How to Get Rid of Gnats in Bathroom

Gnats are found in and around your house, especially near the rotting fruit or garbage bins. 

But did you find them hanging out in your bathroom? 

Though gnats can quickly seep into your house, what made them explore your bathroom? 

And how to get rid of gnats and prevent future infestations?

Do you have these questions unanswered in your mind? Assuming it is a yes, we have this article that addresses all your questions. Let’s find out about them.

Why are Gnats in My Bathroom?

Before you take steps to get rid of gnats in your bathroom or prevent them, knowing what made them invade is necessary.

Gnats require food, moisture, and warmth for their survival and breeding. That said, bathrooms become the ideal dwelling place for gnats and other flying insects as they love the warmth and the moisture buildup present there. 

Every time you use the toilet or the bathroom sink while taking warm showers, the moisture and humidity automatically start building. So a bathroom that is rarely not warm and is often found moist, which attracts gnats. 

You can check around and underneath your bathtub for any stagnant water or damp areas. Also, check your shower curtains because if the curtain remains wet all day, they become a breeding area for gnats.

Apart from this, the trash bin in your bathroom also invites gnats. 

So these are some of the causes why gnats get inside your bathroom. Now that you learned about it, it’s time to find ways to get rid of them. 

How to Kill Gnats in the Bathroom?

Below, we have listed some ideal solutions to make your bathroom gnats-free.

Make Gnat Traps

This is the most proven way to eliminate gnats from your bathroom. We have tried and tested two gnat traps explained below. So refer to this to make your own gnat trap.

a) The Sweet Mixture Trap

Step 1: Take a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar in a cup of water, and finally add a few drops of dish soap. 

Step 2: Now mix the ingredients well and place the mixture near the drain area in your bathroom. 

Gnats easily attract the sweet liquid mixture, but the apple cider vinegar will kill them.

b) The Rotting Fruit Trap

Step 1: Take a rotting fruit in a can

Step 2: Cover it with a plastic cover and put tiny holes in it.

Gnats get attracted to the fruity smell and get inside the can, but they won’t get out. Thus you will get rid of gnats easily.

Use Ammonia Solution

Add 3 cups of ammonia in one gallon of steaming hot water to create a mixture and spray it in the areas where gnats are present.  

You can also clean the drain and bathtub using the solution. For this, leave the liquid mixture for 5 minutes and then flush it clean.

By doing so, the ammonia solution will prevent gnats from breeding and eliminate the gnat infestation in your bathroom. 

Note: While you follow this method, remember to open the doors and windows of the bathroom as the ammonia fumes can be toxic and make it difficult for you to breathe. 

Also, cover your eyes and ear while pouring ammonia solution into the water. 

Use Baking Soda Paste

Baking soda solution kills gnats and thoroughly cleans the pipes and drains. So this is also an effective method to kill gnats.

To prepare the baking soda paste, take half a cup of baking soda paste and mix it with one cup of water. Once you get the paste consistency, you can coat the tiles and bathtub surface. 

Then let the mixture dry for at least 5 minutes. Now turn on the water and use a rubbing brush to clean the tile and bathtub. By doing so you can eliminate the gnat eggs present in these areas.

Note: While applying the baking soda mixture, wear gloves. Also, don’t allow children to come into the bathroom during this process as this mixture tends to cause some allergic reactions and breathing trouble. 

Use Spray Bottle

Mix vinegar, dish soap, and water in a spray bottle and spray it in all the vulnerable areas of the bathroom. Though this mixture will not kill gnat eggs, it effectively deals with individual flies.

Use Baking Soda and Vinegar Solution

This is another powerful mixture that kills gnats in the bathroom. 

Pour the baking soda liquid down the bathroom sink and add vinegar. This mixture will give out bubbles and exit out via the drain pipe. 

Make the mixture stand for at least one hour, and then pour boiling water into the drainpipe. 

This method kills the gnats and their eggs, loosens the organic material inside the drainpipe, and eliminates the flies’ food source. 

The bonus here is, this method works effectively against other insects like ants, moths, cockroaches, and other insects.

Use Bleach 

Lastly, use bleach to get rid of gnats in your bathroom. Bleach is one of the strongest pest removal solutions and more effective than vinegar and baking soda. 

For this, mix a cup of liquid bleach in 10 cups of water, pour the mixture down the drainpipe, and let it sit for one hour. Then flush the drainpipe with cold water for best results.

And that’s it. 

Most of the products we have mentioned here are easily available in your home. Also, the natural solution is safe for the environment.

Now let’s move on to the next section on preventing gnat infestations in the bathroom.

How To Prevent Gnat Infestations?

Your job doesn’t end after getting rid of gnats. You must prevent future infestations as well. So quickly go through some of the preventive measures mentioned below.

Fix leaky pipes

The first and foremost thing is to regularly check if any pipe is leaking in your bathroom and fix them ASAP. This is because the leaks create a water breeding ground for the gnats.

So it is necessary to keep your bathroom perfectly dry to prevent gnats from thriving in the bathroom. 

Clean drains

Dirty drains increase the gnats infestation. So make it a habit to clean the drains regularly. 

Store towels in a lidded hamper

Gnats lay eggs in wet towels. So either place the towels in cupboards or use a lidded hamper to avoid female gnats from nesting in the towels.

Also, expose the curtains and blinds to sunlight as the sunlight can easily dry wet towels and prevent gnat infestations. 

Conclusion

We know gnats are annoying creatures found everywhere but letting them invade our bathroom is too much. 

Damping invites gnats, however, you can easily make your bathroom free from gnats by following the above-given methods and avoiding future infestation by cleaning your bathroom regularly.

If there is serious gnat infestation that cannot be controlled, consider getting support from professionals and keep your bathroom and your entire house gnat-free. 

Thanks for reading this article. We hope it cleared all your doubts regarding why gnats get inside your bathroom and how to prevent it.