A home hacks guru has shared the recipe for her homemade spray that keeps ants out of the house.
Chantel Ibbotson, passing by Mama Mila online, uses a mixture of vinegar, water, and lemon to not only deter ants but also keep her kitchen clean and sparkling.
She puts lemon or orange peels in a mason jar, covers it with one to two cups of white vinegar, and then leaves it for two weeks.
After two weeks, the citrus is infused, so Chantel adds the mixture to a spray bottle with equal parts water.
The Melbourne mother recommends using the spray on windows and cracks around the house to prevent ants from sneaking in.
Home hacks queen Chanel Ibbotson (pictured), who goes by Mama Mila online, has shared her simple trick to keep ants out of the kitchen
She puts lemon or orange peels in a mason jar, covers it with one to two cups of white vinegar and then leaves it for two weeks
She said the limonene in the lemon and orange peels and the smell of the white vinegar deter pesky insects.
Chantel said the spray also doubles as an effective multi-purpose cleaner that she uses throughout her kitchen and bathroom on non-porous surfaces.
The cleaning and organization queen shared the trick in an online video that wowed her 2.6 million followers.
‘Thank you! Ants almost drove me crazy. It has been a long hot, very dry summer here,” one woman said.
‘I have to try this. We have ants everywhere,” wrote another.
After two weeks, the citrus is infused, so Chantel adds the mixture to a spray bottle with equal parts water
Others shared their helpful tips for keeping ants at bay, including one viewer who said they used peppermint oil on cotton balls.
“I was skeptical, but we now have no ants in our pantry,” she said.
‘Fun fact: don’t *end* them where you find them, by squishing them. An odor is released that attracts the rest of the colony to return their bodies to base. And in turn bringing in more of them,” another explained.
‘An easier way is bay leaves. They hate ants. Find their entrance, put bay leaves there and they won’t come back,” a third added.