🐜 How to Keep Ants Out of Your Home

5 hours ago
3 min read

Simple Prevention Tips from Elliotts Cleaning & Property Services

As the weather gets warmer, it's not uncommon to spot a trail of ants making their way into your home. While they're fascinating outdoors, they're certainly not welcome in your kitchen!

The good news? A few simple cleaning habits can make a big difference in keeping ants outside where they belong.

🐜 Why Do Ants Come Into Your Home?

Ants are always searching for three things:

🍞 Food💧 Water🏠 Shelter

Even the smallest crumb or sticky spill can attract an entire colony once scout ants have found a food source.

🧹 1. Keep Kitchen Worktops Spotless

Food residue is one of the biggest attractions for ants.

Make sure you:

Wipe down worktops after preparing food.
Clean up sugary drinks immediately.
Remove crumbs from tables and work surfaces.
Clean underneath small appliances like kettles and toasters.

A quick daily wipe can prevent a much bigger problem.

🗑️ 2. Empty Your Bin Regularly

Kitchen bins can quickly become a feast for ants.

✔️ Empty bins frequently.✔️ Keep lids closed.✔️ Wash the inside of your bin every couple of weeks to remove lingering food residue.

🍯 3. Store Food Properly

Ants have an incredible sense of smell.

Store foods such as:

Sugar
Honey
Cereal
Pet food
Biscuits

...in sealed containers rather than opened packets.

🐾 4. Don't Forget Pet Bowls

If you have pets, remember that leftover food and water bowls can attract ants too.

Try to:

Pick up food bowls once your pet has finished eating.
Wipe around feeding areas daily.

🚪 5. Seal Entry Points

Ants only need the tiniest gap to get indoors.

Check around:

Doors
Windows
Pipework
Air vents
Skirting boards

Sealing small cracks can stop ants before they become a problem.

💧 6. Fix Leaks

Ants also search for water.

Repair dripping taps, leaking pipes or damp areas under sinks to remove another reason for them to visit.

🧼 7. Keep Floors Clean

Regular vacuuming and mopping removes:

✔️ Crumbs✔️ Food residue✔️ Ant scent trails

Once ants find food, they leave a chemical trail for others to follow. Cleaning floors thoroughly helps break that trail.

🍋 8. Natural Ant Deterrents

Some homeowners find success using natural scents that ants dislike, including:

White vinegar
Lemon juice
Peppermint oil (use with care around pets)
Cinnamon

Wipe these around known entry points after cleaning.

🚫 9. Don't Ignore the First Few Ants

Seeing one or two ants might not seem like a big deal, but they're often scout ants looking for food.

Cleaning immediately and removing whatever attracted them can stop a much larger infestation from developing.

🏡 10. When Life Gets Busy...

Keeping on top of daily cleaning isn't always easy.

Between work, school runs, family life and everything else on your to-do list, it's understandable that cleaning sometimes slips down the priority list.

That's where we can help.

At Elliotts Cleaning & Property Services, we help homeowners across Teignbridge, Exeter, Dartmoor, South Hams and Torbay keep their homes clean, hygienic and welcoming.

Whether you need a regular domestic clean, a one-off deep clean or help getting your home back on track, our friendly team is here to help.