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It’s just another ordinary day. You feel the rumble in your stomach, and wander into the kitchen to find a healthy snack. What you find when you enter may make you change your mind. Gnats. Those pesky little insects are flying around the fresh fruit and other areas in the kitchen. This may be a result of fruit going bad, dirty dishes left in the sink, or from the trash can that needs to be emptied. Gnats are drawn to the odors of rotting food. They are also attracted to other warm and moist places, such as houseplants. These are areas in which they lay their eggs. Gnats multiply very fast, so it’s best to take action right away. Lucky for you, you may already have the answer in your kitchen pantry. Vinegar. Below are ways on how to use vinegar to get rid of gnats.

First of all, before you start, you’ll want to make sure any old fruit is thrown out, and toss the garbage bag in the dumpster. You’ll also want to clean out your sink of dirty dishes, and wipe down counters that have crumbs on them. Once you’ve done a basic kitchen clean up, grab that bottle of vinegar.

A popular way to get rid of gnats using vinegar involves a small empty bottle. Fill the bottle with vinegar, almost to the top. Put the cap on securely, and poke a few holes in the cap. Gnats are attracted to the vinegar, and will climb in. Once they climb in, they won’t be able to get back out. If the gnats are in more than one spot in the house, fill up several bottles and place them where they are collecting in groups. Let these bottles sit for a few hours, then simply throw them out with the trash. Repeat the process if needed.

If you don’t have any spare empty bottles, you can also use small bowls. You won’t be able to secure a lid very easily to a bowl, but don’t worry. In the bowl, mix the vinegar with some dish soap. The gnats will once again be attracted to the vinegar, and climb into the bowl. The dish soap causes the mixture to be sticky, in which case the gnats will get stuck and won’t be able to escape. Again, let the bowls sit for a while and then empty and repeat if needed.

For gnats that gather near the drain of the sink, you can pour a little vinegar around the drain, as well as down the drain. The gnats will gather around the vinegar, and you can simply rinse them down the drain with water.

If the gnats are collecting on surface areas such as counters, you can mix some vinegar in a spray bottle along with some warm water. Simply spray the mixture on the counter top where the gnats are, and wipe them away with a paper towel. Be sure to take the used paper towels out to the dumpster right away so they don’t make their way back into the house.

This spray also works well on houseplants. If the bottle or bowl trick doesn’t capture all of the gnats that have gathered in or around houseplants, they can be cleared out by wiping the leaves with a paper towel that is damp with water and vinegar.

Gnats can be annoying little insects that can invade your kitchen and home very quickly. It happens to every home eventually, no matter if you’re a clean freak or not. Just one piece of slightly rotted food item can attract gnats. Luckily, you have the secret weapon in your kitchen. You now know how to use vinegar to get rid of gnats.

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