The Butta Guru's Cabinet: ALL Natural Kitchen Counter Spray
Happy Thursday Natural Product Connoisseurs!
Are you enjoying the Spring so far? I know I am. The longer days, nicer weather, the pollen, the sudden rain, and the influx of bugs!?! Hey, we gotta take the good as well as the bad right? In Memphis, we did not have a very cold winter this year so the bugs are plentiful.
Speaking of bugs, today, I found an ant scouting the kitchen and I'm not having that! First, you see one ant scoping out your place. He alerts his ant buddies and next, there are 10 ants. Come back tomorrow and then there will be an army ant trail marching in your kitchen looking for food.
In my case, the kids use the kitchen back door a lot to go outside. I tell the kids, "close the door all the way behind you!" Do they listen? 95% of the time, no! LOL They're kids and excited to go outside to play with their friends after a long day of school. Majority of the time they are not paying attention to me or the back door and this leaves an opportunity for critters to sneak in.
So what can we do? We take preventive measures.
We've got to keep our kitchen space nice and tidy. It's tough, believe me, I know, but we keep in mind the bigger picture. Clean kitchen equals no critters!
3 Basic Things we can do Daily to Deter Critters from the Kitchen.
In my case, the kids use the kitchen back door a lot to go outside. I tell the kids, "close the door all the way behind you!" Do they listen? 95% of the time, no! LOL They're kids and excited to go outside to play with their friends after a long day of school. Majority of the time they are not paying attention to me or the back door and this leaves an opportunity for critters to sneak in.
So what can we do? We take preventive measures.
We've got to keep our kitchen space nice and tidy. It's tough, believe me, I know, but we keep in mind the bigger picture. Clean kitchen equals no critters!
3 Basic Things we can do Daily to Deter Critters from the Kitchen.
1. Make sure you keep your kitchen area clean. Sweep and mop often.
With kids, that is every day. I am doing the slow transition to natural cleaning products so I do use bleach to mop my floors. I'm still researching the best product to use. Any suggestion for an all natural floor cleaner, leave a comment.
With kids, that is every day. I am doing the slow transition to natural cleaning products so I do use bleach to mop my floors. I'm still researching the best product to use. Any suggestion for an all natural floor cleaner, leave a comment.
2. If you have a trash can in your kitchen, make sure it is one with a lid and is free of holes and cracks. Also, use a can liner if possible. I do not like to keep trash in the house, especially in the warmer months so we take the garbage out often, even if the can isn't full.
3. Make sure you put away food or keep it covered. Check your cabinets and check to make sure cereal, crackers, snack boxes are closed. Also check ketchup, mustard, syrup, peanut butter, honey, any condiment bottles. You know those lids and caps hold "gonk" and bottles can get sticky. My kiddies are messy and those sneaky ants have a keen sense of smell. Just wipe the condiment bottles down after use.
Simple right?
For the ants:
Simple right?
For the ants:
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| Just Say No to Bugs! |
- Orange Essential Oil and sometimes Lemongrass EO
- Peppermint EO
- Eucalyptus EO
- Cedarwood EO
- Tea Tree Oil EO
- H2O
It does the trick! How? Ants cannot stand the smell of citrus. I use a few more drops of the citrus more than anything in this spray. The blend of the orange oil and the lemongrass is also a pleasant aromatherapeutic combination for the kitchen.
Peppermint, eucalyptus, and Cedarwood are just natural deterrents for insects.
Tea tree oil is antibacterial and a disinfectant and safe to use on kitchen hard surfaces, just do not have it in direct contact with food.
I use this spray on my countertops AFTER I have prepared my meals, put away food, and washed the dishes. I also spray my homemade kitchen spray around the baseboards, window sills, and door frames for extra protection.
I use this spray on my countertops AFTER I have prepared my meals, put away food, and washed the dishes. I also spray my homemade kitchen spray around the baseboards, window sills, and door frames for extra protection.
H20 is used to dilute the spray because these essential oils are very potent. Keep the spray away from eyes and mouth.
I have read that some people prefer to use vinegar in their natural kitchen sprays as a personal preference and it works well but vinegar does have a very strong odor. You can do one part water and one part vinegar for this recipe if you'd like. I do use vinegar in my outdoor product.
I have read that some people prefer to use vinegar in their natural kitchen sprays as a personal preference and it works well but vinegar does have a very strong odor. You can do one part water and one part vinegar for this recipe if you'd like. I do use vinegar in my outdoor product.
I hope you have enjoyed my blog post today about my kitchen counter spray, I will post about my outdoor bug deterrent spray soon.
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I'm excited to know, "What kind of natural product do you use to deter critters from entering your space?" Leave me a comment.
I'm excited to know, "What kind of natural product do you use to deter critters from entering your space?" Leave me a comment.
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| D.W.- The Butta Guru |
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