We've all been there – a flash of silver across the bathroom floor late at night, and suddenly you're wide awake and inspecting every corner.
Silverfish are harmless (no biting, no stinging, no disease), but they're unwelcome guests. And if you've seen one, there may well be more lurking in corners, under skirting boards or behind bathroom fittings.
The good news is that you may not need pest control or harsh sprays straight away. The answer could already be sitting in your kitchen cupboard: bicarbonate of soda. At around 70p for a 180g box, it’s a small price to pay for not sharing your bathroom with the nocturnal insects.
Silverfish aren’t turning up in bathrooms by chance. According to the British Pest Control Association, common silverfish prefer conditions of around 70% relative humidity.
After a hot shower, your bathroom can get close to the warm, moist environment they like. Add shadowy gaps, pipework, wet towels and cardboard packaging, and you’ve basically rolled out the welcome mat.
Cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie, known online as Lynsey Queen of Clean, shared this advice with her Facebook followers after being asked about silverfish: “Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda in corners, leave overnight, then vacuum.” She added that it “helps dry things out”, while also recommending regular vacuuming, sealed storage for paper and cardboard, as well as a dehumidifier.
The point isn’t to fumigate the room. It’s to make it harder for them to settle in. Bicarbonate of soda can help absorb moisture in the small, awkward spots silverfish like – but it works best alongside open windows, a working extractor fan, sealed storage and a proper vacuum around the edges of the room.
Where to put bicarbonate of soda to deter silverfish
Sprinkle a little bicarbonate of soda into corners, along skirting boards, around pipework and beneath bathroom fittings. Leave it overnight, then vacuum thoroughly the next day.
Some homeowners have also reported success using it in the places where silverfish tend to turn up. On ThriftyFun, one user wrote: “Try baking soda (bicarbonate of soda). My friend got rid of silverfish in her bathroom by putting baking soda close to her bathroom waterpipes and around the outside bottom of her tub and shower. Silverfish like dampness.”
That’s one homeowner’s experience, not hard evidence. But it’s a useful reminder to treat the areas where you actually see activity, not just the middle of the floor.
It’s also a gentler first step than reaching straight for chemical sprays. Just don’t leave powder where children or pets can get to it.
What to do if silverfish keep coming back
Bicarbonate of soda is a deterrent, not a silverfish assassin. It can make their usual hiding places less inviting, but it won’t fix a room that stays humid.
If they keep coming back, that means something in the room is still giving them a reason to stay. Check the ventilation, clear the clutter, look for leaks and, if needed, call a pest-control professional.
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