If you attempt to enjoy your home and start smelling cockroach odor, you might be disgusted with yourself. All you want to do is enjoy your home, but these roaches make it unbearable to want to be there! However, there are ways to get rid of the unpleasant smell.
Although you might think air fresheners will do the trick, there is way more to eliminating this stench than meets the eye, which this article discusses. We highly encourage you to read on for all there is to know about getting rid of the roach smell!
What Is the Cause of Roach Smell?
The cause of cockroach smell comes from a few things: their methods of communication, molting, feces, and decaying bodies. You will notice an oily or musty odor.
1. Communication & Molting
Roaches release pheromones when communicating with each other. When they die, find food, try to attract mates, or call each other for a suitable nesting area, they will let out a secretion. If there is a rather large cockroach infestation, you will notice the smell rather quickly.
A cockroach molt releases a stench called oleic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid commonly found in animals, oils, and vegetable fats.
2. Cockroach Feces
Cockroach feces may be hard to spot if there are only a few insects. However, when a roach infestation occurs in specific areas, you will notice that foul smell more clearly. Cockroach poop looks like pepper, coffee grounds, or dark rice grains.
3. Dead Roaches
If you notice dead cockroaches, there may be a foul odor. The decaying and dead roach bodies also release oleic acid, making it very stinky in your household, especially if your home contains multiple cockroaches.
You may find their exoskeletons under sinks, behind furniture, inside cabinets, and in other similar areas.
How to Get Rid of the Roach Smell Completely
You can eliminate the roach smell by doing a few things, but it will take time, energy, and patience. Thoroughly clean your home, especially with items cockroaches live in.
1. Locate Feces
The first thing is to locate the actual poop in your home and remove it. Use a disinfectant to ensure there are no lingering particles left over.
2. Wash Soft Items
If there is roach odor on old clothes, blankets, or other soft items, you can throw them in the washer or outright get rid of them. Use distilled white vinegar to get any unpleasant smell out.
3. Disinfect Hard Items
You can save books, photo albums, and other unique items, but make sure not to oversaturate them with a disinfectant spray or other cleaning products. Otherwise, it might ruin them.
4. Vacuum Hard Items
Vacuum your house, starting from the highest areas and moving to the lowest parts. Make sure to run your vacuum hose in every crevice and corner, including behind appliances, under sinks, under furniture, inside drawers, on top of cupboards, and in other places where you have seen roaches.
If hard surfaces contain a foul stench, use a light degreaser and let it sit for roughly 5 minutes before scrubbing the affected areas.
How to Get Roach Smell Out of Wood
You can get roach smell out of wood by using a few methods. Wood may be somewhat tricky because it has “memory,” so to speak. There may be a specific smell it might have for quite a while. However, it is possible to remove the unbearable stench.
The first way is using a water and vinegar mixture, which absorbs odors. Do a thorough cleaning by making a disinfectant spray. Put 1 part vinegar to 1 part water in a spray bottle, then add a few drops of dish soap to the mix. Afterward, spray the wood and scrub it down.
If this method does not work, you can sand the wood down. However, if the odor persists after trying these two methods, paint or stain the wood to cover up any smell it may have.
What to Wear When Cleaning Cockroach Poop
We highly recommend you wear a mask and disposable gloves while cleaning cockroach poop and the smell. This is because much scrubbing is involved, especially with cockroach infestations. You are also cleaning feces, which is highly gross and unsanitary. Coming into contact with this can be dangerous.
To take the extra mile, wear long pants and a long-sleeve shirt for additional protection. Don’t forget to put on socks and shoes, so you do not accidentally step on any dead cockroaches or poop on the floor.
Read More: The Dangers Of Roaches
Can a Roach Smell Make You Sick?
Yes, a roach smell can make you sick to your stomach if it is strong enough.
In addition, cockroaches carry harmful diseases and other bacteria that can trigger allergies and asthma. However, they also spread a common illness called gastroenteritis which can cause fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. Still, cockroaches also spread salmonella, E. coli, and more.
The Bottom Line
Overall, it is genuinely essential to eliminate cockroaches from your home, especially if you have a heavy roach infestation. Still, with a bit of elbow grease and a few days of deep cleaning your home, you will find the once unpleasant odor is now refreshing and wonderful!
We hope this article has helped you with your problem. For more information on cockroaches, please check out our other articles!
