Cleaning guru's 'magic' remedy for keeping spiders and fruit flies out of your home

Chantel Mila, who is known as Mama Mila online, has shared her tips on how to stop spiders and fruit flies invading your home

Spider mating season has arrived, and with it comes the inevitable increase of eight-legged visitors in our homes. However, Chantel Mila, also known as Mama Mila online, has come to the rescue with her expert advice on how to deter these persistent pests.

Although encountering spiders indoors is common throughout the year, their presence becomes more noticeable in autumn, which marks the start of their mating season. During this period, spiders often seek refuge from the cooler weather by moving into warmer indoor spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms.

Mila, an Australian home hack sensation with a massive online following, has garnered acclaim for her natural solutions to household pest problems, including those involving spiders and fruit flies. Her methods are particularly appealing because they avoid the use of harmful chemicals, reports the Mirror.

She recommends a concoction of rosemary, water, and orange oil to maintain a bug-free home. In her instructional video, she shares her top three tips, starting with a spider-repellent spray: "Mix a cup of water with sprigs of rosemary. Spray on windows and doors - spiders hate the smell of rosemary, so it repels them from entering your home," Mila advises.

The next tip is set to rid your home of fruit flies. "Pour boiling water down the drain to deter fruit flies and their eggs," she advised.

If you're trying to keep other creepy crawlies at bay, her third suggestion might just work for you. "Add orange oil to your mop to repel crawling insects," she recommended, but highlighted that caution should be used when essential oils are around pets.

The advice was well-received with several people expressing gratitude to the mum-of-two for her tips. "Good to know my friend got bitten by a spider and ended up in the hospital," commented one user.

"I need to do this," announced another. However, some warned about the potential risks of pouring boiling water down the drain.

"Yes, please keep pouring boiling hot water down the drain. It keeps my husband in business," humorously remarked one woman. In contrast, someone responded, writing: "Fruit fly eggs actually do live and hatch in drains and boiling water is the only way to get rid of them."

Meanwhile, another chimed in using their own experience: "Also mint is good against stink bugs."