How to Remove Ticks With Dish Detergent

Ticks are common, harmful pests. Ticks spread serious illnesses including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. If you find ticks on your skin, use dish detergent to ease them off your skin and kill them.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Get a disposable bowl and a plastic spoon.

2. Fill the bowl with 1 cup of water.

3. Add 1 tsp. of liquid dish detergent to the bowl and stir.

4. Search for ticks on the body. Conduct a head-to-toe search and pay special attention to hairlines and groin areas.

5. Locate a tick latched to the skin.

6. Pour liquid dish detergent onto a clean cotton ball until soaked. Cover the tick and the surrounding area of skin with the cotton ball and hold it against the skin for 30 seconds. Allow the tick's hold to loosen. Remove the cotton ball and find the tick stuck to the cotton ball's threads.

7. Remove the tick from the cotton ball using tweezers.

8. Drop the tick into the water with dish detergent.

9. Let the tick drown.

10. Wash skin with soap and water and rinse well.

11. Apply alcohol or an antiseptic to the skin.

Tips & Warnings

• If you find a crawling tick that hasn't latched on, just remove it with a pair of tweezers by grasping its head and slowly pulling it off of the skin. Drop it in the water to let it drown.
• When removing a tick with tweezers, be careful not to puncture its abdomen. Puncturing its abdomen may release its toxic bodily fluids which can lead to infection.
• Consult a doctor if you find rashes, pink spots on the ankles or wrists, or experience fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, muscle pains or lethargy.
• Do not attempt to remove ticks with your bare fingers.