In Singapore's urban habitat where there are a lot of people packed into tiny spaces, pests prosper and thrive.

Encountering a cockroach at home usually results in wielding (or cowering behind) our Baygons and a fervent prayer that this particular one doesn't fly.

But if you've run out of Baygon, don't sweat it -- grab these following household items and continue with extermination:

1. Soap

Fun fact (not really): Cockroaches breathe through a system of tubes attached to openings found on all body segments. In short, they breathe through the surface of their skin.

A squirt of dish washing liquid or soap mixed with warm water will clog these openings. Yay.

2. Mouthwash

As with soap, mix with warm water and it's good to go.

Mouthwash: Kills the roaches and keeps your conversational partner alive. A multi-purpose product at its finest.

3. Hair spray

The chemicals, while mildly irritating to humans, are fatal to cockroaches. So much for adaptation and surviving through the prehistoric era, huh, cockroaches, huh??

For prevention:

Besides the usual advice like taking out the trash and keeping your kitchen crumb-free, here are more preventive measures:

1) Lavender oil

Mix a few drops with water and spray it around your house.

2) Pandan leaves

Tie into knots and place them around the house, or even in cupboards. Replace when dried out.

If all else fails, here's a piece of golden advice from the forums:

Yup, throw a Nokia at it.

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