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You keep everything clean in your house, you always check your window screen, and you always close your door when you enter your house. Yet still out of the corner of your eyes, you see it. A fly zigzagging in your house.

Although most people associate flies with summer, flies can produce season round. It’s only that they’re super active during the hot seasons.  Flies can crawl on almost anything, whether it’s feces, spoiled food, or garbage. Also, ripped screens, unsealed cracks in windows, and poor sanitation can lead to fly infestation.

While usually just a nuisance, flies can carry several diseases harmful to both pets and humans like cholera, dysentery, tuberculosis, eye infection, typhoid fever, etc. They tend to pick up bacteria, viruses, and fungi and then spread these pathogens by contaminating food and water.

If you have a fly problem in your home, it’s prime time to learn how to get rid of flies.  Below, we’ve provided you with several effective remedies on how to get rid of flies.  Continue reading to learn more.

Flowers and Herbs

There are some flowers and herbs that you can plant both in your garden and balcony to repel flies away from your house.  The flowers and herbs that can repel flies away include:

• Basil: Basil is a popular culinary herb found in Italian cuisines. It produces an aroma that can repel house flies and fruit flies.  To get rid of flies’ plant basil in your garden or balcony. The best part is this plant doesn’t require much work to maintain and can survive in any climate.
• Lavender:  Hang lavender bundles around your home or let it grow in your garden to get rid of flies. You can also burn lavender oil near entryways and windows to keep flies out of your house.
• Hot Pepper: Flies tend to avoid hot pepper because it inhibits their ability to breathe. You can grow peppers in your garden or have a plant on your balcony, and flies will stay away from your home.
• Cloves:  Take 20 whole cloves and poke them in ripe citrus or apple fruit. Place the fruit on a plate and see how fast the flies disappear.  Apart from keeping flies away, the aroma from the fruit will leave your house smelling amazing for weeks.

Eliminate Food Sources

Dirty dishes with food remains, whether in the sink or left on the table will invite flies same goes for unleaded trash cans, compost bins, and half-empty pet bowls.   Go through every room in your house and do what you have to do to shut down the buffet. Do it bi-weekly or weekly- doing it once won’t keep the flies away for long.

Ginger Sprays

Making a ginger spray is quite easy, and it works like a charm. The strong odor emitted by ginger repels flies, keeping them away from your house.  You can also use a mixture of ginger and water to repel other insects from your farm. The strong, repulsive smell of ginger will effectively keep flies at bay.

Vinegar and Dish Soap

You can create a mixture of vinegar and dish soap to trap files. Take a shallow dish bowl and fill it with an inch of apple cider vinegar. You can even add a tablespoon of sugar. After that, add a few drops of fruit-scented dish soap. 

You can leave the dish uncovered or you can cover it tightly with a plastic wrap. Ensure, you’ve poked some few holes on top to attract the flies. The vinegar and sugar will attract the files to the dish. But once inside, the flies will sink because of the dish soap.

Venus Flytrap

I bet you’ve seen movies where giant plants eat people. Well, Venus is a tiny version of that plant, and it doesn’t consume humans. It attracts insects, traps, and then digests them to obtain nutrients.  When you plant these plants outside your house, they will get rid of flies and other insects.

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The plant works by trapping the fly inside it, then it secretes a digestive fluid, which dissolves the fly’s soft inside.  In about 5 to 12 days it spits the fly’s exoskeleton.

Make Fly Repellant Sprays Using Essential Oils

Most essential oils produce strong odors that repel flies. When you make a spray from a mixture of essential oils, you can keep way flies away from your home. 

To make the spray, you must find essential oils with strong odors like thyme oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, lemongrass oil, etc. Place 10 drops of each essential oil in a spray bottle. Add 2 cups of water and 2 cups of non-flavored vodka.  Shake the ingredients vigorously to blend them.

Pyrethrin-based Insecticide

If you’re experiencing a large fly infestation, insecticides can come in handy since they work quickly. However, they’re not effective in the long run since flies have a short life cycle. They can easily develop resistance against the insecticide.  Furthermore, the effect of the insecticide fades away fast.

Pyrethrin-based insecticides are great for indoor use, but first, ensure you have ventilated your house well and follow all the instructions to the later.  

Light Traps

Flies are attracted to short-wavelength light. So you can use an indoor light trap combined with ultraviolet light and sticky traps to trap flies. 

 When you connect the light to the switch and turn it on, any flies that get to the light get zapped by electricity and dies or gets trapped depending on the light trap you’ve selected.  

Ensure you mount the light traps away from windows and entrances, so they can’t be seen from the outside. You also need to mount it five feet off the floor.

Electronic Swatter

The electronic swatter is an excellent tool to kill flies in your house instantly. It looks like a badminton racket, but with three layers of electrified wire mesh. It also features an ON/OFF button that controls the capacitors inside the device the produces high voltage.

To kill flies, take the swatter and sweep it gently in the air. If flies fly through the mesh, it will get struck by high voltage, which will kill them instantly.  Remember, you should not touch the electric swatter with your bare hand when it on- it will jolt you. 

Sticky Traps

These are strips of sticky papers that you can hang or lay down throughout your house.  They’re not super effective, but they serve the purpose and prevent infestation.

How to Get rid of Flies: Additional methods

• Figure out how they’re getting into your house
• Clean up after your pets
• Stop using rat poison to kill rats, since their carcasses will attract flies
• Don’t leave leaves and grass clippings to decay near your house
• Store your food properly in the right containers

Final Thoughts

Flies are both a nuisance and hazardous to your health, so make use of these few tips to keep them away from your food and water and prevent any infestation. All the best!

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If you have kids, you would definitely want them to be expressive and creative. Many of the times their creativity and expressions end up on the walls and floors. It means that you need to continuously clean up the mess that little ones create. One of the most challenging tasks is to get crayons off your house’s walls. But it is not as simple and easy as dusting or cleaning up the water stains and fingerprints. It also doesn’t mean that it’s not possible. It is certainly possible and with a little know-how, you can learn how to get crayon off the walls.

Important Things to know

As mentioned, there are many handy practices that you can follow to bring back the new look of your walls. We recommend you to use the safest and most natural cleaning products for wall cleaning. However, you have to use a heavy hitter sometimes because of heavy crayon scribbling. Keep in mind that all the cleaning tips can work in every situation. Moreover, if you don’t follow the tips in the right way might end up with more of a mess. That’s why it’s very important to spot test any product or solution that you use for cleaning purposes. 

In this article, we have come up with a list of tips for safe products and methods. Keep on reading to learn how to get crayon off the walls.

Water and Soap

Before you jump into any heavy cleaning solution that contains harsh chemicals, it’s better to try the simplest techniques. Consider trying good old water and soap where the most important factor is to take it slowly. Take a wet microfiber cloth and dap a few drops of dish soap on it. Now start rubbing the crayon scribblings gently. You’ll need to make sure that you don’t rub too hard and damage your wall’s paint. It might take some time where you’ll also need to rinse out the microfiber cloth several times. It will allow you not to transfer the marks from one place to another. 

Original Mr. Clean Magic Erasers

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers can work wonders in your bath and kitchen and we’re sure you already know it. But if you never thought of it to get crayon off the walls, you’re not using this tool to its full potential. It can work well on any surface where you want to get rid of grime and dirt.
You just need to dampen Mr. Clean Magic Erasers but not to the extent where it starts dripping. Start rubbing the crayon marks very gently from up to down and side to side. Once the side you are using gets dirty, consider using the opposite side, and keep going. Depending upon the damage done by crayon marks, you might be needing more than one Magic Erasers. The most critical factor of using Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is that you need to rub the walls very gently in order to keep the paint intact.

Mayonnaise

Yes, you heard it right. Mayonnaise is another very good option to clean your children’s art from the walls and floor. But you have to ensure that you use regular Mayonnaise because the fat-free or any other special type won’t do the job. Other than that, you’ll also be needing microfiber cloths, paper towels, and water. Gather all of these things to deal with the newest masterpiece of your kid’s art. Don’t hesitate to use Mayonnaise in liberal and apply it on the wall with the help of paper towels. Moreover, if you have pets, make sure they are anywhere but near the wall you’re cleaning. You really don’t want them to consider your cleaning solution as a snack. Let the mayonnaise do its magic for about 15-20 minutes. Once the waiting is done, use the microfiber to wipe the mayonnaise along with the crayon marks. You can also use a little soap to clean oily residue and that’s about it.

Baking Soda

Undoubtedly, baking soda is a powerful natural cleaner and it’s one of the most recommended ones as well. From getting rid of grime to dealing with crayon marks on the wall, baking soda is something your house shouldn’t be without. You just need a bowl with baking soda and water to create a thick paste by missing it with the water.  Use a microfiber cloth or even a sponge to rub the messy wall with the paste with gentle and steady pressure. Let the paste sit for about three to five minutes and wipe it with a clean cloth.

Vinegar

Did you know that you can use vinegar to even clean your toilets? Just like baking soda, there are numerous uses of vinegar. In order to get crayon off the walls, you only need a microfiber cloth, an old toothbrush, and distilled white vinegar. All you need to do is to dip the brush into vinegar and stat scrubbing the marked wall with very little pressure. Bear in mind that scrubbing the toothbrush hardly can easily damage your wall’s paint. Take your time and scrub the crayon marks away. After that, you can dip the microfiber cloth into the water to clean up the residue.

More Powerful Solution

If none of the above solutions cleans your crayon marked wall completely, you can try the following solutions.

Class Cleaner

As the name suggests the most common use of glass cleaner is to clean windows as it contains ammonia. In order to use it to get crayon off the walls, you’ll need a microfiber cloth and a towel. You can directly spray the glass cleaner on the marked wall and let it sit there for about three-five minutes. It’ll fade the crayon marks within this time and then you can rub the faded marks to clean the wall completely with the towel. After that, use the microfiber cloth to wipe the residue.

Goo Gone

Goo Gone is one of the strongest solutions that can bring back the new look of your wall. It’s also very important to use it correctly, otherwise, you will end up permanently damaging your wall paint. Take you Goo Gone along with a microfiber cloth, water, soap, and paper towel. Never apply the Goo Gone directly to your wall. Dap a little onto your paper towel and start rubbing the marked wall steadily. Once the crayon marks are gone, use a microfiber cloth dipped in soap and water solution to clean the residue.

WD-40

Last but not least, WD-40 is your last resort. If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to repaint your wall. You can use WD-40 to cover a large area of your wall efficiently. Like Goo Gone, you’ll require a microfiber cloth, water, soap, and paper towel along with WD-40. The cleaning process is also similar where you must not apply WD-40 directly on the wall. Dap a little on your paper towel and rub it on the marked wall until the crayon marks are cleaned. Use a microfiber cloth with soap and water to clean up the residue. 

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Conclusion

These are some of the most effective tips and tricks that you can use to get crayon off your walls. We hope that this guide will help you to keep your walls clean without getting into any hassle of repainting.

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Removal of molds is essential, especially for people with respiratory illnesses. Molds are known to aggravate allergies and asthma, hence may pose a danger to some. Their growth is fast; thus, removal should be done as soon as they start growing to stop their development.

Before you remove molds, make sure the environment within your home does not favor their growth and development. Molds flourish in damp environments and will easily grow in bathrooms and kitchens where there is moisture. Regular cleaning of such areas will help in minimizing moisture, thus preventing its growth.

More has to be done to do away with them altogether. There are many ways of getting rid of molds, but natural ways are considered safer. These non-toxic methods are cheap and guarantee excellent results. Most of them work by stopping the growth of the mold, thus doing away with it completely. 

The use of chemicals may pose a danger to some; thus, non-toxic methods are considered better. These methods are readily available and have do not have harmful effects on your health. Protective gear may still be used to prevent inhalation of toxic molds.

This article is set to help you with knowledge on how to get rid of mold. The following are some of the common non-toxic cleaning methods that are proven effective when dealing with molds:

• Use of white vinegar

Vinegar has a 20% concentration of acetic acid. This acid is powerful for cleaning surfaces as it disinfects and deodorizes. Acetic acid kills up to 82% of molds’ species found on surfaces, whether porous or non-porous. White vinegar is readily available and at low prices.

White vinegar helps in removing other bacteria that are responsible for the foul odor in bathrooms and kitchens. The vinegar used should not be mixed with water as this will reduce the acetic acid concentration hence reducing its effectiveness. Spray the vinegar on the surface, leave it for about an hour, and then clean by wiping off and rinsing with clean water.

The vinegar smell will disappear after a few minutes and leave your room fresh and free of bad odor. Spray the vinegar carefully and prevent it from contact with eyes as it will cause irritation.

• Cleaning with baking soda

Sodium bicarbonate is the only ingredient in baking soda. Baking soda is commonly used to get rid of the foul odor in fridges and other home appliances. It can also be used to stop the development of molds. It kills all types of mold species and absorbs water, thus reducing chances for redevelopment.

For cleaning the surfaces, add a quarter tablespoon of baking soda and mix it with water until it dissolves completely. Spray the solution on the mold, then scrub with a brush to clean the surface. The surface should then be rinsed well to remove any baking soda residue.

Respray the surface and let it dry so that any remaining molds can be killed. Black mold is tough to remove; therefore, a different solution should be prepared for cleaning. Add one part vinegar to two-part baking soda and mix with one part water. The solution should be mixed until a consistent paste is formed.

This paste should be applied on the tough black mold and left to dry. Scrub and wipe the surface to remove any stains and mold remains, then rinse well with water and leave it to dry.

• Cleaning with hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most effective solutions on how to get rid of mold. It is made up of contents that help in destroying many species on any surface. Hydrogen peroxide helps in removing bad odor in areas full of bacteria.

For complete mold removal, add 3% of hydrogen peroxide to a bottle. Ensure that appropriate prior tests are made on the surfaces to prevent damages and discoloration. The surface should be saturated with the solution and left for 10 minutes, then scrub off the mold and stains and wipe it to keep it free of moisture.

• Treating molds with lemon

Lemon is one of the cheapest deodorizer options. Lemon is rich in citric acid, which is responsible for the destruction of molds. The acid breaks the mold structure making it weak and easy to clean. The surface is also left disinfected and free from future mold development.

Lemon has a citrus aroma that leaves the room smelling wonderful. To remove the mold, squeeze the juice out of five lemons into a jar, then pour it over the mold. Leave it for at least five minutes, then wipe off the surface with a piece of towel.

For tough molds and stains, repeat the procedure and scrub it off the surface. Lemon is a non-toxic cleaner and readily available. 

• Use of essential oils

Essential oils are mainly used to reduce bad odor. Oils from tea trees are used to repel insects and also act as an antiseptic, which helps prevent the growth of molds. This is considered one of the safest methods of removing molds. It does not pose any danger to the body and is effective. Since tea tree oil contains anti fungicide properties, molds will not form on the surfaces.

To use this method, mix a teaspoon of tea tree oil in a cup of warm water and shake the mixture well. Spray it on the mold and leave it for at least one hour till it dries. Wipe off with a piece of towel or microfiber. Protective gear should be put on with this procedure to prevent skin irritation.

Tips To Prevent Mold Re-development

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The following are some of the methods used to prevent mold redevelopment:

Check for leakages

If there are any leakages in the piping systems, make sure they are fixed. The presence of moisture is one of the main causes of mold redevelopment; thus, it must be dealt with quickly. Make sure the rooms are well ventilated to allow fresh air in.

Control humidity levels

It is important to have control of the humidity levels in different rooms of the house. Controlling the humidity levels will help you monitor the required levels hence preventing the creation of suitable environments for the growth of molds.

Maintain good hygiene

Maintaining high hygiene standards is also crucial. Clean the bathroom after use and open windows to let in the fresh air. Disinfect surfaces when cleaning and always check for molds developments in different room corners. You can also try drying items before you store them. Avoid placing wet items on wooden surfaces as mold grows fast on wood.

If you are looking into how to get rid of mold, following the above methods will guarantee an ultimate mold elimination. Since some methods contain acids, it is advisable to wear protective gear to prevent damaging the skin. Masks can also be used to avoid the inhalation of mold when scrubbing it off.

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The brand-new stainless-steel appliances such as oven, dishwasher, fridge etcetera come with a pristine gleam. It improves your kitchen’s appeal until grime, dirt, and water stains put the risk of rusting. Cleaning products for stainless-steel appliances usually come with hefty price tags and they also contain harsh chemicals. However, such products often fail to provide what they’re supposed to. The truth is that cleaning stainless-steel is a very easy process that doesn’t include any expensive products. In this article, we will discuss how to clean stainless steel. It will help you to keep the brand-new look of your appliances intact. 

Important Considerations

As compared to other alloys, streaks and fingerprints are more visible on stainless steel. Moreover, you also have to remember that stainless steel has different types. It means that you might need to practice a different routine for each appliance. Keep on reading to find out how to clean stainless steel without damaging it. 

How to Clean Stainless Steel?

Stainless steel adds a character of sophistication and elegance to your appliances. But you have to ensure that you clean it regularly in order to keep it from the dull and grey look. Keep the following points in mind to keep the shine and elegance of your stainless-steel appliances from any damage.

Things to Avoid

• Never use hard brushes or steel wool to clean stainless steel. it’ll make it even more vulnerable to staining and rusting by scratching it
• Avoid cleaners and bleach that contain chlorine because it dissolves the shining surface
• Abrasive cleaners or products with harsh chemicals are also not advisable to use as they dull the finish and scratch the finish
• When you’re cleaning your stainless-steel appliances, consider using filtered or distilled water as the tap water can be damaging because of impurities
• Never leave tap or dirty water on the surface of stainless steel. Additionally, the cleaning product residues can also damage by leaving permanent stains

Things to practice

Most people don’t read the instructions and user manuals that they receive with their stainless-steel appliances from the manufacturer. It’s not a good practice because the instruction manuals contain all the necessary and precautionary measures. It allows you to learn how to clean the stainless steel of that particular product. The manuals also provide you with information regarding the most suitable cleaning products and also the ones to avoid because no one could guide you better than the manufacturer. The following are the tried and true cleaning methods that you can use to clean almost all stainless-steel appliances.

• Consider using the glass cleaners if you just need to clean fingerprints and water stains
• If you’re doing general and regular cleaning, using a soft cloth with warm water is more than enough
• Always wipe the stainless-steel surface in all directions in order to avoid the leaving streaks
• Use a soft towel to keep the surface from water spots after cleaning
• Always read the instructions and use only the recommended and branded cleaners for general cleaning if needed

The Best Stainless-Steel Cleaners (DIY)

As mentioned earlier, commercial cleaners with harsh chemicals might not be the best fit to clean stainless steel. The good news is, there are plenty of other easy ways you can use to make safe stainless-steel cleaners on your own.

Note: We recommend you to perform a simple spot test before using any of the following DIY Stainless Steel Cleaners.

Baby Oil and Dish Soap

It’s a hassle-free method to create a simple and safe stainless-steel cleaner and it requires the following:

• Baby Oil
• Dish Soap
• Warm Water
• Microfiber Cloths

Take one teaspoon of dish liquid soap and dilute it in one-fourth warm water. Take the microfiber cloth and dampen it with the liquid soap solution. Now, you’ll need to understand the grain direction of the stainless steel you want to clean. Take the dampened microfiber cloth and clean the surface with the grain. It’s better to clean with the grain direction as the solution gets deeper into the surface and provides optimum shine. Use the second microfiber and wipe the residue away. In the third and last step, you just need a microfiber towel. Drop a few drops of baby oil on the surface and polish the steel with the grain and that’s about it. 

Proper maintenance and care will help you to keep the brand-new look of your stainless-steel appliances intact.

Olive Oil and Vinegar

It’s yet another easy way to clean your stainless-steel appliances within a matter of minutes. Here’s a list of things that you will require:

• Olive Oil
• Distilled White Vinegar 
• Microfiber Cloths 

In this method, you also need to find the grain of the steel that you need to clean. Use a microfiber cloth dipped in vinegar to remove grime, grease, and dirt. Leave the appliance for a little time in order to let the vinegar dry. Use another microfiber cloth dampened in olive oil and rub in on the complete surface with the grain. Not only this simple process will clean the steel, but it will also bring back the lost shine easily and quickly

Furniture Polish and Lemon Oil

You can also use this technique if you have all the following ingredients with you:

• Furniture Polish
• Lemon Oil
• Microfiber Cloths

Dampen a microfiber cloth in lemon oil and rub it on the steel with the grain gently. Make sure that you apply it on the complete surface evenly. Use the second microfiber cloth and dap a very little furniture polish on it. We recommend you not to apply furniture polish directly on the stainless steel because you might not be able to apply it evenly. Polish the complete surface with the grain gently until it shines.

Warm Water and a Microfiber Cloth

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If you don’t want to try any chemical on your stainless-steel appliances, you can also simply use water and a microfiber cloth. You can use this combination even on a daily basis and it will surprise you with the results. not only is it a risk-free method but it’s also costing you almost nothing. We recommend you to use distilled or filtered water instead of a plain one.
Follow the polish lines to wipe the grime and dirt away with a microfiber cloth dipped in warm water. Additionally, use a second microfiber cloth to dry the stainless steel.

FINAL WORD

Stainless steel appliances are very easy to maintain as they’re reliable and durable. But it’s important to clean them regularly to keep the stainless-steel appliances actually “stainless.” A little care and maintenance can help you to keep the shine and beauty of stainless steel from damaging. You can use specially designed solutions but they’re very expensive. Whereas the best practices along with the DIY cleaners mentioned above can bring the same results without costing you much. We hope that you will find this information helpful and it will help your stainless-steel appliances with a brand-new look for a long time.