Many people spend much of their free time in the kitchen. It’s where you can experiment with fun recipes and bond with your family members. Pests also prefer to hang out in the kitchen so they can snack on all of your food. Try these surprising hacks for a bug-free kitchen if you can’t seem to get rid of hungry, curious pests.

1. Spray Indoor Plants Daily

Growing herbs in your kitchen is a rewarding hobby until aphids and whiteflies start living in the soil. They’re annoying to deal with and can even kill your plants. Spray your indoor plants daily with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and liquid soap to kill pests and keep them from coming back. After 20 minutes, gently rinse the leaves so the combination doesn’t cause long-term damage.

2. Trap Fruit Flies With Soap

There’s nothing worse than buying bananas and fighting off fruit flies just a day or two later. If you can’t seem to get rid of the tiny pests, mix apple cider vinegar and soap in a glass. Cover it with plastic wrap and poke holes for the flies to climb through. The flies will get trapped in the sweet mixture and you’ll have a bug-free kitchen.

3. Vacuum Your Pantry Shelves

Vacuuming the floors is a normal household chore, but when was the last time you vacuumed your pantry shelves? Getting rid of crumbs helps avoid attracting any more pests that might climb inside to eat. Flour dust, forgotten chocolate chips and even cracker crumbs are a few foods that inspire cockroaches and ants to take up permanent residency in a home.

4. Make Sticky Fly Traps

Standard flies are easier to kill than fruit flies, but they’re still bothersome. Boil sugar or corn syrup in some water to lure flies into homemade traps made with mason jars and paper cones. The insects love sugary liquids, so the traps will quickly solve any fly infestation.

5. Mix Citrus Peels and Ice

Kitchen sink disposal systems are an easy way to deal with food in your drain, but they can also collect buildup that becomes a constant meal for bugs. It also creates a terrible smell, so mix a few citrus peels with ice cubes.

Turn on the disposal and dump the mixture into your drain before running the faucet. The ice will grind away any food that’s attracting pests while the citrus peels remove the odor.

6. Line Windows With Essential Oils

Spiders and other bugs might climb through your open kitchen windows. The next time you want to let a fresh breeze in, make an essential oil spray and spritz it on your windowsill. Some essential oils repel bugs because of their odor, like:

• Lemongrass
• Peppermint
• Pine oil

Dilute the oil with water and you won’t need to worry about ongoing pest problems or lingering odors.

Surprising Hacks for a Bug-Free Kitchen

Everyone deserves a clean kitchen where they can enjoy cooking and eating together. Pests can make it the last place you want to be. Try these surprising hacks for a bug-free kitchen without breaking your budget. They only take a few minutes to try and they’ll change how you keep both bugs and chemical-based products out of your home.