The unwanted presence of roaches in the home can become a frustrating problem that calls for some serious action if it keeps happening. No matter how spotless your house is kept, they can carry on appearing in the most unwanted places - such as the kitchen, or the bathroom - making you feel anxious in your own home.

When desperate times call for desperate measures, you'll want to try any possible method to eliminate them and avoid embarrassing yourself in front of guests! You may have been told about several different ways for getting rid of these persistent pests, such as using ground coffee or washing detergent, and even been recommended the best insecticide brand. But do these methods really work?

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In reality, not every piece of advice for eliminating roaches is approved. Some methods may be found to be useless and a waste of time and money, while other methods are the equivalent of getting an exterminator. Here's what you should know about the effectiveness of some methods that have been tried and tested.

What doesn't work

• Bay Leaves: Some have used this in an attempt to repel roaches from certain areas of the house. As the method goes, one should crush them and leave them in discreet corners where cockroaches are bound to appear, hoping to scare them off. Those who have tested this will have found that it's not effective at all.
   
• Soapy water: This is a commonly-known suggestion you should scratch off your list. When mixing some washing liquid soap with 1 quart water and using the mixture to spray over a vulnerable area, or on the pest itself, the results might mislead you. Apparently, this method only slows the roach down, but doesn't kill it.
   
• Citrus Floor Wash: You may try washing your floor with the juice of 4 lemons in 1/2 gallon of water, hoping your roaches will stay away. This will probably be in vain. We generally assume that roaches hate citric acid, but this is a common misconception. This method will do nothing more than leaving your home smelling strongly of lemonade.
  
  
   
   
• Cucumber trap: Using a cucumber as a repellent is another unsuccessful method. Some have suggested placing fresh cucumber peels inside an empty aluminum can, with the intention of having the cucumber react with the aluminum, creating a cloud of stink as a result, and repelling the roaches. You may not want to waste your cucumbers in this way - it doesn't work! 
  
   
• Fabric Softener Sheets: Another method is one that uses a fabric softener. Sheets may be covered with this softener and placed around your home. If you use this method, you'll find that the cockroaches slow dramatically whilst walking over the sheet, and even get stuck. However, they don't die. One can use it as a kind of trap, but on the whole, it won't really solve your problem.

Source: m.instructables.com

What works

• Fabric softener + water mix:  Instead of covering sheets in fabric softener, you can try filling up a spray bottle with the softener, and then mixing it with water. Use the mixture as an insecticide by spraying it over the roaches. This will stop the roach and keel it over. It works great, however it might be a pain to clean up after using it.
   
• Coffee grounds: With its strong smell, coffee can be a useful repellent, both in your home and outdoors. It is assumed that coffee contains a certain acid that acts as a kind of poison to roaches, the smell of which scares them off. Spread some ground coffee around your home, or outside it, to avoid having them around. Your home might smell like a cafeteria, but it's better than having unwanted, creepy visitors!

Source: MissVine

• Borax + Sugar: For a really effective method, try using borax mixed with sugar. Combine a mix of these (3 parts borax to 1 part sugar) and sprinkle it in vulnerable areas (as a precaution, you might want to use this only in high up places). The sugar acts as a bait while the borax can dehydrate a roach's body. Your roaches will be attracted to the mix, which will in turn kill them. It is a brilliant solution to rid yourself of these pests effectively!