A: Yes, it’s ok to clean after pest control once the application is dry and the technician has let you know the timeframe that is ok to clean.
Pest control in Houston is a must these days because pests are constantly adapting. What used to exterminate pests ten years ago doesn’t always work today. Not only that, but as Houston grows, pest’s natural habitats become disrupted. They seek out homes and businesses for food, water, and shelter by any means necessary.
They rarely will let you know of their presence directly—they stay in the shadows and come out at night. Have you ever gone on vacation and come back to a loaf of bread with the bag chewed through, or a foul stench? That would be your unwanted houseguests running rampant while you were away.
Trust Pest Control Professionals
Getting rid of these pests eats up a lot of time, effort, and money if you let it get out of hand. To successfully keep your home free of infestation, you need preventative services from a pest control professional.
Pest control companies such as us make frequent use of safe pesticides and deterrents to keep your home free of pests. No matter the insects you’re dealing with, pesticides are always the most effective tool. However, when applied incorrectly—they can be dangerous.
Our technicians are continually trained in the latest pesticides, safety protocols, and the proper mix ratios. They know how to treat your home to protect your pets, children, and yourself from incidental pesticide contact. Make no mistake, while pesticides do contain chemicals that can be harmful, it’s only if proper safety protocols aren’t followed.
Post-Treatment Cleaning
Whenever you get a pest control treatment, it’s always a good idea to clean your home after the treatment has dried. Cleaning serves a two-fold purpose—it eliminates any possibility of incidental contact with the chemicals. However, it also makes your home less appealing to pests returning or new arrivals.
If you want to know the most thorough and effective way to clean your home after a pest control treatment, keep reading.
Patience Pays Off
When pests invade your home, they won’t just immediately vacate the property. It takes time and consistent treatment schedules. Our technicians always do their best to rid your home of pests inside and out. That is why we use pesticides that are applied safely and properly.
So, keep in mind that you want to be patient and allow the chemicals to affect the pests as they are designed to do. Before the technician leaves, they will tell you how long to wait before cleaning the home. Follow those directions religiously—you could be counteracting the treatment if you clean too soon. Sometimes, it’s best to wait for about a week or so to allow the treatment to have the full impact. Some pests will flee immediately, others will hideout until they can’t stand it. Additionally, these pests are clever, many will leave immediately and come back after 24 hours. They come back to see if the “coast is clear” and if you’ve cleaned right after the treatment, you just undid what drove them out.
Get The Right Tools
Once the pesticides have been applied and you’ve waited until the technician said it was ok to clean, you’ll need some tools.
- Cleaning rags
- Clean water
- Dish soap
- Vacuum
- Trash Bags
- Rubber Gloves
- Handheld Steam Cleaner
- Disposable Sponges
Once you’re cleaning, make sure you’re changing out the water when it gets dirty. There’s nothing as pointless as cleaning down surfaces with dirty water. Pests LOVE dirty water so you could be setting up attractants without knowing it.
Choose A Starting Point
We treat your entire house when we perform a pest control treatment. So, to make sure you cover all the rooms, choose a starting point. We recommend beginning at one far end of the house and moving inward. Maybe even keep a checklist on you and mark off each room when you complete it. Organization is your number one tool that will make for a faster, more organized clean-up.
Start From The Top Down
When cleaning after the treatment, always clean from the top down—ceilings to floors. Dust ceiling fans, then wipe down the walls with a disinfectant such as Lysol. This not only makes the house smell fresh but kills any bacteria pests may have tracked in. When cleaning walls and windows make sure you keep a stack of cloths so you can swap out when one gets too dirty.
Once the walls and windows are done, don’t forget to wipe the baseboards, sweep the floor, and then mop thoroughly. Make sure you squeeze excess water from the mop so you don’t oversaturate the floor with water. You want it to be clean, but dry quickly.
If you have carpet, it’s a good idea to rent a carpet cleaner from your local grocery store. However, if that’s not possible at least vacuum thoroughly.
Steam Clean And Vacuum Furniture
Once it’s safe to clean your home the first thing you want to do is steam clean your furniture and vacuum out debris. If you leave furniture dirty after pest control service, you’re just inviting the pests back. Make sure to clean under the cushions, in the crevices, and underneath as well. You’d be surprised by the debris you’ll find.
Keep Everything Dry
When pests come in contact with pesticides, they crave water to try and flush the toxins out of their system. Don’t leave standing water anywhere in or outside your house. Dry your sinks, bathtub, and any other water sources. If you have any leaks outside, try to fix them ASAP. When you cut off the water source, the pests will try and leave to find somewhere with water.
Remove Food That Was Left Uncovered
Your kitchen is going to be the one room that we will treat first because it has everything pests are seeking, in one spot. Food, water, and shelter—the kitchen attracts most pests, especially ants, mosquitos, roaches, and flies. Of course, you can’t forget rodents—they love the kitchen too.
Throw away any foods that you left uncovered during the treatment. While they may not be contaminated by pesticides at all; better to be safe than sorry. Also, it eliminates any temptation for pests to come back if they don’t see easy access to food.
On that note, you also want to wash any dishes and utensils left out, run them through the dishwasher if you have one. Also, make sure you wipe down all kitchen surfaces with Lysol or soapy water and dry them well.
Trust Champion Pest Control For All Your Preventative Needs
Champions is consistently rated one of the best pest control companies in Houston and for good reason. We always put your safety and comfort first.
Our technicians explain what services we’re doing and why. They go over all safety precautions and point out any vulnerable spots in your home.
Contact us today if you want your home pest-free. We give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing there are no unwanted houseguests.
