Trying to get rid of roaches in your home doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful, especially if you’re interested in using more natural methods rather than chemical-filled concoctions.
A lot of people hear that Listerine (yes, we’re talking about the mouthwash) will get rid of roaches. The answer is yes, listerine will kill roaches if you use it in the right way. Mixing it with peppermint oil will create a spray that can kill roaches on contact.
Using peppermint oil to kill cockroaches
Roaches have a very strong sense of smell, and there are a lot of scents they hate. When you use certain essential oils and other products to get rid of roaches in your home, they usually repel the roaches who will run away when certain smells are present.
Either way, they’re out of the way and won’t bother you anymore. Listerine is a great way to get rid of roaches, it works even better when you combine it with peppermint essential oil.
Peppermint oil has methanol in it, and methanol has both insecticidal and medicinal properties. In addition to roaches, peppermint oil can repel other pests, including earwigs and centipedes.
To be effective, however, you need a high-quality peppermint oil that is 100% pure essential oil. You don’t want one that is a “blend” or just a “scented oil” because these are usually diluted and aren’t nearly as strong.
Listerine and peppermint oil roach repellent recipe
Here is a great recipe using peppermint oil and listerine to repel roaches.
- Place 5–7 drops of peppermint oil in 1/2 cup of Listerine in a spray bottle.
- Stir the mixture well.
- Add 2 cups of water to the mixture.
- Shake the sprayer bottle well.
You can start spraying the mixture in any area of your home that has a lot of moisture and attracts pests. This includes your kitchen, bathrooms, basement, garage, and even your laundry room.
When you’re in the kitchen, spray the mixture underneath the sink near the pipes, in the pantry and the cabinets, behind your appliances, and in every tight corner that you can find.
You’ll likely end up spraying more of the mixture in the kitchen than anywhere else, simply because this is where most of the food in your house is kept. Also, don’t forget to spray the drains in both the kitchen and the bathroom.
Natural oils that repel roaches
There are lots of essential oils that roaches detest, which means they are good at keeping away the roaches and other pests. In addition to peppermint essential oil, other smells they hate include:
- Cedarwood essential oil
- Citrus essential oil
- Cypress essential oil
- Eucalyptus essential oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Neem essential oil
- Tea tree essential oil
Remember to put the mixture together according to the instructions mentioned above and most importantly, don’t forget to buy 100% pure essential oils and nothing else.
These types of essential oils are cold-condensed and contain only natural herbal extracts and nothing that will dilute the oils and make them much less effective in the end.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Repelling Roaches
1. Can I use Lysol to kill my roaches?
A: Lysol will kill roaches, but you have to spray it directly on the roaches if you want it to work. This is because Lysol removes oil that roaches have all over their bodies. If you spray these pests with Lysol, the oil is removed from the roaches’ bodies, and they become dehydrated, killing them.
2. Will using vinegar kill roaches?
A: This is a common myth, but vinegar does not kill or repel roaches. It does, however, make a very effective cleaning agent, and once your kitchen is spotlessly clean, the roaches are more likely to stay away. For this reason, vinegar can indirectly keep roaches out of your home.
3. Can I use baking soda to kill roaches?
A: Baking soda can be used to kill roaches. Baking soda is poison to cockroaches, so if you mix baking soda with sugar and place it in a trap, the sugar will lure the roaches in and the baking soda will kill them once they eat the mixture.
Just make sure the mixture is no more than 1/3 sugar because the more baking soda that’s in it, the better. Also, keep in mind that it can take from two to three hours for the roaches to die after they eat the mixture.
4. Does lemon juice kill or repel roaches?
A: Lemon juice will not kill roaches, but it will repel them. Roaches despise the smell of lemons, so if you frequently clean your kitchen with lemon-scented cleaning products, it does a great job of keeping the roaches away. And you don’t need a lot of lemon, either.
Simply adding two or three tablespoons of lemon juice to the water you mop the floor with can do a great job of keeping away any roaches.
It’s also a good idea to remember that roaches can be difficult to get rid of because they are very tough insects.
The younger the roach is, the more likely the methods listed above will be effective. In the end, though, you may have to call an exterminator to get rid of the roaches in your home, especially with older and bigger roaches.
Conclusion
The good news about getting rid of roaches with peppermint essential oil and Listerine mouthwash is that it is both an inexpensive and simple way to get rid of them. Roaches hate certain smells, including peppermint, so the more that particular smell is found in your home, the more anxious the roaches will be to turn and run in the opposite direction.
The mixture includes 5–7 drops of peppermint essential oil, 1/2 cup of Listerine, and two cups of water placed in a spray bottle. Then, you can just spray the mixture wherever roaches tend to congregate.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.