Keep Animals Out of Outdoor Trash Cans

article image
PHOTO: FOTOLIA/REDAV
If critters keep breaking into your outdoor trash, try this tonic to keep them away.

MOTHER’S readers send in their best tips. 

• If four-legged critters are having a heyday in your outdoor trash cans, mix up the following recipe:

2 tablespoons liquid dish soap
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 quart warm water

Spray liberally over trash to keep varmints at bay.

• To remove skunk odor from pets, bathe them in a mixture of:

1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap

Follow with a good, thorough rinsing.

• Loosen tight screws by putting a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide on them; let soak until the screws turn back and forth easily.

• If Bambi is using your yard as a buffet, try planting some of these deer-repelling, fragrant herbs: catmint, chives, garlic, onions. lavender, sage, spearmint, thyme, and yarrow.

Karen Ann Bland
Gove, Kansas

Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368