Cockroaches, rats, mosquitoes, bed bugs, termites, and all other bugs can turn your whole house upside down.
Deep cleaning once in a while is a good idea since the pests, besides being eerie, also carry a hell of a lot of diseases.
However, hiring experts for pest control will only guarantee that your house is free of these bugs. Still, the cleanness and safety of your home before and after cleaning totally depend on you.
I’ll tell you everything you need to do to clean your kitchen after pest control.
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What to expect after pest control treatment?
You might think that getting pest control done will instantly exterminate all of your pests. Because why not? You have spent so much money and time to get this done, so it should work instantly. However, it’s just a myth.
Professional pest control takes at least 6 weeks to battle the problem completely. So if you are wondering what to do after pest control sprays? Then here is the answer:
You can still expect to see some rats or cockroaches running down your corridors. However, the slow-acting of the pesticide treatment allows these pests to carry the treatment back to their own houses and wipe out the entire colony.
So, to put it simply, the pests will not die immediately. However, when they do, they will take their entire family with them ensuring they are not back at your house for a long period.
Is it safe to be in kitchen post spray?
Before entering the house, you must ask your pest control company – is it safe to be in the house after pest control?
After a pest control session, experts generally advise staying out of your house for specific hours.
To put it simply, you cannot immediately run into your kitchen to cook your favorite dishes. Stay out of the kitchen once the session is completed. Generally, it’s 2-4 hours – however, depending on the services delivered, it can extend even up to 24 hours.
We recommend following your service providers’ guidelines to get the most out of the pest control session and stay safe.
How long should you wait after the pesticide spray?
The active ingredient that kills the pests attacks their nervous system limiting their body functions and eventually killing them.
Even though these doses come in low potency, you should still take proper precautions.
Once you are done with exterminating pests, wait for at least 3 hours before you walk back into your house. By this time, the pesticide will dry and limit the risk and exposure to human beings, pets, and even children.
Moreover, those with respiratory issues should be the last ones to enter the house after the pest control session.
Should I open kitchen windows after pest control?
Here is what to do after exterminator sprays:
After a certain amount of time has passed – usually 3-4 hours – you can step into your house. You can open doors and windows after this time. However, it is advised not to clean immediately.
Wait for usually a week to clean your house. However, you can mop your floors and vacuum your entire place, but avoid deep scrubbing.
How to Clean Your Kitchen After Pest Control
Maintaining and cleaning after roach extermination can be challenging. There are certain do’s and don’t’s you should follow. A pest infestation can become uncontrollable if not properly treated.
The kitchen becomes the guest house for all these pests as they are attracted to food. So it is essential to clean your kitchen thoroughly to prevent the spread of diseases.
Cleaning, if not done right, can harm you and your entire family. Here are some tips for cleaning different parts of your kitchen.
1. Cupboard and Cabinet
The cupboards and cabinets in your kitchen are the most critical areas where you store food essentials and cutleries.
Either wipe the cabinets and cupboards with a clean cloth or use a washcloth to wipe them clean.
Make sure to dry the areas before putting anything into them. Also, wipe and dry the cutleries before putting them back to their places.
2. Sink
It is a rule that insects, when dying, run towards the water. When water is mixed with oil or any other substances, then they give for pests to breed.
After the pest control, make sure to keep your sinks and basin clean and dry. Wipe your sinks and basins every time you run water to avoid contamination and further pest breeding.
3. Dishes
- Once your cabinets and cupboards are clean, wash your dishes and wipe them thoroughly to put inside. Ensure to store your food in airtight containers.
- Avoid eating food from anywhere other than the kitchen.
- Discard any food that was left outside or unprotected while getting house sprayed for bugs.
- Wash your dishes every time before eating. This will significantly reduce the risk of pesticide spray infection.
4. Kitchen Floors and Counters
It’s a no-brainer. But if you are wondering, can I mop after pest control? The answer is yes. You can definitely mop after pest control.
There are certain factors you must consider. The best way to get the most out of your pest control session is by not mopping your floors frequently.
The pesticide parameter spray is designed to stay for 30-90 days in your house. So you can mop and clean the center of the floors but avoid going all out near the wall edges.
Cleaning the wall edges will interfere with the pesticide perimeter zone and may undermine the treatment. You can still vacuum but avoid getting too close to the edges.
5. Dining area
Clean out your dining table and chairs properly, and if you already had fruits during the extermination, throw them away. When you put the fruits on it, ensure they are covered.
Make sure you wash your hands after using the dining area.
How to Avoid Pests Coming over After the Treatment
Here are some tips that can help you avoid pests from coming over after a pest treatment:
- Keep your bathroom clean. Cockroaches and mosquitoes breed in stagnant places. Use a toilet cleaner to clean your toilet and sink regularly. Keep your drain free of hair and scraps to avoid clogging and receive the benefits of pest control.
- Do not keep stagnant water anywhere. Clean your drains and basins every time to avoid water accumulation. Stagnant water can give rise to malaria and dengue-breeding mosquitoes. So do make sure to avoid stagnant water at any cost.
- Routinely clean out your garbage. Ideally, this should be done at all times, but if you did not do it before, make sure to do it after the treatment. Accumulated garbage leads to mosquitoes, rats, and cockroach infestation. Regular cleaning will prevent these pests from coming back.
- Maintain your lawn. Clean your pond or water fountain in your garden regularly. Prune any unwanted plants and bushes and fix any pit stops that can accumulate water.
- Insert nets on your windows. Doing this will prevent unwanted bugs from entering your house and contaminating it. What’s great, it’s eco-friendly.
What to do if you see more bugs?
It is pretty normal to see bugs even after pest control. It’s simply because pests don’t die immediately after the treatment.
So if you see bugs after the treatment, don’t fret and just give it a few days.
Even after a week, if you find no change and still keep seeing insects here and there, contact your pest control service provider and report the issue.
What to keep in mind?
- The best advice is to follow your technician’s instructions. They know what should or should not be done for your safety measures.
- Do not enter your house or come in contact with the served areas immediately after the treatment. Allow it to dry first to avoid any health risks.
- Wash dishes you and your pets before eating to avoid contamination.
- Allow ventilation by opening doors and windows. This will allow pesticides to dry more quickly and disinfect pesticide residue.
- Dispose of any contaminated items. If you have left anything in the open like food, medicines, etc., ensure you throw it away.
Over to you…
Pest control is the most effective treatment to get rid of pests from the house.
We covered kitchen pest control tips you can use to take care of your house after getting a pest control treatment.
We also covered the don’ts such as not cleaning immediately, not scrubbing the floor, keeping your food in airtight containers, keeping your surroundings clean, avoiding stagnant water to keep your house pest-free for a long time.
Now you know how to clean your kitchen after pest control. Understanding and following these tips will enable you to get the best out of the treatment and maintain your safety while getting rid of the creepy bugs.
