on windows, glass, and mirrors.
Windex also contains Isopropanolamine, which works as a solvent cleaning agent. It creates a chemical reaction that dissolves dirt, grime, grease, fats, and mineral compounds, making them disappear from surfaces. It also contains fragrances such as lavender, lemon, tea tree, vinegar, and lime.
Using Windex to kill and repel bugs has become a popular money-saving hack on the internet. But is that true? Or is it just smoke and mirrors?
Does Windex Kill Insects — How Does Windex Kill Insects?
Short answer? Maybe. Long answer? Read on.
The truth is that the efficacy of Windex to kill insects falls somewhere in the middle. It has little to do with the product's chemical compounds and more with the pressure applied when spraying the liquid.
Spraying Windex on an ant, cockroach, or fruit fly stops them dead in their track. But that's mainly because you have probably sprayed enough of the solution to drown the little invader to death.
Some people say that the ammonium hydroxide in Windex can kill both insects and their eggs. Ammonia is a toxin that works by paralyzing insects. This causes them to lose muscle control and eventually die due to dehydration or suffocation. But the potency of ammonia in Windex is still a subject for debate.
Technically, Windex provides slightly better efficacy than using a shoe to squish an insect or a broom to shoo the little invader outdoors. Perhaps this can be especially valuable when insects have invaded your kitchen --- because residues of highly toxic pesticides won't be stuck on the surfaces you prepare your meals and eat. Killing insects using Windex is quick and easy compared to hitting them with your shoe.
Windex also comes in handy during unexpected emergencies. It's readily available in most households. Therefore, instead of making a trip to buy a bottle of insecticide in the store across town, you can go ahead and grab the Windex bottle in your locked cabinet and use it.
Using Windex to kill insects may also come with an added advantage. On top of killing the nuisance invader, it also leaves your surfaces squeaky clean, and shiny.
How to Kill Insects Using Windex?
It's crucial that you take safety precautions, such as wearing a nose mask and goggles when using Windex to kill insects. The chemical is best sprayed directly on an insect to ensure it dies quickly. In order to do this, you must shake the bottle well so that everything mixes together. Ensure the bottle nozzle is pointing towards the insect, and press the trigger to release the chemical.
Too much Windex can be corrosive on surfaces and may cause damage. Therefore, it's best used in small quantities when killing a lone invader. You may also want to lock doors and windows before spraying to prevent the insects from escaping.
If you have identified the insect hiding spot, spraying a generous amount of the liquid directly on the insects will do the trick in a minute or two. When using Windex to kill insects outdoors, you'll want to cover their resting place with a bucket immediately after spraying to ensure they don't escape before dying.
Can I Use Windex to Eliminate an Insect Infestation?
While you can use Windex to kill a lone insect in sight, it's not a suitable replacement for tested and approved pesticides. Successfully killing one insect does not address the root cause of the problem. Windex does not have the ability to seal off pest entry points.
For instance, ants and cockroaches can squeeze through unimaginably small cracks and crevices in your home's foundation. When an ant finds a food source in your home, it communicates to its siblings in the colony, inviting them to the feast. Unless the possible entry points are sealed, hordes of ants will soon invade your property.
Besides, Windex is not a repellent, and it may not get rid of an insect problem effectively. Most insects are not loners. They are social pests, meaning that if you see one insect, the high chances are that there many more that you can't see. Even if you kill one or three, more will keep coming.
What Insects Does Windex Kill?
- Ants: The active ingredients in ants are highly toxic to ants and can kill them instantly without side effects on humans and pets.
- Spiders: Windex can kill spiders effectively. Ensure you spray the liquid directly on the spider or their hiding place. It takes anywhere between 1 to 10 minutes for Windex to kill spiders.
- Small Bugs: The ingredients in Windex can kill small bugs like bed bugs and stink bugs. However, you will need a more effective pest control alternative when dealing with a bug infestation.
- Fruit flies: Windex is a good alternative to toxic insecticides for killing fruit flies. Again, it may not be the best option to eradicate a huge fruit flies population completely.
- Crickets: While it may kill the occasional cricket trapped in your house, Windex won't eradicate a cricket infestation.
- Bees: A small amount of Windex can kill bees effectively. Though they may seem pesky, bees play a crucial role in the environment and won't sting unless they feel threatened. In fact, you may want to have them in your yard.
- Wasps: Wasps are more resilient than bees, and a stream of Windex might not kill them. However, it may slow them down a little bit by taking over their senses and making their legs and antennae a little numb. Ensure you eliminate them in the meantime, as most wasps will recover within a few minutes.