It sounds scary to spot roaches scurrying away in your home.
And it’s impossible to stay calm after knowing your house has been invaded by these creatures, isn’t it?
We know that you’ve tried many different techniques to get rid of these hell-raisers.
But today, we will discuss another common solution used to eliminate these pests- BLEACH FOR COCKROACHES!
I know many questions are now running through your mind like:
Does bleach really kill the cockroaches? How does it do that?
What are the precautions we need to take while using such a potent chemical?
Don’t worry, that’s what this article is all about!
So keep reading to get all these answers.
Does Bleach Kill Roaches?
Bleach is a chemical compound made by mixing up chlorine, water, and caustic soda that has anti-microbial properties.
It can kill roaches through ingestion or drowning them in the bleach solution
Does Bleach Repel Cockroaches?
Bleach definitely repels roaches since the smell of the bleach is irritating and unbearable for them.
The strong smell of the bleach hastens away these roaches from the trap.
It is quite hard to kill them with bleach although it does act as an effective repellent for these roaches.
How to use Bleach to Kill Roaches?
Roaches are those pests that can be spotted almost anywhere, from your toilets to the inside of your microwaves and dishwashers, basically in all those dark places in your house.
They are the filthiest insect found on earth, and a mere sight of these insects is just plain gross.
They are also carriers of many serious diseases and keep spreading them as they move around your house.
There are many effective ways to get rid of these filthy pests like but if you are looking for a cheaper solution then bleach can be one of your options as it can kill roaches on contact.
Although they are not quite as effective as other household pesticides or chemical pesticides still you can give it a try.
There are many different varieties of bleach but the common formula to make them is to mix caustic soda, water, and chlorine.
The household bleach can either be in liquid form or in powdered form.
The disinfecting and anti-microbial properties make it the best household pesticide to get rid of these roaches.
Bleach has an extremely strong smell that can stay for a while.
However, they do not leave behind the chemical fumes lingering as other chemical pesticides do.
A few techniques listed below will help you to effectively use bleach and get rid of roaches from your house.
Ingestion of Bleach Solution
The roaches can be easily killed by allowing them to drink the bleach solution.
It’s not quite surprising that this technique can actually kill the roaches as they are extremely lethal to anyone who drinks it.
Although it may sound like a quick process but believe me, it’s not as easy as just keeping one cup of bleach solution in the open and waiting for them to come and ingest it.
Even the bread crumbs soaked in bleach would not be enough to drive these roaches to the trap as the bleach leaves out an extremely unpleasant and intense smell that drives these roaches away.
In order to make the roaches drink the bleach solution, you will have to forcefully feed these pests by catching them one by one.
This is an extremely dangerous way to kill the roaches, especially if you have children and pets at home.
Drowning in the Bleach Solution
This is comparatively a better technique to kill the roaches as you do not have to directly come in contact with the pure bleach or bleach solution.
In this method, you can either use undiluted bleach or use it as a solution by mixing it with water.
Although, you may have heard of using the mixture of bleach and pine-sol as they have a quite effect on these roaches.
However, it is suggested never to mix bleach with pine-sol as it is the most dangerous combination that releases poisonous chlorine gas.
In this method, you will have to prepare a bucket of bleach solution and dip the cockroaches into it to let them drown to death.
The only downside of this process is that you have to catch every cockroach individually to kill them.
However, it can be an ineffective method if you are unwilling to catch these roaches, and also, it won’t significantly reduce the roaches’ population in your house.
Using It as a Spray
Another way to kill these roaches using bleach is to fill the solution into the spray bottles and squirt them onto the roaches that come in sight.
There are chances that you kill roaches more in number by using this method rather than the other two processes, but still, you might miss a few of them.
It’s imperative to note that just by killing individual roaches, you can’t get rid of them altogether; in order to completely wipe, you need to destroy their nests.
If you know where they hide in your house, then the bleach can draw them out and then you can get rid of them.
Roaches tend to draw towards the moisture and are often found in the pipelines.
If you have noticed roaches coming out of your sinks or basins, you can pour a cup of bleach solution and then several cups of water to ensure the completion of the process to kill the roaches.
However, the bleach can corrode your pipes, so you should always use this process as your last option, or you can reduce the amount of bleach in the solution.
You can also use the process of fumigation when you discover a nest in your house and then can use bleach to clean off the remaining dirt.
Can You Get Rid of Roach Infestation by Bleach?
Bleach is an impractical way to get rid of roaches as you have to bring the roaches one by one to the bleach solution and drown them inside to kill them.
This process also involves coming in direct contact with the chemical solution that is quite hazardous for your skin and overall health.
The bleach also cannot effectively remove all the pests from your house as most roaches are hiding in areas you cannot reach.
The unpleasant and strong smell of the chemical drives away the roaches from the trap rather than driving towards them.
This makes it even more difficult to kill them.
Working with the bleach solution is also quite lethal as it can cause skin burns on contact or even death if ingested by mistake.
Therefore, it is advised to use bleach as your last option to remove roaches from your house.
Still, if you are looking for a cheap solution, you can use bleach in spray bottles with utmost care and precautions.
However, you should know that bleach has a discoloring property.
Hence, there is a possibility that you may discolor your fabrics and furniture as you run around spraying bleach all over your house without even making one kill.
Precautions to Take While Using Bleach
The bleach can effectively kill the roaches and make your home pest-free, but it can also affect your loved ones’ health more than the roaches as it poses a lot of risks.
Therefore, it is advised to work carefully and mindfully while using bleach as it may cause severe issues to your body as bleach is highly corrosive in nature.
Prevent Direct Contact
While working on the cleaning process of the roaches using the bleach you should always cover your hands with gloves and face a protective mask to prevent direct contact of bleach with your skin.
As the bleach is corrosive in nature, it can lead to skin burning or skin allergies upon contact if you do not wash immediately.
You should use as many protective gear as possible to keep yourself protected from the bleach while working with the solution.
Avoid Inhalation of Bleach
The bleach gives off a strong pungent and unpleasant odor that lingers around for quite a long time and can cause various reactions like stinging of eyes, itching, etc.
If you are being irresponsible and disregarding your safety by not wearing a mask, it may cause a burning throat, coughing, and even breathing difficulty.
It is strongly advised to never mix pine-sol along with bleach as it releases extremely poisonous chlorine gas that can be fatal to your health.
Avoid Ingestion of Bleach
The bleach has oxidizing properties and can be potent if consumed by your pet or any family member.
Bleach has the power to burn your mouth, stomach, and esophagus if ingested.
The fatality of the reaction towards the ingestion of the chemical depends upon the strength of the solution and the amount of the chemical ingested by the person that ranges from vomiting, delirium, coma, and even death.
Eliminate Roaches with Professional Pest Control
Although bleach is a great alternative for killing roaches and keeping them away from your home, they may not necessarily work in the case of a heavy cockroach infestation.
At such times, it is better to hire a licensed exterminator who could deal with this problem more efficiently and permanently, making your house 100% roach-free.
To know more about the equipped pest control services in your area, fill the below-mentioned form to get free multiple quotes from the professional Pest Control Companies in your vicinity so that you can decide which one to hire for your infestation problem.
Final Words
In essence, bleach is a great repelling agent that you can use to drive away the roaches from your homes.
They are also effective in killing the roaches but this approach can be a little impractical and time-consuming.
Also, bleach is a hazardeous chemical which can cause serious repercussions to the health of the person coming in contact with it.
Hence, unless you are willing to observe all the precautionary measures mentioned above, it is advisable to use other ways to eliminate these roaches and make your house pest-free.
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