To get rid of roaches, clean spills immediately. Sit and use plates, don't wander around eating and spilling crumbs.
Rather than using toxic sprays to kill roaches, lay out boric acid in crevices and places where children and pets won't come into contact with it and wipe down all surfaces of spills and crumbs, even stove grease.
Wipe down your pantry and shelves if there is evidence of roach activity there. Get out the caulk and seal all cracks around water pipes, electrical fixtures and outlets, baseboards, etc. Vacuum under and behind the refrigerator, in addition to any other nooks and crannies where crumbs might have drifted.
