Soapy water is effective in killing cockroaches if you drown them in it. When spraying, sprinkle the solution in large quantities to drench them. However, soapy water is not efficient in repelling roaches because it lacks a repelling odor that can irritate them.
Soapy water kills cockroaches instantly because it blocks all the breathing holes in their lower abdomen. This suffocates them to death. Mix 6 ounces of dish soap with 1 cup of warm water then spray it directly on them or have them drown in it.
You may also make a cockroach trap using soapy water combined with what they love most. Put some wet fried meat in chopsticks and place them above an open container with soapy water overnight. When roaches fall into the container, the sappy water will drown them to death.
How to kill cockroaches with soapy water
If you want to repel and kill roaches at the same time, may make a mixture of vinegar and soapy water as follows:
- Get a clean container with 2 cups of water
- Add about 8 teaspoons of liquid soap
- You may also use powdered soap and add 6 teaspoons
- Add ¼ cup of white vinegar into the solution and gently stir to mix so that it does not foam excessively
- Add this in a spray bottle and spray it directly on the roaches generously to kill them fast
- You may also use this to spray their hideouts if you want to flush them out
This is a perfect trap for both big and small roaches in the house. Many may consider this a temporary solution but the good news is that it works perfectly especially if you have just a few roaches that are disturbing you.
How to use dawn soap to kill cockroaches?
Dawn soap is another good way of killing roaches because it also contains sodium chloride that works well in drowning roaches when combined with other soap properties. This will drain the cockroach very fast and kill them in a matter of minutes.
- Add ½ cup of dawn dish soap in a spray bottle
- Add 1 cup of water and gently shake to mix
- Generously spray this directly on the cockroaches
You can also make a solution of dawn dish soap and water so that you have a good amount of soapy water in a bucket. You may draw the cockroaches in this solution and they will definitely die. You may also use this to wipe out their eggs with a damp cloth.
Try and use pure water that is free from a lot of impurities when making soapy water for killing roaches at home. This is because salty water or dirty water may have some neutralizing agents that may make the solution weak to deliver the intended purpose.
Can roaches eat soap?
The funny thing about all this is that cockroaches will eat everything including bar soaps. Note that when they eat bar soaps, it does not kill them.
It is the water when combined with soap that kills them. This is because soap helps in breaking the surface tension on the water thus making it easily absorbed into their breathing pores.
Can soapy water kill cockroach eggs?
Soapy water can help in eliminating and cleaning out cockroach eggs but you will have to break the outer protective cover that contains the eggs. Spraying soapy water on the eggs without smashing them open will not kill them.
However, soap and hot water kill cockroaches. Using this when controlling an infestation is a good idea. Once you identify where the eggs are hidden, you can smash them open or simply have the eggs dipped in hot soapy water. You may also mix borax and dish soap to kill roaches.
This will also help in sanitizing the house in general especially if you have small kids. Moping the house with a mixture of vinegar and soapy water will repel and kill cockroaches and other crawling insects at home without any hustle.
Remember not to use soapy water to get rid of cockroaches in plants. This is because the solution can damage the leaves and kill the plant.