Fighting Critters Naturally 3 – Mites

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Anne

Here is the third part of my mini series:

Mites and Weevils

Place whole nutmegs in flour bins or bags, at the bottom.  This will deter both mites and weevils.

Posted in nutmeg | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Fighting Critters Naturally 2 – Ants

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Anne

Here is the second part of my mini series:

Ants

Wipe your cabinets out with a damp sponge and 6-8 frops of peppermint essential oil, or citronella essential oil.  Use the same oil and put 3-5 drops on windowsills, edges between countertop and wall, and wherever you see the ants marching.

Posted in citronella essential oil, peppermint essential oil | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Fighting Critters Naturally 1 – Mice

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Anne

This is a little series I am starting today – I will post advice about how to evict critters from your kitchen without using chemicals :)

Mice

Mice do not like peppermint.  If you a few sprigs of fresh peppermint between your cabinets, and also where you suspect them to enter your kitchen, they will be deterred.  You can also make a solution of 2 cups of water and 3 tsp of peppermint essential oil, and spray wherever you find mouse droppings.

Hint:  Mice usually stay close to walls, so that’s where you need to look for the droppings.

Posted in peppermint essential oil | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Keeping Your Fridge Fresh

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Anne

There are several ways of maintaining the freshness of your fridge – or freezer, for that matter.

  • Place a bowl of coffee on one of the shelves, if you like the smell of coffee.  This will keep odors at bay for up to 7 weeks.
  • Place a bowl with about 2 oz of vanilla extract on the shelves if you prefer the fragrance of vanilla over coffee.  Leave this in the fridge for a few days only though.
  • If you have fresh herbs in your garden, cut a few sprigs of fragrant plants (e.g. rosemary, sage, mint, lemon balm), tie them with a string and hang them inside the fridge or freezer. This should keep fridge or freezer fresh for about 3 weeks.
  • A piece of bread placed in the fridge or freezer will absorb many odors too.  if you want to add extra fragrance, sprinkle the bread with 2-4 drops of essential oil of any kind.
Posted in essential oil, lemon balm, mint, rosemary, sage | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Kitchen Floor Cleaner Pine

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Anne

To add a delightful light pine fragrance to your freshly scrubbed kitchen, try this solution:

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon hot water
  • 2 tbsp liquid castile soap
  • 10 drops pine essential oil
  • 5 drops cypress essential oil

In a large bucket, combine all ingredients.  Mop or scrub the floor as usual.  Rinsing is not needed.  If you have stubborn stains or scruff marks, drip a few drops of undiluted essential oil on the spot, let sit for a moment and wipe off with a damp cloth and dash of vinegar so nobody slips.

Posted in cypress essential oil, liquid castile soap, pine essential oil, water | Tagged , | Leave a comment