It’s a bit of a natural pair, roaches and the bathroom. Even when a bathroom doesn’t have outdoor access, cockroaches can get in almost anywhere.
The bathroom is also a perfect attractant for roaches, with its water and humidity. It’s the perfect condition in which a cockroach survives. The only trouble is getting to the bathroom if it’s not easily accessible. If you want them gone, you’ve got to identify how they’re getting in. Then, you need to use effective pest control measures to shut down the infestation.
Here is how to get rid of cockroaches in the bathroom:
1. Don’t ignore the cockroaches
Firstly, cockroaches will not go away on their own. They will come back and in larger numbers quite quickly. Even a single cockroach is a sign that something needs to be done because it’s likely there are already more cockroaches somewhere on your property yet to be seen. Act quickly with the following steps.
2. Understand how cockroaches get into the bathroom
Cockroaches can get into the bathroom by various means. Roaches can crawl through drainpipes, squeeze through leaky pipes and gaps in the baseboard, or holes in the wall or ceiling. Sometimes, cockroaches may be coming from other parts of the house and travelling to the bathroom simply because of the conditions in the room. Try to look for any openings in your bathroom or surrounding area. Any opening a cockroach can use.
3. Pour boiling water down your drain
A drain is a commonplace that people look to for cockroaches. What you can do is flush the drain. You may think to use bleach, vinegar, baking soda, or even insecticide, but it’s not recommended. It’s best to use boiling water which is unlikely to cause any damage to the plumbing and can also be used in large quantities to flush and clean the pipes. Any cockroaches will be flushed out instantly.
Boiling water is just as effective as bleach at instantly killing any cockroaches it comes in contact with. It needs to be at a rolling boil, though. If there are roaches further down the plumbing, by the time the water gets there, it may not be boiling. You may want to repeat the process of sending boiling water down two or three times. In your immediate defence against cockroaches, look to the boiling water before doing anything else.
4. Use an all-natural cockroach repellant
Hot water is ideal for flushing a pipe, but you have other options if you notice them coming in via an opening somewhere. White vinegar is a natural cockroach repellant. Mix equal parts of water with equal parts of vinegar.
Spray it onto the area where cockroaches are coming out. This will discourage them from moving through that opening and into your home. Baking soda works similarly. Roaches do not like the smell. Dissolve two tablespoons in one cup of water, pour it into any drains, or set it up around any used passageways. These are all ways to address cockroach problems in a bathroom.
5. Repair entry points one by one
Look for entry points throughout the home. Any gaps in the baseboard should be filled in. Consider calling a plumber to inspect your plumbing for any potential leaks. Any holes you see in the walls or ceiling should also be addressed.
Check around hiding places like cabinets, behind the toilet, trash cans, shelving, and underneath the bathtub, if you can see there. These are all places cockroaches will gather or find their way into the room from.
6. Keep the room clean
Eliminate all food sources and hiding spots. Pick up dirty clothes. Hang up dirty towels. Make sure there aren’t any messes of toothpaste, soap, toilet paper, skin products, or sanitizing items. You may want to buy new garbage if yours doesn’t have a lid. Try to clean up the bathroom to make it so that you can see everywhere in the room. The less likely a cockroach is to have a place to hide, the more likely it will move on elsewhere.
7. Reduce humidity in the room
It is difficult to reduce humidity in the bathroom because it’s constantly a wet place. However, look for ways to remove that dampness by using the bathroom fan and a dehumidifier. When you bring down the humidity, you eliminate the key reason cockroaches love the bathroom. You may not be able to remove the shower, toilet, or sink, but the humidity is manageable.
8. Don’t worry about your toilet
Some people are worried about a cockroach coming up through the toilet. The truth is they probably can’t. It’s almost impossible. Modern toilets have a water trap to stop gasses from coming up from the sewer line and inside the tank. A water trap fills with water. It’s a seal. There’s no way for a cockroach to pass through. It will most likely drown if it tries, which is why it won’t even try.