Hello there! I am so happy to have Beth Haymond from DiatomaceousEarth.com join me today with a very informative post on the wonders of. . . you guessed it, diatomaceous earth! Enjoy. 🙂 ~ Danielle

13 Diatomaceous Earth Uses in the Home

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is an inert dust made of the fossilized remains of diatoms. This talc-like powder is porous, making it ideal for trapping particles. This capacity is what accounts for the wide range of diatomaceous earth’s abilities. DE is used in many commercial products such as toothpaste, lotion, polishers, filters, and non-toxic cleaners.

Beyond the commercial uses, diatomaceous earth is a must-have in the home. As an alternative to many chemical cleaners and deodorizers, you can maintain an all-natural home with these different diatomaceous earth uses.

Natural insecticide

The best way to insect-proof your home is to seal up any cracks or crevices. Check window wells and your door to make sure everything is sealed properly. Keep all food waste to a minimum and clean where food is likely to drop (under appliances and in your couch, if you’re prone to eating in the living room.) Generally, the best insecticide is prevention.

Conquer Indoor Ants: The most common insect to contend with in the home. Dust likely ant entryways to ensure ants are exposure to the DE.

Eradicate Bed Bugs: Essentially the plague in the bug world, just using diatomaceous earth alone will not get rid of them. It’s best to use a combination of intense cleaning, de-cluttering, and DE application.

Get Rid of Cockroaches: First, you need to cut off their food and water supply. Dry up any areas that are moist and check pipes and faucets to ensure no leaks. Clean up any food that has fallen down on the ground. Roaches eat cardboard and paper, so get rid of those too. Put a sticky note wherever you’ve seen a cockroach and then dust with DE.

Deodorizer

Diatomaceous earth is a natural deodorizer you can use around the home. Here are some ideas to freshen up your home with a bit of DE.

Refrigerator: Place a cup of uncovered DE in the fridge to keep it smelling fresh.

Refresh Smelly Shoes: For a pair of smelly shoes, add some DE to the soles and leave it for a day. After a day has passed, dump out the DE and your shoes won’t smell any more.

Got Pets? Deodorize the Carpet: If you have pets in the home, you’re no stranger to a smelly carpet. Vacuum and then dust your carpet with DE and use a cleaning brush to coat the carpet fibers. Leave it overnight, up to 24 hours is best, to let it really deodorize. Before you vacuum it up, be sure to break up any big clumps to help your vacuum out.

Vanquish That Kitty Litter Smell: Add about a 1⁄2 cup of DE to the kitty litter box to deodorize and absorb up to twice its weight. Since DE is odorless, you won’t have to worry about your cats noticing its addition to the kitty litter.

Subdue Carpet Odors: The garbage (indoor and outdoor) accumulates horrendous odors over time. Wash the garbage can out with soap and water, and then dust the inside of the can with DE.

Food storage

You can add DE to grains, legumes, beans, rice, corn and other foods to prevent clumping, germinating, or molding. There are other benefits to using DE in food storage. It works as a natural pesticide to protect against beetles and weevils. The general rule is to use 1 pound of diatomaceous earth for every 50 pounds of grain. For long-term storage, increase the amount of DE up to 2 pounds of DE per 50 pounds of grain.

To maximize its efficiency, it’s best to layer the DE in the container so it’s mixed evenly.

You can do this by adding about a teaspoon of DE for every 3 pounds of grain. Mix the grain together afterwards with a device. The more coverage DE gains the better it can protect your food.

Absorb Spills

Because DE can absorb up to twice its weight, this feature makes it an ideal stain remover. Liquid stains like oil, grease, or soda are often a bigger problem than a paper towel. Diatomaceous earth uses its porous diatoms to soak up messy spills without a hitch.

Let the DE soak up the spill until it’s dry. Then sweep or vacuum it up to dispose of spill and the DE. If the spill has caused a stain, then proceed to clean it up with hot soapy water (or any other useful spill cleaning chemical). Use extra caution on any hardwood surface to prevent scratching. The stain should be relatively mild since DE will have absorbed the residue out of the stain.

Chemical-Free Cleaner

Diatomaceous Earth Polish: Mix together DE and vinegar to make a paste to polish your utensils. Add a few drops of lemon to leave your utensils smelling fresh. Use this paste in the bathroom on faucets, showers, and sinks for a deep clean. The DE cleaning paste is ideal for copper pots and is a gentle abrasive.

Keep Silverware from Tarnishing: Use this if you rarely use your silverware and you need a way to keep it from tarnishing. Dust a little DE on top of your silverware. If you don’t have a container, wrap you silverware into muslin, thin cotton, or handkerchief cloth.

Make a DE Spray Bottle: Add 4 heaping teaspoons to a gallon of water and shake vigorously. DE won’t mix completely rather it hangs suspended in the water. Because of this, be sure to shake a little before you spray. You can use this as a cleaner or to apply DE to some tricky areas as a pesticide.

Beth Haymond graduated with an English degree and has been working at DiatomaceousEarth.com for the past two years. In addition to being the content writer, she manages all things social. Check out DiatomaceousEarth.com on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

P.S. If you’re interested in DE and all its uses, be sure to follow DiatomaceousEarth.com’s home uses board on Pinterest!

Follow DiatomaceousEarth.com’s board DE Home Uses on Pinterest.

And if you’re interested in more natural ways to keep up the home, be sure to follow Natural Home:

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This post has been shared at Savoring Saturdays.