Step 1: Confirm You Have Drain Flies
They look like:
Tiny moths with fuzzy wings
Brownish-black in color
Weak flyers — they flutter more than they fly
Often found in the bathroom, not the kitchen
If you see them in the bathroom — especially near drains — it’s time to act.
Step 2: Clean the Drains (Yes, All of Them)
These flies lay eggs in the gunk and slime that builds up in your pipes — so it’s time to deep clean your drains .
Here’s how:
Pour boiling water down the drain to kill eggs
Follow with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda
Let it fizz and sit for 15–20 minutes
Scrub the drain with a brush — get into the sides and under the rim
This removes the slime layer — and the flies’ home base.
Step 3: Use a Drain Gel or Fly Trap
For stubborn cases, use a thick drain cleaner gel (like Drano or a natural alternative) — it clings to the pipe and eats away the fly-friendly buildup .
Or try a DIY trap :
Fill a small bowl with apple cider vinegar
Add a few drops of dish soap
Cover with a funnel-shaped cone of paper or foil
Let the flies fall in and drown
Step 4: Keep Things Dry
Drain flies love moisture — so keep your bathroom as dry as possible .
Wipe down the sink after use
Prevents standing water
Keep the shower floor dry
Reduces fly-friendly dampness
Close the toilet lid before flushing
Keeps flies from escaping up the trap
Replace old shower curtains
Mold and mildew attract them
Even better — open a window or turn on the exhaust fan after your shower to reduce humidity.
Step 5: Seal the Problem
If you have a drain you don’t use often (like a guest bathroom or basement drain), cover it with a drain cover or plastic wrap — and let it sit for a day.
If you see flies stuck to the plastic?
That drain is their origin point.
So clean it — and keep it sealed when not in use.
🧴 Bonus Tips for Long-Term Fly-Free Bathrooms
Clean drains weekly
Prevents gunk buildup
Use essential oils
Peppermint, tea tree, and lavender repel drain flies
Place cotton balls with vinegar near drains
Traps and deters
Don’t leave damp towels around
Moisture = fly fuel
Use a drain screen
Catches hair and debris before they rot
Also, try placing a bowl of white vinegar near the shower — it doubles as a cleaner and a trap.
⚠️ Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Them
Drain flies aren’t dangerous — but they’re not harmless either.
Breeding in your pipes
One fly today = 100 tomorrow
Allergies and asthma
Their wings shed tiny particles
Clogged drains
Sludge buildup slows water flow
Gross factor
No one wants to brush their teeth with a fly cloud
And if you’ve got kids or pets?
These little guys can be a real nuisance.
🧠 Final Thoughts: Sometimes the Worst Flies Aren’t Flying — They’re Breeding
Drain flies don’t buzz around your food.
They don’t land on your toast.
They don’t bite.
But they do something worse.
They take over your drains .
They multiply in your pipes .
They haunt your bathroom like tiny, fuzzy ghosts.
And the only way to get rid of them?
Clean the source — and stop them from coming back.
So next time you see those fuzzy little bugs fluttering around your sink…
Don’t just shoo them away.
Clean the drain.
Kill the eggs.
Take back your bathroom.
Because sometimes, the best way to win the war on flies…
Isn’t with a swatter.
It’s with a little vinegar and a lot of elbow grease.
And once you clear them out?
You’ll never look at your drain the same way again.