Nothing can be more disgusting in a kitchen than the sight of several cockroaches running to hide as soon as you turn the light on. They come out to feed mostly at night when it is dark and manage to hide during the day, even though they can still be spotted during the day. When you have an infestation, you can never be too sure of how hygienic your items and foods are. The cockroaches crawl all over everything and this increases contamination risk around your house. But luckily there is always something you can do to have a cockroach free environment.
• Wipe down surfaces where you prepare food or areas from where you serve and eat your food. You will also find it helpful to keep the hob clean after cooking because oil splashes and food remnants will attract the cockroaches.
• Make a point of cleaning used dishes instead of leaving dirty till morning. They make great feasts for the cockroaches. What you ought to remember is that the roaches need food and water to survive and so your aim should be to eliminate all possible sources. If you don’t feel like washing the dirty dishes, then you should at least leave them soaking in soapy water.
• Rinse off dishes in your dishwasher and ensure that the machine is also clean. The seals and the filter are prone to having food remains, and unless you clean them out, you still will create a food source for the roaches. Try and clean the filter after every cycle and you can spritz the seals. Vinegar can also be used to keep the cockroaches at bay.
• Put away pet water bowls and empty them every night. You should actually ensure that you wash the food and water dishes your pets use.
• When cleaning and wiping your kitchen, do not forget the microwave and the oven and extractor hood. The refrigerator and stove should also be cleaned on a regular basis. The cleaner the kitchen the harder it will be for the cockroaches to survive so touch on all suspect areas.
• Secure store foods that are not refrigerated in containers that have proper lids before placing them in store cupboard of the pantry. You should however also ensure that you do not end up cluttering your pantry because then you will be creating a good hiding place for the cockroaches.
• Always empty your trash can every night and ensure that you have secure bins to limit the roaches from accessing your trash. If you have food sources right outside the house you can be sure that the roaches will still find their way in so do not forget where you put your garbage and how you do it. Let the bins remain tightly closed.
• Vacuum or sweep your floor to get rid of food debris that can attract the cockroaches and remember to empty the vacuum bag because it can serve as a food source for the cockroaches.
Taking the right measures can save you from having to deal with cockroach infestations, but if you already have one, then you might need to find proper treatment to get rid of the problem once and for all.
