Will Pine-Sol Kill Grass?

Pine-Sol is a popular cleaning solution used to clean wood floors, decks, tile, and outdoor furniture. It can also be used to disinfect garden tools. Spills of Pine-Sol solution from these activities could pose a hazard to your lawn and garden. There are also several lawn-care myths regarding the benefits Pine-Sol could provide to a homeowner in need of an insecticide.

Will Pine-Sol Kill Grass?

Pine-Sol will damage grass and may kill it over time. The real damage with applying or spilling Pine-Sol on your lawn lies in the fact that it is more likely to turn your lawn yellow and brown without actually killing it. The chemical makeup of Pine-Sol will stress your grass to the point that it is susceptible to pests and disease. These things are what may ultimately kill it. That end is preventable, with the right care.

How Does Pine-Sol Affect Grass?

While the primary ingredient in Pine-Sol, glycolic acid, appears to be plant safe, there are other ingredients in the top Pine-Sol formulations that can cause damage that is difficult to repair.

• Sodium Carbonate – Sodium carbonate or “soda ash” is a primary ingredient in most Pin-Sol solutions. This salt will, like many other salts including baking soda, raise the pH of your soil, slow the growth of any plant it touches, and may prevent seed germination and plant division. With continued use, sodium carbonate can also build up in the soil and prevent all plant growth until it is sufficiently diluted.
• Alcohol Ethoxylates – This substance serves a variety of functions in Pine-Sol. It is a detergent, an emulsifier, a degreaser, and a wetting agent. Alcohol ethoxylates are versatile cleaners or “surfactants”. However, they are also versatile when it comes to breaking down plant matter. These are the most harmful component of Pine-Sol when it comes to killing grass or other plants.

Taken together, these two ingredients alone can harm grass and other plants by removing the protective waxy coating on leaves and stems, damaging cell walls, and then slowing growth and repair. While not an immediate way to kill a plant, Pine-Sol will cause considerable harm.

Related Article: What Kills Grass?

What Happens if You Spray Your Lawn With Pine-Sol?

If you’ve ever thought, “Can I spray Pine-Sol on grass?” this is the answer: You can spray your lawn with Pine-Sol but you should not. If you do spray your lawn with Pine-Sol, even if it is diluted according to the instructions for making an optimal cleaning solution, you will end up with discolored splotches on your lawn and a sickly-looking garden.

Further, there are no benefits to spraying your lawn with Pine-Sol. Its insecticidal properties are a myth, not a fact. Most bottles of Pine-Sol today contain only enough pine oil to legally add it to the label. This can mean as little as a single drop per bottle.

Does Pine-Sol Kill Grass and Weeds?

Pine-Sol, in the right concentrations, could kill grass and weeds. What it is more likely to do, however, is damage these plants in ways that will slow their growth and produce an undesirable appearance. Without proper care, this damage will not be repaired and will resort in the death of these plants.

How Do You Clean Up Spilled Pine-Sol on Grass?

The best thing to do for a Pine-Sol spill is to dilute the solution, wait for the area to dry, and then test for soil pH. If the pH is too alkaline, it may be worth it to add a soil amendment and a small amount of fertilizer to help any affected plants recover from exposure to the surfactants and salts contained in Pine-Sol.

Can Pine-Sol Be Used as a Lawn Insecticide?

Pine-Sol is not a good choice for a lawn insecticide. As noted above, applying Pin-Sol to your lawn intentionally is asking for trouble. Even a spill of diluted Pine-Sol on your lawn should be treated with urgency. The idea that Pine-Sol is a good insecticide for lawns is either a complete myth or outdated information.

Pine-Sol has “pine” in the name, right? The primary active ingredient in this product used to be pine oil. Pine oil is a great cleaner and an even better way to rid your home and garden of fleas, mites, and other insects either by killing or repelling them. The thing is, Pine-Sol hasn’t contained real pine oil as an active ingredient or in sufficient quantities to accomplish these things for over 30 years. Today Pine-Sol contains as little as a drop of pure pine oil per bottle and may contain synthetic pine scent, depending on where and when it is purchased.

Pine-Sol Isn’t What It Used to Be

When Pine-Sol was, more or less, a pine oil-based product it had many more helpful uses outside of the home. Today, however, this product is more of a detergent and as you may know, detergents have no place in the garden unless you need to disinfect your tools or lawn-care equipment. If any Pine-Sol does spill, quick action and lots of water are what could save your lawn.