A cleaning expert has shared a simple hack that will help keep flies out of your home during the summer months – and it will also make your house smell amazing
With summer officially here in the UK and temperatures on the rise, many of us will be staying at home with the windows wide open, trying to let in any breeze that might cool down our homes. However, having the windows open leaves your home susceptible to pests such as flies, which will invade in search of food.
Flies can infiltrate through any window in your house, but they’re most likely to come in through your kitchen window, where tiny morsels of food they can feast on are likely to be found. Keeping flies out of your home can seem like an impossible task. Unless you install netting over your windows, these tiny insects will always find a way in, leaving you with no choice but to spend the next 10 minutes trying to guide them back out.
But according to one cleaning expert on social media, there’s a method you can use to prevent them from ever entering your home in the first place. In a video posted on TikTok by Chantel Mila, she claimed that just one fruit and one spice can help repel flies. This will also make your home smell divine.
Chantel suggested cutting a lemon in half and inserting dried cloves into the flesh of the fruit. Citrus and cloves are two aromas that flies cannot tolerate, so placing the fruit on your windowsill next to open windows or around your kitchen should help deter the pests from invading your home.
In a video revealing five essential cleaning hacks “everyone should know”, she advised: “To repel flies, place cloves inside a lemon and place it around your kitchen.”
She also shared another hack involving boiling a pot of water on the stove with cloves, lemon slices, and vanilla extract. She claimed this concoction “makes your home smell amazing”, and as it shares the same ingredients as the previous hack, it also doubles as a fly deterrent.
According to another of Chantel’s hacks, lemons aren’t just for keeping flies away. She suggested stuffing a cloth bag with dried rice and a few drops of lemon oil and popping it in your wardrobe to fend off mould and moisture.
Keely Smith, an interior designer at JD Elite Interiors, has previously explained why the clove and lemon combination is effective at repelling flies, stating that these insects are “incredibly sensitive to scent”.
She elaborated: “Flies are incredibly sensitive to scent. Lemons release limonene, which is a strong citrus compound that interferes with the way flies find food. When you stick cloves into the lemon, you’re adding eugenol, which has a sharp, almost spicy scent that flies dislike even more.”
Smith further explained: “The combination of lemon and cloves throws off their senses and makes the area smell too intense and confusing for them to stick around.”
How to repel flies
1. Keep Things Clean:
- Remove food scraps, spills, and garbage quickly.
- Clean pet food bowls and litter boxes regularly.
- Take out trash frequently and use bins with tight-fitting lids.
2. Use Natural Repellents:
- Essential oils: Flies dislike the scents of eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, citronella, and lemongrass. Mix a few drops with water in a spray bottle and spritz around doors, windows, and surfaces.
- Vinegar and dish soap trap: Fill a bowl with apple cider vinegar and add a few drops of dish soap. Flies are attracted to the vinegar but get trapped by the soap.
- Cloves and citrus: Stick whole cloves into a cut lemon or orange and place it on the table or windowsill.
3. Outdoor Tips:
- Remove standing water and decaying organic matter (like compost or fallen fruit).
- Mow lawns and trim vegetation regularly.
4. Plants That Repel Flies:
- Basil, mint, marigold, and bay leaf are known to deter flies. Place pots near entryways or windows.