How to Maintain a Pest-Free Bathroom

Welcome to the third blog in our series all about maintaining a pest-free home! As our journey throughout preventing pests in the rooms of a standard house continues on, we venture into one of the most overlooked rooms when it comes to pest control: the bathroom. This is the place where we hurriedly get ready for work or school in the mornings and attempt to relax by taking a nice bubble bath at night. The bathroom isn’t even close to being the most exciting room in a home (or maybe it is for you; we won’t judge), so it may be surprising to learn that this space is capable of attracting all kinds of pests. The moisture and warmth are two major attractants for all kinds of pests, making the bathroom an ideal place to be for many species. Let’s explore some of the most common bathroom pests before we dive into the best ways to prevent pests from making a mess of this essential room. 

Common Bathroom Pests

Whether you have a bathroom for every bedroom or your family shares one bathroom, this room can attract many kinds of pests for a few reasons. One is that it is almost always the room with the most moisture and humidity in the house, which is the perfect environment for certain species. The flooring and walls gather moisture when the shower or bathtub are used, especially if the exhaust fan isn’t utilized, but more on that later. Plus, our bathroom cabinets can accumulate quite a bit of clutter if there isn’t an organizational system in place. This gives smaller pests additional hiding spots that can help them to evade detection for longer than they would otherwise. 

• Roaches: Possibly the most common bathroom pest, roaches thrive in the warm and moist conditions of any bathroom. They enter the room through a drain — either in the sink or bathtub — because roaches often live in the sewers and will climb up when the water rises. The humidity of a bathroom encourages the roaches to reproduce, which is never ideal since they spread multiple diseases by contaminating everything they touch.
• Spiders: Spiders are a unique bathroom pest in that they are not there for the humidity or moisture. They need to live where they have a constant food source (aka insects), so spiders will go to any space that has an existing pest problem. If there are small insects in the bathroom or anywhere nearby, there will likely be a spider there before long. Bathroom spiders are often found in the bathtub, under the sink, or in the corners of the room. 
• Silverfish: Back to the pests that love humidity, silverfish need moisture to survive. They are more common in bathrooms with poor ventilation because they will have enough humidity and warmth to thrive there. Since they don’t have wings, silverfish have to crawl into the spaces they invade through gaps and cracks in the house. They eat anything with a lot of carbs and cellulose, including paper, mold, wallpaper, and glue.
• House Centipedes: These hunters are some of the creepiest-looking pests around, but they thankfully like to stay far from us. House centipedes need to live in moist and humid spaces, so these nocturnal pests thrive in a standard bathroom. These centipedes eat all kinds of other pests and hunt them by making erratic movements to compensate for their poor eyesight. Fun fact: contrary to their name, house centipedes actually have anywhere from 15 to 190 legs.

Fortunately, we don’t have to live in fear of these pests suddenly invading our bathrooms. There are multiple ways to prevent them from stepping foot (if they even have feet) in these rooms, and many of these tasks are common chores that you likely already do for your bathrooms anyway. Cleaning the bathroom is an understandably dreaded task for many people, but trust us: it’s completely worth it to spend a bit of time doing these tasks in order to prevent pests from invading your bathroom and ruining your day.

Eliminate Extra Moisture

This is subjectively the most important step in maintaining a pest-free bathroom. Since most bathroom pests (house centipedes, roaches, silverfish, earwigs, ants) are there for the moisture and humidity, taking it away will cut down on the number of pests that want to live in your bathroom. Always use the exhaust fan when showering, even if you don’t crank it up to the highest temperature. The fan prevents the air from retaining all of the moisture from the running shower, which will subsequently reduce the risk of mold growing in the bathroom. Also, make sure to clean up any puddles of water left on the floor and check to see that the drain in the shower/tub is working properly. The little details matter when it comes to eliminating excess humidity and moisture in the bathroom. The acts of keeping the door open when the bathroom’s not in use and hanging up the bath towels to dry properly make a true difference in the amount of leftover moisture. The more stagnant water left in the bathroom, the more likely some moisture-loving pests will find it.

Search For Cracks

There’s a reason why we include this tip in every blog within this series, and that’s because sealing up every crack and gap in the house is crucial in preventing every single kind of pest infestation. The bathroom is no different, what with all of the plumbing and moisture that could potentially lead to cracking earlier than in other rooms. A random crack in the wall will be fairly obvious, but you will have to take a closer look at the details of the room to ensure that there aren’t any cracks hidden from view. Inspect for any cracks and imperfections around the lights, shower, tub, sink area, window, and cabinets. You can easily seal small cracks with waterproof caulk. If you find any small pests already living in existing cracks or holes, contact professional pest control immediately.  

Organize the Cabinets 

Organization is a skill that some people are born with and others can improve upon throughout their lives. There are plenty of objects to be organized in a standard bathroom, especially if more than one person regularly uses it to get ready every day. All of the hair products, skincare, makeup, hygiene items, first aid tools, and cleaning products can really clutter up the cabinets if they go unchecked for long enough. Clutter can hide pests in any room, but a packed bathroom cabinet offers even more potential for a secure shelter. Rodents and spiders in particular love to hide behind stacked objects, and you definitely don’t want to stumble upon one of these when you’re searching for your hairspray. Instead of haphazardly throwing your products in the cabinets, try placing everything in baskets or acrylic containers to make everything a little neater. This project can be as involved as you want, as you can get matching containers or label each separate vessel to make it easier to grab what you need.

Eliminate Drain Clogs

This goes along with the idea of eliminating extra moisture, as clogged drains can trap even more moisture in the room. Some pests disgustingly like to breed in and eat from clogged drains. Drain flies are the most notable ones that do this, but roaches and centipedes can also be found in packed drains. Whether it’s the sink, shower, or bathtub, the drain can become a reliable food source for multiple pests who will never leave willingly once they get inside. If you notice any of these drains starting to drain slower and be less functional, it’s a good idea to take care of it as soon as possible. A clogged drain can not only lead to pest problems, it can also cause a leak in the plumbing that will take more time to fix. There are many types of drain-clearing products on the market today, so you have your choice of product that will efficiently solve your problem. Liquid drain cleaner and drain snakes are the two most common methods since they are the most effective at removing various kinds of drain clogs. 

Clean the Floor

This is another task that is essential for keeping every room pest-free. Since most pests travel along the ground, it’s easy for them to find all kinds of food sources on the floor. The bathroom floor collects random debris throughout the week as people complete their morning and night routines. Hair, lint, makeup product, crumbs, powder, and dead skin cells all accumulate on the floor just from people getting ready every day. Make sure to clean any sudden product spills as soon as they happen, and sanitize the area afterward with an anti-bacterial wipe or spray to prevent the spot from becoming sticky. You don’t have to deep clean the entire floor every day, but it’s a good idea to clean it on a regular basis that fits within your schedule. Whether you have tile or hardwood, you can efficiently clean the floor with the method of your choosing. Sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming are the most popular ways to clean your bathroom floor with ease. 

Clean the Shower and Tub

This is a time-consuming chore that most people dread, but it is unfortunately necessary to maintain a completely clean bathroom. Everyone has their own preferred method and frequency with which they clean the shower and/or bathtub, so the specifics of this task are up to you. Certain kinds of pests, like drain flies and silverfish, feed on soap scum, so the goal is to eliminate this attractant before invasive pests begin to feed on it. Whether you need to scrub or you have a powder or spray that does the hard work for you, just make sure that all of the grime rinses down the drain. This can also be a good time to ensure that the drain is functioning properly and doesn’t have any clogs. There should not be huge puddles of standing water in the shower and/or tub by the time you are done with the cleaning process. If there is, you could have a clogged drain on your hands.  

Repair Leaks

Speaking of water, leaks in the bathroom are very common due to the amount of plumbing that exists in this room. It all has the potential to start leaking for various reasons, so it is essential to keep any eye out for any leaks as you go about your routines in here. We’ve established just how many pests love excess moisture in this room, so a leak will draw in some particularly gnarly pests, like roaches and silverfish. Make sure there isn’t any water dripping or flowing out of the shower head, faucet, bathtub faucet, or toilet when they are not in use. It’s also a good idea to check under the sink to ensure that the pipes aren’t dripping without your knowledge. If you have a leak anywhere in the bathroom, it is essential to get it repaired as soon as possible. Leaks will not go away on their own and can lead to even larger issues in the bathroom, such as water damage and floor staining. Instead of waiting for these expensive problems to occur, fix the leak (or call a professional to fix it) as soon as you find it.

Check for Other Pest Issues

Finally, it is important to never get tunnel vision when it comes to pest problems in a certain room. What we mean by this is to not assume that any pests you find in the bathroom are isolated in this room. They certainly could’ve invaded by finding an entry point in the exterior of the bathroom wall, but it’s also completely possible (and quite common) that they invaded a different room of the house and made their way to the bathroom because they were attracted to something in there. Certain pests are notorious for entering one spot and then sneakily traveling to another part of the home that has a more secure shelter and reliable food source. Roaches, rodents, ants, and silverfish commonly settle in a location that is different than their original entry point. If you find any pests in your bathroom, check the other rooms of your home to see if there are more pests elsewhere, even if they are of a different species. Look closely at the doors and windows, since gaps and cracks around these are often utilized by all kinds of pests. Pests in any room are a worrisome sight, but if you find creepy-crawlies throughout your home, it’s a good time to call professional pest control.

Wash Your Pest Worries Away With Green

Since the bathroom already needs a thorough cleaning more often than the other rooms, this is the last place you want a pest infestation to occur. It is essential to keep every room in the home pest-free — even the bathroom — which is why the dedicated technicians of Green Pest Services are all dedicated to solving each pest issue as efficiently as possible. We begin every service with a complete inspection of the home in order to assess the damage done by pests and determine the species involved in the infestation. These findings will inform the customized treatment plan that we create during the service, as we firmly believe that pest control is not a “one-size-fits-all” process. Between our environmentally-friendly products and expert advice, we guarantee that we will keep your home pest-free all year long. Your bathroom is the primary setting of your morning and night routines, and you deserve to complete your routines in your own home without dealing with invasive pests. Go Green and contact us today for a free quote on the most efficient pest control services around!

Citations

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Bugs and pests commonly found in the bathroom. (n.d.). Pest World. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www.pestworld.org/pest-in-the-house/bathroom/ 

Have you seen these bugs in the bathroom?. (n.d.). Terminix. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www.terminix.com/blog/home-garden/bugs-in-the-bathroom/ 

Lewis, D. (n.d.). Bugs in the bathroom. Iowa State University: Extension and Outreach. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2007/feb/072301.htm