How to Keep Your Kitchen Pest-Free: Tips and Ideas

We spend so much of our time flipping through and sharing design and decorating inspiration with our readers that at times we might gloss over ways in which we can take better care of our existing home interiors. Not every day is about finding new furniture pieces, colors for the accent wall or styles that make a difference. There are days when we need to get down to the nitty-gritty of things and that means cleaning, making repairs and generally doing things that keep our homes running smoothly. Today, we turn out attention towards the kitchen and more specifically focus on how to keep it pest-free.

Keeping your kitchen clean is the first step to creating a pest-free environment

We all dread the sight of a cockroach or even a small rodent in our kitchen in more way than one. For starters, you know that you have to get rid of the existing pest in the kitchen. But more importantly, you start to realize that there is a deeper problem that needs to be quickly addressed. A better kitchen and one that is more organized can keep these problems at bay and you will not have to bring in pest control every once in a while. Here are a few tips for a pest-free kitchen –

Keeping your Kitchen Clutter-Free

It is easy to keep the kitchen free of pests by simply ensuring that it is as clutter-free as possible. This is not a tough job at all if you are someone who enjoys the idea of minimalism and do not want to fill the kitchen with too much stuff. Even with styles like eclectic, shabby chic and industrial, you can still create an organized kitchen and the style you use is never a constraint in here. Make a habit of buying only what you need for the kitchen and no more!

Take a minimal approach to kitchen design and decorating [From: Nicole Forina Home]

Closed Cabinets with Proper Care

Yes, having closed cabinets in the kitchen is great for taking away pretty much everything and anything. But do make sure that you clean them regularly and take proper care of these cabinet shelves. Since they are completely closed, it is easy to let things slide and soon you will end up with a major infestation that will eat away at the cabinets and more.

Organized and clean kitchen cabinets make for a healthier kitchen

Clean as Soon as Possible

This is simple enough to practice and yet is probably the tip that will help you the most. Do not put off cleaning the dirty kitchen surfaces and those that have been recently used. Take out garbage on a regular basis and make sure that the countertops are always in a spotless condition for a kitchen that is pest-free.

Cleaning kitchen prep stations and countertops regularly keeps out pests

Let Sunlight into Your Kitchen

There are many benefits of sunlight that ancient cultures have tapped into for centuries to create cleaner and healthier homes and you can easily incorporate them into modern design as well. Kitchens with sunlight are easily more pest-free than those with poor natural ventilation. Large windows, sliding glass doors and skylights offer many options in which you can create a healthier kitchen.

Skylight makes the kitchen healthier and more cheerful

Check Nooks and Pipes Regularly

The space underneath the sink and pipe inlets and outlets are the biggest reason for pets in most kitchens. All you need is a very small gap between the floor or the wall next to the pipe and the pipe itself for rodents to squeeze through. Also, dirty pipes and those with leaks quickly give rise to major infestation problems. Do not ignore them at all.

Shaker-style cabinets look cool even in the modern kitchen [From: BERNHARDT Restoration]

You can work with the less is more kitchen decorating philosophy with kitchen of any style [From: Shane Homes Ltd]

No Room for Nicks and Cracks

The many, many times that we have seen small bugs and cockroaches in the kitchen, it has been thanks to nicks, cracks and broken tile sections that accumulate dirt over time. If you see any faults in the kitchen countertop or the backsplash, then try to fix them as soon as possible. Sure, you cannot do this every week, but once every couple of months is a good time to check for small imperfections in kitchen surfaces.

Avoid cracks and nicks and repair them as soon as possible in the kitchen

Replace Cardboard Boxes with Jars

Do not store food items and groceries in plastic bags and cardboard boxes as they generally are perfect places for pests to hide and breed. Instead, quickly throw out all plastic and cardboard boxes the groceries came in and store everything you need in jars. This approach also works well in the pantry and where needed make sure that the original packaging is neatly tucked away in cabinets, but not for too long.

Replace cardboard and plastic boxes with glass and plastic jars

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