The One Cleaning Essential You Should Never Pour Down The Drain To Kill Cockroaches

A roach infestation is one of the most challenging and unpleasant problems to deal with, as they multiply quickly and inhabit hard-to-reach areas. They contaminate food, spread germs, and can even trigger allergies and asthma because of the biological debris they release into the air. Once they get into your house and start reproducing, it can require significant effort on your part to fully eliminate them. One place roaches love to hang out is your sink. Roaches are attracted to everything your sink has to offer: moisture, food, and shelter. Additionally, some roaches can live and travel through sewer systems, entering your home through open drains. If you've had enough of seeing roaches and you suspect your sink is an entry point, you may be considering pouring chemicals down your drain to get rid of them. Bleach is a common household cleaner that might be tempting to use, but it probably won't help you get rid of unwanted roaches and could actually damage your plumbing system.

Bleach can corrode your pipes, and since some of it may end up sitting in your P-trap, it can mix with other household chemicals, which can accelerate the corrosion process and produce hazardous fumes. In addition to damaging pipes, in homes with septic tanks, pouring bleach down the drain can kill the beneficial bacteria in the tank that are responsible for breaking down waste. This can result in your septic system backing up into your house, which is an expensive and grosser problem than the original roach infestation.

When direct contact is made, chlorine bleach will kill roaches by damaging their exoskeletons. There are several reasons it won't solve an infestation, though. The first is that a significant portion of the roach's body must come into contact with the bleach for it to work. So, pouring bleach down the drain might kill some roaches, but the ones further down in the system won't receive the same dose and will likely come back up the drain once the bleach has dissipated. Additionally, roach eggs in your plumbing will be unaffected by the bleach due to their protective exterior that's resistant to chemicals. If you are under the impression that the lingering smell of bleach will at least deter the next generation from climbing through the pipes, the unfortunate reality is that a little bleach smell isn't likely to discourage these tough bugs for long.

Bleach isn't such a good idea for killing roaches, but that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do to keep them from coming through your drain. Pouring boiling water down the drain is a plumbing-safe way to kill roaches and one of the best ways keep bugs out of your drains. Installing a trap primer to ensure a water seal is always present in your P-trap is an even better permanent solution. Keeping your sink and countertops clean and plugging your drain with a rubber stopper at night will also help decrease their incentive and block them from entering your home.