The Popular Cleaning Product That Doubles As An Instant Cockroach Killer

Cockroaches are the bane of our collective human existence. Nothing is more irritating than seeing these brown ovals scurrying around your kitchen. And when they start flying, it's enough to make you want to pack up and move. Not only do roaches contaminate our food through their bodily excretions, but they can also transmit bacteria through a scratch, per the CDC. The presence of cockroaches is seen as the hallmark of an unhygienic home, and this is reason enough to want to get rid of these pests by any means necessary. Cockroach spray is an effective killer, but if you're in a tight spot and you see one of these pesky creatures crawling about, you can use the popular cleaning product, Lysol, as an alternative pesticide.

Lysol is a household disinfectant typically used to wipe down surfaces. Although the name-brand germ-killer doesn't contain pyrethroids, the group of active ingredients that kills roaches in a flash, it can still do some pretty good damage against the six-legged intruders. Roaches have a unique respiratory system that allows them to breathe through openings in their bodies called spiracles. Lysol's effectiveness against roaches lies in its ability to coat their body, covering these breathing ports and suffocating the insect. So next time you happen across a roach in your house and you're fresh out of Raid, try grabbing a bottle of Lysol instead.

Using Lysol to blast away at your cockroach enemies sounds straightforward enough, but you'll still need to know the basic steps involved as well as the safety precautions you have to take. As explained by Cockroach Savvy, your first step should be to shake the bottle well, position it about 18 inches from the target, and then spray. Make sure you saturate the roach with the cleaning solution so that you can be sure it suffocates. Once you're sure the roach is dead, sweep away the evidence.

While Lysol is safe to use on surfaces and to kill roaches, it is still a chemical and shouldn't be inhaled. This means making sure your kids and pets are out of the danger zone before you go spritzing away at the roaches. Also, ensure the area is properly ventilated and that the cleaning solution doesn't come in contact with any bare surfaces on your body to avoid irritation.

If you're planning on using Lysol to get rid of some cockroaches here and there, then you're on the right track. However, if you have a colony of them living in your quarters, you'd be better off going with stronger pesticides while focusing on improving the cleanliness of your living space. Roaches love dark, humid spaces, food crumbs, and hiding under piles of objects, so cleaning up your house and sanitizing it regularly will also send them in search of a more welcoming environment.