How To Clean Your Home After The Exterminator Leaves

Hiring professional pest control is one of the most effective ways to get rid of active infestations and prevent future problems with bugs and rodents. These professionals are well-versed in how to treat common issues and have access to the tools and products necessary to get the job done quickly. While some of these treatments are simple — think traps and barriers — others involve intense chemical formulas that require careful handling. As soon as the exterminator leaves, you might be tempted to give your home a scrub down in order to eliminate any unpleasant chemical smell, but cleaning too soon could reduce the effectiveness of these treatments.

As a general rule, wait until any sprayed pesticides have dried before you start scratching tasks off of your deep cleaning checklist. This is the easiest way to ensure your treatment will do its job. With that being said, there are exceptions to the rule that you should know about before jumping in. Your exterminator should give you any special instructions before they leave, but if you're not sure what to do in the situation, it's always better to err on the side of caution. An annoying chemical smell lingering for a few days is arguably much better than wasting hundreds of dollars on a treatment and dealing with an even worse infestation down the line.

While it can be wise to put a full pause on cleaning for a few days, there are a few tasks that you can do around the house to keep things tidy and reduce any lingering smells. The first is vacuuming. In the vast majority of cases, a once-over with a vacuum won't do anything to reduce the effectiveness of the pest control treatment. Just be sure to stay away from the edges of the room where treatments may have been sprayed. If you find you need to get rid of pet hair, clean up crumbs, or tidy up a dirty hallway, you're fine to stick to your regular routine. It's also okay to spot clean areas that frequently get messy — like countertops — as long as you avoid any spots treated by the pest control professionals.

With that being said, patience is the name of the game here. Instead of jumping straight to a deep clean to get rid of chemical odors, consider using some easy ways to make your home smell good to hold you over in the meantime. Lighting a scented candle, burning some incense, whipping up a simmer pot, or using an essential oil diffuser can help freshen up your space without weakening the treatment. You have a perfectly valid reason to not deep clean for a bit, so why not kick back, relax, and break out that special candle you've been waiting to burn?

After the pesticides have dried, your top priority should be making sure the pests don't come back. The treatment should start doing its job within a few days, but its effectiveness won't last forever. Because of this, you'll want to take note of problem areas and eliminate anything that could potentially attract unwelcome visitors, especially in the kitchen. Make sure your surfaces stay dry, clean any dirty dishes, and toss out any food items that were sitting out during the treatment. It's also a good idea to deep clean items that could potentially come into contact with food in order to eliminate any lingering chemicals. Clean your dishes, pots, and pans, then wipe down the inside of your cabinets before storing them again.

After this, move on to other surfaces. Mop the floors with some warm soapy water for a gentle clean but avoid cutting too close to the baseboards and other sprayed areas. As you move through your home, keep any eye out for any areas where crumbs or debris might collect, like between the couch cushions or under your bed. By cleaning these areas, you'll give your home a fresh start and help keep pests from coming back in the future.

Finally, as the pest control starts working, you might notice dead bugs around your home. While this can be jarring, it's a sure sign that the treatment is effective. Simply vacuum them up as you see them to make the process quick and easy.