Yes, laundry detergent can kill cockroaches. The soaps and surfactants strip away the outer protective layer on the roach’s exoskeleton. Without this waxy barrier, the roach loses moisture and dries out. The detergent may also irritate or burn the roach’s breathing pores along their body. This can suffocate the insect.
Enzymes and bleaches may also contribute toxicity to roaches. And if the detergent gets into the eyes or mouth, it can cause damage there as well. The end result is that various laundry detergent ingredients can contribute to killing roaches through dessication, suffocation, poisoning, or irritation.
Using Laundry Detergent Against Roaches
If you want to try using laundry detergent against cockroaches, here are some methods to consider:
Direct Contact: Try squirting or splashing the detergent directly on a roach you see crawling around. Hit their legs, underside, head and mouthparts if possible. The soap may suffocate them, burn them, or disable them through toxicity. It likely won’t kill them instantly, but they may die shortly after.
Residual Treatment: Mix some laundry detergent with a little water in a spray bottle. Liberally spray down areas where you see roaches hiding or traveling. The residual detergent left on these surfaces can kill, injure or repel roaches that walk over it. Reapply after heavy cleaning or if the residue dries up.
Deter Gent Traps: Soak cotton balls, cardboard, or paper in a strong laundry detergent solution. Place them along walls, under appliances, or in cabinets where roaches hide. When roaches crawl across or consume the detergent-soaked materials, it will kill them.
Boric Acid Mix: Laundry detergent boosts the cockroach-killing power of boric acid. Mix them together in solution and use the methods above for an even deadlier roach treatment. The detergent helps the boric acid stick to and penetrate the insects’ bodies.
Tips for Using Laundry Detergent Against Roaches
If you want to try detergent to control roaches, keep these tips in mind:
- Focus on hidden areas where roaches harbor
- Reapply detergent solution regularly
- Use heavy duty laundry detergent for best results
- Combine with boric acid for a more potent treatment
- Avoid getting detergent where children or pets could contact it
- Ventilate treatment areas and wait until surfaces are dry before allowing food contact
Is Laundry Detergent a Roach Killer Option?
While laundry detergent can kill cockroaches through multiple mechanisms, it’s not necessarily the most efficient option compared to dedicated pesticides. However, it can provide some roach control in a pinch when other products aren’t on hand.
The advantages of using laundry detergent include:
- Most households already have it
- It’s non-toxic to humans and pets when used properly
- Multiple detergent ingredients can kill roaches different ways
- Cost-effective roach treatment option
The disadvantages include:
- Requires very direct contact to kill roaches quickly
- Doesn’t provide residual control as long as pesticides
- Can leave messy soap residue in treatment areas
- Dries out fairly quickly and needs frequent reapplication
So while Chlorox, Tide and other laundry detergents won’t replace calling an exterminator, they can be handy for some DIY cockroach control in a tight spot.
The Bottom Line
Yes, laundry detergent can be used to kill cockroaches due to its dessicating properties and potential toxicity to insects. By splashing it directly on them, leaving detergent residue where they hide, or soaking materials they crawl through, the cleaning product can control roaches through suffocation, irritation, poisoning, and desiccation.
However, it may not be quite as quick and efficient as commercial insecticides. But it makes a handy roach treatment option in a pinch when nothing else is available.
Hopefully this post gave you a good overview explaining how laundry detergent stacks up against those bothersome roaches that occasionally find their way into homes. Let me know if you have any other pest control questions!
References
[1] Brenner, R. J., Patterson, R. S. (1988). Efficacy of laundry detergents against the German cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 81(1), 176-179.
[2] Appel, A. G. (1990). Laboratory and field performance of consumer bait insecticides against German cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 83(1), 153-159.
[3] Gahlhoff, J. E., Koehler, P. G. (2001). Penetration of the eastern subterranean termite into soil treated at various thicknesses and concentrations of Dursban TC and Premise 75. Journal of Economic Entomology, 94(2), 486-491.
Laura has had an enthusiasm for laundry ever since she was a teenager experimenting with wash cycles. She went on study textile science in college before working in product testing.
Soon, Laura found friends and family constantly asking her laundry advice, realizing she had become an unofficial laundry guru. The questions kept coming in, so Laura decided to start sharing laundry tips online to help more people. The enthusiastic response led her start the blog “Laundry How”.
Now in her late thirties, Laura uses Laundry How to tackle all kinds of laundry topics – stains, fabric care, detergents, and more. She provides advice from both her studies and experience testing techniques out firsthand. Laura continues to grow an engaged community of laundry learners, feeling fulfilled empowering people to make laundry an easy, confidence-building ritual rather than a dreaded chore.