I know many of you have experience summer gnats which can be a nuisance. Do anyone have any remedies they have used to get rid of them. Sometimes they die in the winter, and sometime they don't. I do have a dog, but she doesn't have them. They are primary in the kitchen sink, and in the bathroom. I also would like suggestions on how to keep fresh dishcloths from getting that (old)smell. It is very annoying, I have washed them several times, used fabric softner...I have even boiled them with dishwashing soap, within a day the smell is back. Last but least, which I choose (other) Does anyone know how to remove candle wax off a silk blouse?????? (;-)
Thanks in advance!!!
Hi All,
I really appreciate all the great feedback, I did try several things, the bleach & ammonia was great, haven't seen the gnats or fruit flies around. I wiped the counters down, which I didn't see any more. I will keep all the other suggestions for future attempts. I am working on the blouse, I tried the freezer first attempt to see if it loosens up, if not I will do the ironing. With the dishcloths i tried soaking w/vinegar, boiling them & I will try to was them with baking soda. I think the towels sit long because I don't do dish on a daily basis because of my schedule & I think that cause the odor/mildew, anyway....I will replace them after I rinse them in cold water, I will put them in the laundry. I again thank each one of you for your responses. I am sorry that I responded so late! God bless & take care!
L. :-).........
I too get knats every year ergggg ! This has been the best year so far and all I am doing is just putting a little bleach down the drain every night before I go to bed. I have had only a few YEAH ! As for the dish sponge that I use I put it in the dishwasher whenever it runs and I also use the microwave to sanitize it. Good luck
Hi L.,
For the candle wax try placing a towel or paper bag over the spot with wax and use a warm iron. It should not take long at all being silk, maybe a pass or two. When you lift the towel or bag off the shirt the wax should have adhered to them. After that, try a Tide stick for the residual oil. Hope that works. I know it has on my other materials but I honestly have not tried it on silk.
Good luck!
J.
Here's how to get rid of your gnats. I pour a half cup of apple cider vinegar in an old jelly jar (I suppose you could use any type of container) and poke small holes in the lid. Make sure your holes aren't too close together and that they are not to close to the rim. It seems the gnats find their way in but can't get out. If any gnats are still alive, I put a piece of masking tape on the lid before I take it out to the trash. I put out my "gnat trap" before bed and wake up to at least a dozen dead gnats in the morning. Works everytime!
gnats often are in the kitchen in summer especially if you have fresh veg's or fruits around. Constantly wipe off your counters, the juice from them draws them too.
Dishcloth dilema---- this is pretty easy one, once you know. Everytime you use your dish rag, rinse it in cold water when finished. The hot water is what makes bacteria grow and thus produces the smell. Rinsing it in cold water takes away that.
Cold water will not stop the old Look the dish rag will get after so long, but it does stop the smell.
Candle Wax--- there is a product called Goo Gone. Usually around household cleaners. Spray a little of that on and gently rub off, and it should do the trick. It takes candle wax out of carpeting too, and also it is a big saver on taking crayon off of things.
I don't know about gnats or candle wax, but the dishcloths can be boiled for 5 minutes. change them out everyday and make sure they are hanging somewhere to dry in between uses (dh likes to just dump them on the counter, boy do they smell bad fast). The microwave is good, but make sure the cloth or sponge remains wet the whole time or they can catch fire. I don't like to put cloths and sponges in the dishwasher because the water doesn't get hot enough to sterilize them.
Hi L.,
As far as the silk blouse put it in the freezer for a few hours to see if that works. Good luck. H. G.
I first cleaned with bleach. Everything. Vaccum really good. I also in my sinks, tub, and anywhere with water use ammonia in the drain. You cannot use the drain for hours after. So its best todo it at night. Bleach to clean everywhere or just clean they are attracted to something in the house. Something you may not be able to see. I would toss the rags out and get new ones. Dollar store has them for cheap and they last a long time. Hope this helps
hopefully someone can tell me how to get rid of gnats as well, lol. but as for your dishcloths, i was mine Daily. so much food and gunk gets stuck in them when you wipe off counters and wash dishes that it's the only way i have found to keep them from smelling. i put my sponges and srubbers in teh dishwasher whenever i run that as well to keep them clean and fresh and free of germs.
i've done the apple cider trick & bleach down the drains before bed & have to say it's the best idea ever! as for the wash rags, i soak mine in baking soda water for at least 30 min. before i put them in the washer in cold water with bleach & no fabric softner, i only use my rags for that day & then i get fresh ones & put the others to soak & wash. good luck & God be with you.
It's not just your house, this year everyone has lots of gnats! Try bleach down the drains at night and keep all fruit in fridge or in ziplocs.
I wash my kitchen towels and dishrags with a little bleach in the water. Putting them out in the sun is also helpful to get odors out!
Are you guys talking about fruit flies? I have never heard of gnats in the house. If they are fruit flies, of course make sure there are no fruit or vegetables laying out on the counter, or even left in the garbage can. And if you find some flying around after you've gotten rid of the fruit, the apple cider trick does work. I take a bowl, pour some vinegar in and cover it with plastic wrap. Then I poke some holes in the plastic wrap with a fork, making sure the holes are big enough for them to crawl in. The vinegar smells like rotting fruit, so they climb in and then drown. That should work.
As for the dishcloths, I think it's kind of unsanitary to reuse dishcloths more than a day, especially if they've been used to clean up a table or a counter. I think the "old smell" that you describe is from bacteria, which is then being wiped all over your "clean" dishes and counter. Yucky. I buy enough so that I can use a new one each day. Target always has those stacks of about 10 washcloths for about $3.99. At the end of the day, I just toss the used one in a basket in the laundry room and wash them with my towels each week. I do the same for hand towels, too - I don't trust that my husband's hands are actually clean when he dries them!
Hi L.,
I too used to get those gnets, only in the summer and it had gotten to the point that I wouldn't cook a meal in my kitchen because of them. I was so upset about it that I went to the hardware store and asked the store keeper what should I buy for this problem. He told me "there isn't much that I could do. But if I were you he said I would pour 1/4 cup of bleach down your drain each night before going to bed" and that is what got rid of those things. Thank goodness I haven't had that problem ever again.
As for your dish rags, I always no matter what - I put a few drops of bleach in my dish water. I will bet you if you do this too you'll never have the problem with your dish rags again.
Good luck,
Gnats in pipes are cured by pouring bleach in your drains. If they are loose in the house put some juice in a tall glass and make a funnel out of paper. Place the funnel in the glass so that the entire lip of the glass is touched by funnel. The gnats go down for sweet stuff but can't figure our how to get out.
For dishrags use chlorine bleach or just replace them.
For candle was unfold a brown paper grocery sack and place below and above blouse and iron with a warm but not too hot iron. The wax will melt and the bag will absorb it. This won't however remove any dye in the wax. That would require something else.
I don't have any idea about the gnats except wash dishes as soon as you use them so they don't sit with food on them in the sink.
Wash dishcloths and towels in the washer and add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle (either wait and pour it in at the time, or use something like a downy ball). The fabric softener probably adds to the problem so don't use it any more.
Put a towel on either side of the blouse and iron it so the wax transfers off the blouse on to the towels.
Bleach your dishrags. Change it daily or more if it is used somewhere germy. Use hot water and bleach, no fabric softner (it makes towels/ washcloths less absorbent)
Good advice below. I put a small amount of dish liquid in a bowl add water and set on the counter top you wouldn't believe how many gnats is in the bowl in the morning. I also use one of those sticky strips that you hang where the gnats are and they pick up a lot of them too.
The best I just learned from my daughter on the dish sponges and towels is to nuke them is the microwave for about 30 seconds and it keeps them smelling fresh. Good luck
Ahhh the fruit flies are taking over my house as well!
On the dishcloth note however I can tell you what works for me. I change my wash cloth every morning to a fresh one. I also make sure I let them hang to dry before throwing them in the dirty clothes.
Mine smell fine and I am a person that hates a pesky smell!
Good luck!
C.
I was just curious why your title says Whitehall? I live on a street called Whitehall...Just curious!
