Add This Ingredient To Your Mop Water To Help Keep Pests Out Of The House

While you might think that the end of warmer weather signals the end of the multi-legged home invaders, that isn't the case. There are still bugs that can hang around your home even as the weather cools. Mosquitos can still be active through early fall, and ants can start appearing in late winter. But there is a way to repel pests from your home year-round without any chemicals. Adding some orange essential oil to your mop water can help to keep insects at bay. 

Insects are repelled by the strong scent of the citrus. This may be because it's dangerous to them. Orange oil is said to eradicate the waxy coating of an insect's respiratory system. This causes them to suffocate and die. Orange oil is known to work especially well against spiders, lice, fleas, ants, and ticks. Using it to mop your floors offers a wide range of protection in your home without having to spray noxious substances that can be harmful to you, your family, and your pets. Not only does it get rid of bugs in your home, but it's a great cleaning agent. Orange oil has antibacterial properties that kill germs. It also works well to break up grease. Plus, your house will smell amazing if you clean with it. That delicious citrus scent is also said to give both your energy and your mood a boost. 

To make your insect repelling orange oil mop water, you'll need to mix 1/2 oz. to 1 oz of the oil with a half gallon of very hot water. You can even boil the water first if you wish. You can buy orange essential oil or make your own. To make your own, you'll need a bag of oranges, mandarins, or something simliar. Saveyour peels as you eat through the bag by placing them out on a plate and turning them over once a day. 

Once you have all your peels, put them on an oven tray in a row and place them in your oven on a low setting for a half hour to an hour to dry them out. Fit your peels in a mason jar and fill up the rest of the jar with rubbing alcohol and let it sit for a week. Use a cheesecloth over a sieve placed above a bowl or jar. Bunch up your peels in the cheesecloth and squeeze as much as you can out of them. 

Toss out your peels and cover your bowl or jar with the cheesecloth. The alcohol should evaporate within a week, leaving you with enough oil for your mop water and some extra, too. Make sure you get your mop into corners and over any crevices where bugs can creep in. This solution can also be poured into a spray bottle and sprayed in areas where you don't want insects to visit.