Top 10 Uses for Diatomaceous Earth
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Even for a dedicated diatomaceous earth user like myself, I’m always learning new ways to use DE. Read our top ten ways to incorporate diatomaceous earth more fully into your life.
Use this as ant killer and repellent in the home.
Definitely one of the most popular reasons to use DE, and you’ll be glad you used it. Even if food grade diatomaceous earth is accidentally ingested by a curious child or dog, you can rest easy. After cleaning, apply DE to the areas you’ve seen ants in your home.
Add diatomaceous earth directly to your pets for a natural flea control.
When your pet brings fleas into the home, this means everyone gets to join the party. To break the flea cycle, you can’t just treat the dog or cat. You must treat the home as well. Clean everywhere and dust your home and pets over the period of a month to get rid of the fleas.
Get rid of bed bugs and clean your home like the Queen of England is coming.
I wouldn’t wish bed bugs on my obnoxious neighbors. Bed bugs can take an emotional toll, and they cost a lot of money to get rid of. It’s an involved process to kill them that takes a lot of work. The great news is diatomaceous earth is an effective tool in the fight against bed bugs.
Dust your garden to get rid of destructive pests.
Too often, you’re not the only one who is feasting in your garden; harmful pests can severely damage plants. Applying diatomaceous earth in the garden is the perfect response to an out-of-control infestation.
Mix diatomaceous earth with some natural products to make a cleaner.
Mixing diatomaceous earth with some vinegar and lemon makes a great homemade cleaner. Diatomaceous earth is an abrasive, vinegar disinfects, and lemon smells delightful. Use this in any room in your house for a quick and organic clean.
Deodorize the smelly areas in your home (and your shoes).
This works in a so many ways. Add DE to the shoes you wear without socks (right ladies?) to deodorize them overnight. Put a little open container of DE in the fridge to combat the smells from various foods. If you have pets, your carpet is in dire need of deodorizing. Dust the carpet and vacuum it up the next day.
Absorb oil, grease, or soda stains from your home or driveway.
A paper towel doesn’t cut it for some spills. Grease and soda can be irksome to fully clean up. Add DE and wait between 2 to 24 hours to clean everything up. Use DE on carpets, hardwood, driveways to absorb deeply.
Treat your farm with diatomaceous earth to reduce odor and fly count.
Out on the farm (or any farm-setting) flies and odors are a constant presence. You can dust DE in the stall, barn, or paddock to get rid of moist areas. If the flies are bothering your livestock, you can even dust them directly to repel flies.
Add some DE to the kitty litter.
Kitty litter can be pungent and is usually banished to a low traffic area in the home. To reduce the smell, add about 1 cup of DE and mix it in with the rest of the litter. DE deodorizes and it absorbs up to twice its weight, keeping your kitty litter fresher, longer.
Dust houseplants to get rid of gnats.
Gnats can often catch a ride into your house by eating the rotting plant matter in your houseplants. Reducing the number of waterings and dusting the dirt in the pot with DE can keep the bugs away.
About the author: Beth Haymond has worked as the content writer at DiatomaceousEarth.com for almost two years, after graduating from college with a degree in English. She also manages the social media side of things. Check out DiatomaceousEarth.com on Facebook and Twitter.
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I can’t believe you did not include any disclaimers about NOT breathing the stuff….Shame on you!!!
If you have a health problem like asthma, allergies, or sensitivities then DE, like any other dust, can cause some irritation. There are no studies to link breathing in food grade diatomaceous earth with severe health problems. Around 85 percent of diatomaceous earth is amorphous silica (or silicon dioxide) which is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) as a food additive and the EPA has concluded that diatomaceous earth poses a low health risk to humans.
If you want more information about diatomaceous earth and any potential health risks it may pose, check out this General Fact Sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center: http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
You forgot to tell everyone that DE is only effective when it’s not wet. So any surface including grass or animals must not get wet in order for it to work. Also, it needs about 8-12 hours on a dry surface to work. So do not apply to wet grass or plants or any wet surface to make it work properly. Once it gets wet, you must reapply.
Thank you, Sheila! Yes, if it is wet, it isn’t useful.
How effective is DE on nematodes like we have in Florida soil? Can DE be mixed into garden soil to prevent pests from eating root vegetables?
Don’t put it in your cat’s litter box ! While it may soak up odor, kitty kats scratch & scrape & kick up the litter all over the place. They will kick up the DE & inhale it, which is harmful to their lungs, especially if it’s an enclosed box. Also be very careful when you apply to their skin to kill fleas. Eventhough it does work, make sure to rub it in carefully & slowly & do not allow a lot of DE dust to fill the air, especially near their face or nose ! They are precious gifts of love from God. 🐕 🐈 💖