When the warm weather rolls in, it often brings along uninvited guests like ants and mosquitoes. Instead of turning to chemical sprays with strong odors and potential health risks, you can easily make a safe, natural bug repellent at home using everyday ingredients.
Why Go Homemade?
- Safer: Skip harsh chemicals like DEET that can irritate skin and pose risks to pets or children.
- Eco-Friendly: Plant-based ingredients like vinegar and essential oils break down naturally, leaving no harmful residue.
- Budget-Friendly: Made from pantry staples such as vinegar, oil, and shampoo—costing just pennies per batch.
What You’ll Need:
- ½ cup white vinegar (bug repellent)
- ½ cup olive or vegetable oil (forms a protective barrier)
- ½ cup shampoo (helps blend ingredients and adds mild cleaning power)
- Optional: lemon juice or essential oils (citronella, peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender) for extra scent and repelling power.
How to Make It:
- In a bowl, mix vinegar, oil, and shampoo. Add any optional scents.
- Pour the mixture into a clean spray bottle.
- Apply to windowsills, door frames, patio furniture, trash cans, and baseboards.
- Shake before each use and reapply daily in bug-prone areas.
This simple vinegar-oil-shampoo blend works by repelling insects, suffocating small pests, and leaving behind no toxic traces—a natural, time-tested way to keep your home pest-free.
If you’d like, I can also make you a short, catchy Facebook caption to go with it so it’s share-ready.
