White Vinegar to the Rescue: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Fruit Fly-Free Home

Sharing is caring!

Home » Blog » Natural & Non-Toxic » White Vinegar to the Rescue: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Fruit Fly-Free Home

Are fruit flies bothering you in your house? If they are, you are not alone. Fruit flies are one of the most disgusting pests to invade homes. Is there anything in your home you can use to get rid of them? Is it possible to get rid of fruit flies with white vinegar?

Absolutely! You can use a simple household product such as white vinegar to get rid of fruit flies. Vinegar can prevent and eliminate fruit flies.

In this post, we will unlock our secrets of how to remove fruit flies from your house with white vinegar and gain professional insights on how you can prevent future infestations.

What are Fruit Flies, and What Causes Them to Invade the House?

Fruit flies are little flying insects with red eyes and a brownish body. These insects are attracted to moist or rotting veggies and fruits, which is why you will mostly see them in the kitchen.

Will White Vinegar Get Rid of Fruit Flies?

Will-White-Vinegar-Get-Rid-of-Fruit-Flies

Fruit flies are attracted to anything that ferments. This is why you will see them around rotting or overripe fruits.

They also love to be in moist areas such as drains, kitchens, and refrigerators. Not only can they hide in these areas, but they also love to eat food particles from them.

Vinegar is a solution that has by-products of fermentation. So, if you ask us how to get rid of fruit flies fast, the answer would be a vinegar solution.

Fruit flies love the smell that this solution emits. Hence, it attracts fruit flies.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies with White Vinegar at Home

The plastic wrap trap method is one of the most common vinegar hacks for killing fruit flies. The smell of vinegar is attractive to flies, so they are lured inside the glass and never escape because of the wrap trap barrier.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting rid of fruit flies with white vinegar at home.

Things you’ll need:

  • White vinegar
  • Glass or bowl
  • Plastic wrap
  • Rubber band

Instructions:

  1. Pour vinegar into a glass or bowl.
  2. Cover the glass with plastic wrap and seal it with a rubber band
  3. Poke some tiny holes in the wrap. 
  4. Wait until fruit flies go into the glass and never get to leave. 

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies with White Vinegar and Dish Soap

If you find the insects impervious to the plastic wrap, try the white vinegar and dish soap method. The dish soap cuts the surface tension of the vinegar solution so the fruit flies will sink and drown. 

Here’s how to eliminate fruit flies with the vinegar dish soap method.

Things you’ll need:

  • Vinegar
  • Dish soap
  • Bowl

Instructions:

  1. Mix vinegar and 3 drops of dish soap in a bowl.
  2. Microwave the bowl of vinegar and dish soap.
  3. Leave the bowl uncovered to lure the fruit flies. Any insect that lands on the mixture will drown.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies with White Vinegar in the Kitchen

Picture this: you want slices of apples as a snack, but as you reach for the fruit basket in the kitchen, you find yourself grossed out upon seeing some uninvited guest. (No, we are not talking about your Aunt Susan visiting the house unannounced). Of course, we’re talking about fruit flies.

If you don’t want this to happen, here’s another hack to terminate fruit flies.

Things you’ll need:

  • Vinegar
  • Beer or wine bottle

Instructions:

  1. Pour some vinegar into a beer or wine bottle.
  2. Leave the bottle in the area where there is a fruit fly infestation.
  3. Wait until the fruit flies come inside the bottle. The bottle’s narrow neck will serve as a barrier to trap the insects.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies with White Vinegar in the Refrigerator

How-to-Get-Rid-of-Fruit-Flies-with-White-Vinegar-in-the-Refrigerator

Finding a mass of tiny buzzy creatures in your refrigerator is never a fun experience. If you take this problem lightly, fruit flies can lay eggs somewhere in your refrigerator and keep coming back.

Here’s a guide to prevent and kill fruit flies with white vinegar.

Things you’ll need:

  • Vinegar
  • Soapy water
  • Cooler / airtight container
  • Sponge

Instructions:

  1. To prevent fruit flies from entering your refrigerator, clean your refrigerator. Place all perishables goods in a cooler to keep them cold and prevent them from decaying. Store food in an airtight container to prevent fruit flies from eating them.
  2. Mix vinegar and dish soap and apply to a sponge to clean your refrigerator.
  3. Use mild soapy water to clean up spills, meat drippings, dried food articles, and food crumbs. 
  4. Remove the shelves, clean the drip tray, and wash them with soapy water, as they could be breeding grounds for fruit flies.
  5. Let the refrigerator dry before you place the food items back.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies with White Vinegar in the Drain

Fruit flies love organic matter and rotting food; these pests can wind up in the drain as you do the dishes.

If you fail to remove them, things can get out of control, and next, you know, there are hundreds of fruit flies in your drain.

There are a lot of ways to eliminate them from the drain and one of which is vinegar. You only need to pour the vinegar solution down the drain. 

The vinegar can break down the food, move it, and eliminate the fruit flies from the pipes.

To learn how to unclog a drain with vinegar, read our article – Can Vinegar Unclog a Drain?

How Do You Prevent Fruit Flies in Your House

If you have encountered fruit flies in your house before (haven’t we all?), you already know how unsightly and frustrating they can be. Here are six tips to prevent or remove fruit flies from the house.

  1. Wash fruits and vegetables as soon as you bring them home.
  2. Store your fresh produce in a covered container or refrigerator.
  3. Throw away any decaying and spoiled fruits and vegetables.
  4. Wipe down your kitchen and countertops with a clean microfiber cloth and clean up any spills right away.
  5. Keep your garbage disposal and sink as clean as possible.
  6. Cover the garbage pails in your house and dispose of your garbage regularly.

Conclusion

Take note that fruit flies can produce 500 eggs at a time (yes, we know it’s gross). It will take time and patience to completely remove fruit flies from your house. But vinegar is there to help through it.

Fruit flies are tiny bugs with red eyes and a brownish body. They are attracted to moist or rotting veggies, fruits, and vinegar.

To prevent and get rid of fruit flies in your home using vinegar follow our tips and instructions above.

To learn how to use vinegar to get rid of other pests in your home, read out articles below.

Can Vinegar Kill Ants?

Can Vinegar Kill Bed Bugs?