As summer approaches, many people will be opening their windows to let some much-needed fresh air circulate through their homes.
But open windows often allow flies, wasps, and other bugs into homes. Thankfully though, fans of cleaning queen Mrs Hinch - full name Sophie Hinchliffe - have shared their tips and tricks for keeping flying insects out of the home on Facebook, and the most popular method will hardly cost a thing.
Posting on the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips page, one woman asked what the "best thing" to get rid of flies was, to which another cleaning fan told her to get a hold of a sandwich bag, some pennies, and some water. The woman claimed that simply half-filling a sandwich bag with water and dropping a few coins inside is enough to make a perfect fly deterrent, as when the bag is hung up near your open windows, flies will steer clear, the Mirror reports.
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She said: "A clear plastic bag half filled with water with a few coins in it. Hang on windows/doors and you won’t see a fly in your house. They think it’s a hive and won’t go near it."
And the trick has proven to be a hit with other Facebook users too, as another woman also said the hack is "well worth a try" if you're struggling with flies in the house.
They added: "Put a few pennies in a clear bag in water and hang it up ... (you need to change the water every now and then though). Flies and wasps think it’s a wasps nest and stay away!
"I did this today, I hung it in the centre of the french doors into the conservatory. I’ve only seen one fly today, well worth a try!"
According to Express.co.uk, the trick works because flies have compound vision which means they see things differently from how we see them.
Flies will see the bag of water multiple times at once, and because they hate water, this is an instant deterrent to them - while the water and the pennies together also create a prism that creates a rainbow of colours and hurts flies' eyes.
Pest control expert at PriceYourJob.co.uk, Walter Murphy, told the publication: "The best way to get rid of flies is by making sure your home is clean and free of any sugary substances, rotting meat or other waste. This will involve wiping down surfaces and emptying the bin as often as possible to prevent flies from lingering in your home.
"You can also use natural repellents, such as apple cider vinegar, to get rid of flies."
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