Spiders and moths, for some, are unwelcome house dwellers, but the “Queen of Clean” Lynsey Crombie has some excellent tips for homeowners looking to keep their houses arachnid and insect free.
Crombie is a regular on ITV’s This Morning and is known for her clever home-based solutions, saving people time from going to the shops and purchasing expensive products.
From using the natural cleaning agent and beauty product tea tree oil and water, Crombie claims this can be an efficient way of deterring lurking spiders and moths.
Although the method is known to have varying degrees of success, Express reports..
She said: “I make up a spider spray which you just spray around your windows and it just stops them from coming in.
“It’s really simple. It’s just a normal spray bottle. Fill it three quarters of the way with water and then add 20 drops of tea tree oil and shake it.
“You just spray that around your window runners, along your door runners and on the frame. Just spray it and leave and it does actually work.
“If you’ve got a really bad problem, you can actually use the tea tree neat. Just apply it to the cloth and apply it to the window frame. But it can be dangerous for pets, so make sure it’s done up high.”
Does it really work?
(Image: lynsey_queenofclean/Instagram)
Her method does have some truth to it. The website GoPests, explains that spiders are often repelled but essential oils because of the properties they contain.
They said: “According to a 2010 study on the insecticidal activities of essential oils, essential oils have monoterpenoids, substances that naturally repel quite a number of bugs.
“These monoterpenoids are also fumigants which makes them deadly to pests. And because of this, they’re treated as a main ingredient in a lot the pesticides that we buy in our local supermarkets.”
Spiders work a little differently from humans and do not taste things like we do.
“Another key reason why tea tree oil works against spiders is the fact that they have sensory organs that are different from ours. They smell and taste through their legs.
“So, spraying a good amount of the oil into the surfaces that spiders walk on could repel them because they hate the smell and taste of the oil.”
Moths are also a nuisance and can bite through the clothes in our wardrobes.
But Crombie advised another useful tip.
“Hanging lavender bags in the wardrobe and popping them inside drawers is a good tip.”
“You can either make your own little bags up if you have some lavender or you can just go on Amazon and buy a box of lavender bags pre-made for about £4 and they really do work.”
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