A cleaning influencer has a trick up her sleeve to stop spiders and creepy crawlies from sneaking into your home this summer – and, luckily, it smells amazing too
As Brits flock outdoors to bask in the summer sunshine, an unwelcome guest may be sneaking into your home.
Spiders may be lurking in corners to scuttling across your bed at night. These creepy crawlies are gearing up for their mating season, and what better place than the cosy confines of your home?
But fear not – one cleaning influencer has some surprising hacks up her sleeve to save us all from the dreaded eight-legged creatures – and other creepy crawlies too. Taking to TikTok, Kim at @cleaning.yourhome shared the tricks with her 1.7k followers, who were grateful for the tips ahead of the summer months.
“Two of my favourite hacks to keep bugs and spiders away from your home,” Kim said. “Spiders hate citrus, so wipe down your walls with orange essential oil. Rub peppermint oil around your windows to repel crawling insects!”
The post was quick to rack up countless comments, with many users appearing eager to try out the hack for themselves. One person wrote: “Hope it works about to start now,” as others dubbed Kim a “legend.” One said: “I’ve done this for years. it really works.”
Fragrant oils, like peppermint and orange, are thought to repel bugs due to their strong odours. Spiders taste and smell the world around them using their legs, so a pungent whiff of these oils is rather overpowering.
Anna Louisa, another cleaning influencer who goes by @anna_louisa_at_home, claimed peppermint oil works to keep ants at bay too. She usually fills half a bottle with water and 20 drops of the peppermint, before spraying it around the doors and windows of her home.
Posting to Instagram, she added: “F ruit flies dislike the smell of white vinegar, so put a small bowl of it near your fruit to keep them away…I add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to mask the smell of white vinegar, but this isn’t necessary.”
However, this method isn’t suitable for anyone with pets, as the oil is toxic to dogs and cats. For those with animals at home, one commenter recommended Indorex defence spray. “It works on spiders, ants and flies too. It’s made to kill fleas and dust mites,” they said.
“It doesn’t stain, so it can be used on floors, nooks and crannies where spiders normally lurk.” Another added: “If you have doggos , use spearmint instead of peppermint!”
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