How to Remove Cockroach Odor

“Cockroach smell” is the odor given off by roaches in a given area.  But what causes it?  And more importantly, how can you get rid of it?  Here are some tips to help identify the odor and permanently eliminate it.

What Causes Cockroach Odor?

The stench associated with cockroaches originates from the roach feces.  Individually, the feces is very difficult to see.  But collectively, cockroach feces can be very visible.  The feces itself, once dry, often doesn’t emit much odor.  However, mold growing on the feces is generally responsible for the “cockroach smell.”  Coincidentally, the number one cause of asthma in children and older adults is a fungus that grows on roach feces.  The odor is generally present in smaller, confined areas, such as cabinets, drawers, and closets.

How Do You Get Rid of Cockroach Smell?

Since the odor associated with roaches stems from the mold growing on the feces, it is essential to get rid of the feces.  Since asthma is linked to the mold growing on roach feces, you should take proper respiratory precautions.  Wearing an N-95 disposable is a good start, but check with your physician first to see whether you are physically fit to wear one.  A half-faced or full-faced respirator with P-99 or P-100 cartridges provides more protection, but if odors are very bad, you may want to get P-100 OV cartridges (organic vapor).

You will also want to wear disposable gloves, or dish gloves, since there is a lot of scrubbing involved.  First, identify all areas that contain cockroach feces.  If the odor is in a cabinet, you will need to remove the contents of the cabinet and spray all items and the interior of the cabinet with an EPA-registered disinfectant.  If the odor persists in a drawer, remove the drawer.  Check the sides, bottom, back, and inside the area holding the drawer.  Spray all affected areas thoroughly.  Let the disinfectant sit for 10 minutes (or longer, depending on the label instructions), then wipe all areas dry.  Next, use a light degreaser on the affected areas.  Spray the degreaser liberally and let sit for 5 minutes to re-hydrate the feces.  Use a non-scratch scrub pad for finished wood and painted surfaces.  Scrub the affected areas until the feces is removed.  Wipe the areas clean.  Repeat this step as necessary.  Once the area is free of feces, dry the area.  Scrub all affected areas in this manner until the feces is no longer present.  The area will likely smell like cleaning chemicals, but it will dissipate.  Once you are sure that all areas are free from feces, reapply the EPA-registered disinfectant to all areas again /hoarder-cleaning-columbia-sc.  Let the disinfectant sit at least 10 minutes, then dry.  After the chemical odor dissipates, the “cockroach smell” will be gone.

As simple as these instructions seem, there are situations that will require much more work.  In order to get to some areas of contamination, you may be required to remove baseboards, quarter round molding, carpet and carpet pad, doors, door knobs, and even separate cabinets from the drywall in order to get to all of the areas.  Sometimes, exposing the areas to clean is tougher than the cleaning itself.  Good luck!