If there’s a room in your home that needs to be squeaky clean and pest-free then that’s your kitchen. A kitchen is a place where we not only gather but a place where the food is kept, prepared, and consumed.
It’s also not a secret that kitchens get messy and dirty pretty fast, which is exactly what attracts all kinds of pests. With pests present, your kitchen is no longer safe. Pests will contaminate food, leave excrement behind them and destroy pretty much everything they can.
However, there are ways to keep your kitchen clean and protected from pests. Here are all the best tips to protect your kitchen.
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1. Keep the kitchen as clean as possible
The best possible recommendation that we can offer you is simply to keep your kitchen and pantry as clean as possible. This means that you should make time to clean these spaces regularly.
Ideally, a kitchen should be cleaned after every use, every meal. This implies washing the dishes immediately after using them or putting them into the dishwasher, wiping down the countertops, and other surfaces such as floors. If there is leftover food, make sure you store it properly.
As for the pantry, you should also find time to regularly wipe down the shelves, get rid of expired food, wash empty containers and bins.
By doing this regularly, you protect your kitchen and pantry from different types of pests who are looking for a chance to find food and shelter in your home.
2. Dispose of garbage
Experts from pest control Cairns warn that disposing of food in garbage bins is a sure way to attract pests. They say that instead of throwing food into both our indoor and outdoor trash cans, we should limit the amount of food we throw away.
Throwing food into trash bins will not only spread unpleasant smells around your home but will also attract uninvited guests – pests. To deal with this, you should invest in garbage disposal.
Garbage disposal is a device fitted to the waste pipe of a kitchen sink that grinds or shreds the food waste. If you have a garbage disposal, you should run it as often as you can to prevent pests.
3. Organize the kitchen and pantry
An organized home is a clean home. This also includes your kitchen and pantry. You should make sure that everything in your kitchen has its proper place. For example, a good trick to make sure you don’t attract pests to your kitchen/pantry is by placing food in containers.
Instead of keeping food in its original packaging, which can look pretty disorganized, you should get glass or plastic containers and transfer and decant all the food in them. Not only will this look aesthetically pleasing and more organized, but it will also protect the food from pests since pests can easily chew through boxes and bags.
4. Inspect groceries
Another reason why transferring food into containers is a good idea, is because that way you get to inspect what you bought. Often, without even knowing, we bring pests into our homes through groceries we buy at the store.
An insect or something similar can be hiding in a bag or on a grocery you bought, so, to prevent them from invading your kitchen and pantry, take a bit of time to inspect everything you bought before storing it away.
Also, never buy products and foods that look damaged or that could have pests.
5. Put more food into freezer or fridge
Pests hate low temperatures, which means that they will hate being in a fridge or freezer. From this, we can conclude that you can rest assured that there are no pests in these two appliances.
So, why don’t we freeze and refrigerate more food? Don’t leave any food or groceries laying around on countertops or tables, instead put everything that you can away in a fridge or freezer. There is probably food in the pantry and cabinets that can easily be refrigerated.
For example, ripe fruits such as bananas, avocados, apples, all kinds of nuts, and condiments can easily be stored in a fridge instead of a pantry.
6. Fix leaky pipes and faucets
Pests such as cockroaches, centipedes, and so on, love and thrive in humidity. And not just those pests, most of the pests need water to survive. For that reason, in case you have leaky pipes or faucets, you should immediately fix them.
Find ways to deal with minor leakages and if you have major problems with pipes or faucets, make sure you hire a professional to help you out. Without leaky pipes/faucets, there’s no fear of pest infestation.
7. Close any possible pest entrances
Pests are sneaky, they will find a way to get into your home through the smallest possible crack or hole. This means that you should inspect your kitchen and seal off any potential entry points regardless of how small and insignificant they might look to you.
Especially pay attention to water and stovepipes – they are ideal entry points for mice, rats, roaches, and ants.
Finding ways to protect your kitchen from pests is key in making sure you live in a clean and safe environment. A pest-infested home is a real health hazard. Hopefully, these couple of tips can help you protect your kitchen and thus your home from pests.