A Simple Household Chore To Do Before Going On Vacation Can Prevent Returning To A Bug-Filled Home

When you're heading out on vacation, you likely do a lot of things to make sure your home will be in good shape when you return. You may set a home security alarm, have your mail held at the post office, and put a few lights on timers. However, there is one simple chore you may be missing. 

While you're busy worrying about whether your valuables are safer in a hotel safe or your luggage and where to dine in the evening, roaches may be throwing a party in your house. Thankfully, you can prevent this by pouring boiling water, borax, diatomaceous earth, or baking soda and vinegar down your sink before you leave. These items can help prevent roaches from coming up from the drain — which is an environment they thrive in. Roaches like areas with moisture and food debris. So, for them, a drain is a great place to hide. It's worth taking a few minutes before you leave your house to try this out. 

Boiling water is a great way to kill roaches. If you use this method, you'll want to run warm water for a few minutes, and then pour three to four cups of boiling water down the drain. Alternatively, you can also try diatomaceous earth, which is non-toxic for pets and people. Just put it in the drain and in any other place where they may enter your house. Another method is to use borax, aka sodium borate, which can kill roaches before they begin a safari in your kitchen. Finally, baking soda and vinegar is yet another way to take care of this issue. Pour 1/4 cup of baking soda down the drain, and then 1/2 cup of vinegar, and then boiling water a few minutes later. Even better, it will also help take care of any odors.

A good way to remember to take these added bug-prevention steps is to pay attention to the drains and pipes in your home — especially when you're already packing something to banish bugs from your campsite or to keep them off you while hiking. After all, roaches love pipes because they're a safe place for them, in addition to the moisture and food that's down there. Thankfully, there is a way to keep them out. To do so, simply run the water in all of your sinks, showers, and tubs before you go. That includes sinks that don't get used very often. The reason is that water gets trapped in something called a P-trap — a bend in the pipes where the water can collect — which can prevent them from crawling up. 

Then, make sure you plug your drains with a snug cover. A bowl or cup covering them won't help as there is no real seal there. This is also something you can use generally at night if you tend to have issues with this in general. If you're planning a longer trip, it's also not a bad idea to prep for your time away by making sure all your pipes are in good condition as well, especially if you're in a building that allows self-repairs.

In addition, before you go, make sure to take out the trash and clean up any food particles in the sink or on the counter so there is nothing drawing them out. Plus, you'll get the added benefit of not having to do it when you get home from your trip and need to spend time unpacking. Finally, once the roaches are dealt with, make sure you don't post your vacation pictures online until after you return home. It's much safer to ensure people think the house is occupied.