As soon as Cape Town warms up, fruit flies appear out of nowhere and the kitchen starts to smell a little off. Sprays only deal with what you can see. The lasting fix is to remove what attracts them in the first place.
Where fruit flies come from
Fruit flies breed in fermenting, moist organic matter. The usual suspects:
- Overripe fruit in the fruit bowl
- Kitchen bins, especially the bottom of the bin under the bag
- Drains and sink overflows with a film of food residue
- Recycling with unrinsed bottles and cans
- Damp dishcloths and mop heads
The clean-out
- Deal with the fruit. Eat it, refrigerate it or bin it. In summer, ripe fruit is often better in the fridge.
- Empty and wash the bin, not just the bag. Scrub the inside with a pine sanitiser, rinse and let it dry in the sun.
- Use strong bags and tie them tightly. Take kitchen rubbish out daily in hot weather.
- Clean the sink drain. Pour boiling water down slowly, then scrub the plughole and overflow with a brush.
- Rinse recycling before it goes into the recycling bin.
- Wash or replace dishcloths daily and let mop heads dry fully.
A simple fruit fly trap
Pour a little apple cider vinegar or old wine into a jar with a drop of dishwashing liquid, which breaks the surface tension. Cover with cling wrap and poke a few small holes. It catches the adults while your clean-up removes their breeding spots.
What about stubborn drain smells?
If a drain still smells after cleaning, there may be a partial blockage. Drain cleaners can clear it, but they are very strong chemicals. Read the next section before you reach for one.
Stock up
Black Refuse Bags, Pine Sanitiser and Drain Cleaner are available from maxproducts.co.za. Keep a 5L of pine sanitiser handy for bins all summer.
Products mentioned in this guide
Available now from our sister company Max Products at maxproducts.co.za, in trade sizes and delivered in Cape Town.
Visit maxproducts.co.za →
Black Refuse Bags 40 Micron
Pine Sanitiser
Drain Cleaner
