How to Get Rid of Cockroaches in Your Laundry Room

Seeing cockroaches in your laundry room could make your stress skyrocket. Cockroaches in your laundry room can not only leave waste, discarded shells or egg capsules in their path, they can spread disease. Even if you only see one or two, there are sure to be more hiding nearby. Cockroaches can be dangerous to the health of your family and pets, making them particularly unwelcome visitors in the areas of your home used to keep things clean and tidy. If you need to know how to keep cockroaches out of your laundry room, read this guide to learn fast and effective solutions to return order and comfort to your home.

What are cockroaches?

Cockroaches are hardy pests that have evolved for survival, making this one of the most difficult household pests to get rid of. Usually around half an inch long, cockroaches can be found in many household spaces, from heating ducts and dishwashers to cabinets and light fixtures. They prefer homes and busy buildings like apartment complexes because they can rapidly breed when they have easy access to food, water, and warmth. 

Though cockroaches have come to symbolize unsanitary conditions, they can set up colonies in ultra-clean environments, too. As long as they can find a small place to hide and access nutrients, cockroaches will move in anywhere.

Why are there cockroaches in your laundry room?

Your laundry room has the potential for excess moisture and humidity, plus plenty of places for cockroaches to hide. 

Condensation, standing water, and humid air are all very common when running a washing machine or dryer and cockroaches love areas with high moisture content. And with lots of space behind and beneath your laundry room appliances, cockroaches can move around without being detected.

Why are cockroaches attracted to laundry?

Cockroaches are drawn to all kinds of things you might find in your laundry room: 

• Dirty clothes often have remnants of food, sugary drinks, sweet-smelling perfumes, or even dried skin on them, which can attract cockroaches. 
• Body odors can also attract cockroaches, even when we can’t smell them ourselves. 
• Even clean clothing can be susceptible to cockroach attention because they may eat the soap residue left behind by detergents. 
• Wet clothes left to dry or not completely dried by a dryer can also draw in cockroaches.

Do cockroaches live in washing machines?

In short, yes—cockroaches can easily live in washing machines. Cockroaches are always on the hunt for food, shelter, and moisture. A washing machine provides all three basic needs and hiding places such as soap trays and pipes. Cockroaches can also survive during wash cycles if they retreat to other parts of the appliance. 

How to prevent cockroaches from getting in the laundry room

Preventative measures are the best way to keep cockroaches from setting up shop in your laundry room. Create a simple schedule for washing and drying clothing. Get laundry baskets and sorters that keep clean and dirty clothes up off the ground. Keep your laundry soaps or detergents sealed tightly, and clean up spills and messes as they happen. Make sure your dryer vent leading out of your house is well sealed. Check your washer and dryer for cracks, loose panels, or gaps. And don’t leave wet laundry in a pile.

How to get rid of cockroaches in your laundry room

Cockroaches are notorious for being difficult to get rid of on your own. Getting cockroaches out of your washer and dryer depends on the level of infestation. If you notice a few cockroaches on some clothing, you can try running your washing machine in the hottest setting. Follow the wash cycle with a high-temperature dry for at least 30 minutes. Because there are so many places within your washer and dryer for cockroaches to hide, there’s no guarantee that a high-heat cycle will eliminate a problem. Keeping your laundry room dry, clean, and free from spills and food waste is a great way to prevent a problem.

Cockroach pest control services

The best way to ensure a cockroach problem in your laundry room gets adequately handled is by hiring professional pest control services like Hawx Pest Control. With proven methods, qualified technicians, and the best products and services available, Hawx is the undisputed leader in pest control solutions. Our teams focus on ensuring the highest quality results, leading to a safer and more reliable outcome that addresses current problems and helps to prevent future infestations.