5 Ways to Ensure You Don’t Get a Cockroach Infestation in Your Home

Picture this: you wake up in the middle of the night because you’ve had a coughing spell. Your first thought is going to the kitchen for a glass of water to soothe your throat.

As you turn on the light, you briefly look at the counter a see a cockroach scurry into a crevice in your wall. Ew! That’s the last thing you’d expect to see.

Dealing with cockroaches in your house is something many people want to avoid. Unfortunately, without proper home cleaning, it can lead to a cockroach infestation.

However, there are multiple ways to keep these pests at bay. Let’s take a look at them below.

1. Watch Your Surfaces

Cockroaches love food scraps, whether crumbs or leftovers that haven’t been sealed properly. If you decide to eat those leftovers, you could end up with an illness. And since they are most active at night, you wouldn’t notice they were active unless you walked in and saw them.

So any surface used to prep or eat food should get wiped down regularly with an all-purpose cleaner. Also, vacuum your kitchen and dining room floors to ensure crumbs not visible to the naked eye are cleaned.

2. Keep Your Dishes Clean

Washing dishes after eating dinner is probably the last thing on your mind. But leaving dishes in the sink overnight is another opportunity for cockroaches to capture leftover food.

If you don’t have the time (or energy) to wash dishes after eating, give them a quick rinse or leave them in soapy water. Washing the dishes should be a priority, but these temporary solutions can help prevent a cockroach infestation.

3. Declutter Where Possible

When life gets a bit busier, you’ll find your home a cluttered mess. That’s beneficial to cockroaches because they don’t like open spaces. They’re sort of like Batman—darkness is their ally.

Try your best to clear out unnecessary items in your household. You could designate specific spaces for appliances or other objects for more organization. 

4. Keep Your Home Dry

Dampness is a cockroach’s best friend. That’s why you’ll likely see them in your bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room.

Check under sinks, behind toilets, or near faucets for any leaks. You should also check your refrigerator and deep freezer since they can leak water too.

5. Seal Any Openings

Remember, cockroaches like cool, dark spaces, meaning they’ll likely come from cracks in your walls or floors. But sealing these openings is the best way to prevent an infestation.

Seal cracks with caulk and uses weatherstripping for doors and windows to prevent them from entering your home. If that’s not enough, hiring an exterminator is a sure-fire way to ensure the critters don’t have a chance.

Prevent a Cockroach Infestation With These Tips

Waking up one day and seeing that you’re living with cockroaches wouldn’t be fun. But if you follow the suggestions above, you can prevent a cockroach infestation in your home and have a healthier environment in no time.

Hopefully, you aren’t too jittery after reading that article. If you need more tips for keeping your home clean, check out our blog for related content.