Is Ajax Dish Soap Safe for Cats & Is It Effective for Cleaning? Important Health Facts

Ajax is a common dish soap brand known for keeping dishes clean and having an affordable price tag. But is it effective for cleaning other things? What about your pets? Can you use Ajax dish soap on your cat?

Whether you’re out of cat shampoo or your cat has been unlucky enough to attract fleas, dish soap is your best option for cleaning your cat. Ajax dish soap is safe for cats, and like Dawn and other dish soap brands, it is also effective at killing fleas. There are, however, a few concerns with using dish soap to wash your cat in the long term.

Is Ajax Soap Effective for Cleaning Cats?

Dish soap is an effective cleaning agent for pets, but that doesn’t mean you should use it as a cat shampoo alternative. Shampoos and soaps that aren’t designed for cats can dry out your cat’s skin and alter its delicate pH balance.

If your cat is healthy and doesn’t have any allergies or skin conditions, you can use dish soap for bathing them. Just don’t do it on a regular basis, or you risk drying out your cat’s skin.

cat bath — Image Credit by: Irina Kozorog, Shutterstock

Ajax Dish Soap for Killing Fleas

If your cat has fleas, Ajax dish soap may be the ticket to getting your pet flea free. Fleas¹ can cause all sorts of problems for your cat, including hair loss, hot spots, skin rashes, and anemia. When your cat has fleas, your priority is to get rid of them fast!

Here’s how to use Ajax dish soap to kill fleas:

Fill a sink or washtub with warm water
Pour a couple of drops of dish detergent into the tub of water, and stir to create bubbles.
Place your cat in the tub, and thoroughly wash them down with soapy water. Lather the soap into your cat’s fur well to reach any potential flea hideouts.
Keep the soapy water away from your cat’s eyes.
Fleas die within a few minutes of rubbing with soap. They will shed off your cat as you rinse them off.

Does Any Dish Soap Kill Fleas?

Yes, any brand of dish soap will be effective for killing fleas. The dish soap acts as a surfactant and lowers the surface tension of the flea's body. This damages fleas’ exoskeletons and kills them.

The downside of using dish soap is that it only gets rid of fleas but doesn’t prevent infestations from reoccurring. It is more of a temporary fix than a solution.

Conclusion

Ajax dish soap is safe for cats, but it should not be used frequently. It strips your cat’s skin of natural oils and dries out their skin. Dish soap can be used to kill fleas on your cat, but this is a temporary solution and won’t prevent future outbreaks. However, Ajax is a good solution if you are in a pinch!