15 Best Ways To Use All Natural Diatomaceous Earth

Sometimes, all you need in your home is a single ingredient to cover a broad range of problems. With all of Diatomaceous Earth uses – DE – is one such ingredient with numerous possible purposes.

What is Diatomaceous Earth?

Generally considered safe, diatomaceous earth comes from one-celled plants – fossilized diatoms.

Diatoms are hard-shelled algae that come from bodies of water. Typically you’ll find DE sold in powder form and used for an array of needs. It’s recommended you purchase food grade diatomaceous earth.

Diatomaceous earth has a high silica content which makes it good for hair and skin use. It’s been called – miracle dust, fossil shell flour.

Studies also show that the product has a negative charge which proves to be useful when it comes to health considerations. Read on to learn more about diatomaceous earth uses.

15 Uses of Diatomaceous Earth

So exactly how do you use diatomaceous earth? Here are the top ways this all-natural product can be used for personal development:

1 – Fleas

If you have cats and dogs in the house, there is a good chance you have fleas just roaming around the rooms.

The sharp edges of the silica in diatomaceous earth works as a mild abrasive and manages to scratch the fleas, causing them to die even before they could breed further.

To use DE, sprinkle the fine powder all over the house, preferably the carpet where the fleas most likely reside.

No need to spray too much – a small amount will work just fine for flying and crawling insect control. Leave it alone for 3 days before vacuuming the carpet thoroughly.

Re-apply and repeat the process for 30 days or one month. This will help to be sure that even the hatchlings are killed.

You can also try applying DE directly onto pet fur. Just sprinkle and brush the DE all over your cats and dogs until it really gets into their scalp.

Dogs and cats actually enjoy the process but note that if you gave your dog a bath, reapplication is necessary.

Apply DE every two weeks to make sure that lice and fleas do not come back. Use diatomaceous earth for ticks as well.

2 – Natural Insecticide For Home Pest Control

DE also helps with the control of pests that might be invading your home. It can target cockroaches, spiders, ants, as well as bed bugs. This pest control quality makes one of the biggest diatomaceous earth benefits.

With bedbugs, just sprinkle DE on your bed as well as any other area you believe the bugs are residing. Do this every night for about a month to completely kill not just the adults but also possible eggs and babies.

As for the ants, spiders, and cockroaches, sprinkle wherever you feel these little critters are residing. Windowsills, kitchen cabinets, and others are just some of the most common places where this happens.

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3 – Detoxification

DE can be safely ingested in controlled numbers (food grade only – more below). When taken regularly, studies show that it can help detoxify your body naturally.

Specifically, the negative charge of DE attracts positively charged ions or those that come from heavy metals collecting in our digestive tract.

These heavy metals are often ingested by individuals through day to day living. As DE attracts positively charged ions, the two are then released through the usual routes.

Upon detoxification, you will find yourself becoming more energetic, having a stronger immune system, and lowering the risk of health problems.

4 – Garden Pest Control

Use diatomaceous earth powder as a natural insecticide for pest control in the garden. It has been especially proven to work with snails and beetles. The crystalline silica scratching the body (exoskeleton) of the insect and causing them to die.

Using this is a simple system of sprinkling the fine powder around the plant where the slugs encounter the sharp edges before getting to your crop. Do this once or twice a week for best results.

Note: Diatomaceous Earth will harm ALL insects that pass through it so even the good garden critters may be affected. If the soil becomes wet after placing DE, its best to re-apply since this will not work as well anymore.

5 – Control Cholesterol Levels

Another study suggests that Diatomaceous earth food grade offers great health benefits such as helping lower the cholesterol levels of individuals.

A lot of testimonies have shown that with just Diatomaceous Earth taken for cholesterol, you will be able to lower the levels to at least 100 in just two months.

It is an impressive number and an infinitely cheaper one compared to buying anti-cholesterol drugs out in the market today.

There are also zero side effects attributed to the ingestion of diatomaceous earth products.

6 – Shampoo

One of the great benefits of diatomaceous earth is its use as a hair cleaning product. You can try adding it with your regular shampoo or perhaps sprinkling some in your hair and massaging it through the scalp.

If you have lice, the routine introduction of DE should kill the lice permanently. Make sure to wash off the DE at the end of the day, thoroughly rinsing it out before reapplication.

The good news is that aside from getting rid of lice, DE also helps promote healthy hair growth.

If you are suffering from thin hair or hair fall, application and ingestion of DE should improve your condition.

Click Here to Learn More / Buy Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

7 – Toothpaste

If you love to drink coffee or tea, chances are your teeth are pretty stained and are no longer sparkly white in color.

Sprinkle some DE in your toothpaste and brush as usual – the silica should work better in removing stains in your teeth as well as any bacteria that might be residing there.

DO NOT do this every day, however – once a week would be just fine. You do not want to damage your gums. You can also make DIY toothpaste with DE as a main ingredient.

8 – Skin Care

The mild abrasive quality of DE makes it an excellent scrub and exfoliant for the skin.

Despite being abrasive, however, the silica particles are small enough that they do not really cause irritation or trigger allergies on the skin.

Getting in the pores, the silica manages to sweep the dirt that might be clogging it, allowing your skin to breathe better.

Of course, the lack of allergies resulting from DE use is not absolute. It is recommended that individuals first apply the product on their skin and see if any negative reaction occurs.

9 – De-Worming

Some pet owners also find DE to be more effective than commercial de-wormers available today.

To use this product, just sprinkle some DE in the dog or cat’s pet food on a daily basis. Do not sprinkle too much – 1/4 teaspoon will do.

The DE will cut and kill any possible worms and internal parasites residing in the body, allowing them to be “eliminated” by your pet. NOTE: for this purpose, a food-grade type of DE is best used.

10 – Food Storage

You can also use DE to make food last longer. The powder is often added with beans and wheat so that they would not spoil so soon, lengthening the shelf life of products.

If you have seen those small packets usually placed inside bottled medications, these are silica which promotes long term food storage.

You can do the same with your food, but make sure that you are not actually putting the DE in the mixture.

Use a cloth packet because DE is excellent in soaking up extra moisture. Hence, your food will remain dry with less chances of mold growth.

11- Farm Pets

Farmers also noted that farm animals fed with DE produce better and are healthier throughout their life.

When fed to chickens, or as a “chicken dust bath” you will find yourself getting stronger and better eggs. As for cows, it also increases their milk production plus improves their coats and hooves. For improved pet health use diatomaceous earth for controlling parasites in animals.

There are also fewer chances of pests invading the farmhouse with frequent application of DE.

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12 – Toenail Fungus

If you have problems with fungus in your feet, try sprinkling some DE in your socks on a daily basis. This should dry up the socks as the DE absorbs the moisture, removing any means of water for the fungus.

At the same time, this actually gets rid of any lingering smell on the sock. You can also try sprinkling the same inside your shoes and be amazed at how well this works for you.

13 – Deodorant

Yes – you can use DE as a type of deodorant for your body. This makes sense considering how it is already used as a deodorizer as discussed in use #15.

Just apply the powder in your armpit and this should keep you feeling fresh and clean throughout the day.

An excellent absorbent, the DE will make sure that you will not perspire too much even when under the sun.

Click Here to Learn More / Buy Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

14 – Cleaner and Polisher

The microscopic sharp edge of diatomaceous earth also makes it perfect as a polisher and cleaner for stainless steel.

It manages to remove dirt and grime without scratching the surface, resulting to a gleaming material for your faucet and sink.

To use DE, just combine it with fresh water, lemon, and a bit of dish soap to create a thick paste.

Place it on the faucet or sink and diligently wipe it off. Some homeowners are happy just sprinkling the DE onto stainless steel and wiping it with a moist cloth.

Use whatever technique works for you. It can also be used for copper and silverware.

15 – Deodorizer: Fridge and Garbage Can

If your garbage can tends to smell bad, you can sprinkle some DE in the can to nullify the odor.

Composting can now be done with marginally less odor infiltrating the garden.

This also works for the fridge but try not to scatter the powder inside. Instead, just grab a bowl and place a generous amount of DE inside before leaving it inside the fridge.

This will prevent nasty odors from lingering in your fridge. Make sure to have the DE replaced every 2 weeks.

If you are going on a long vacation, this is also a great way to make sure that the fridge does not smell after days of being unplugged.

Just empty the fridge, remove it from the power socket and place a box of DE inside.

When you come back, the fridge will be ready for use.

If you have cats, sprinkle some DE in the kitty litter to prevent the smell from permeating all over the house.

What Kind of Diatomaceous Earth Should I Use?

There are several kinds of DE available in the market today, but your best choice would be the food-grade type.

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is by far the safest option, considering how some studies noted that inhaling DE can cause lung problems.

Don’t panic!

This is not a prevalent problem as long as you purchase the right DE for whatever purpose you need it.

Fortunately, food-grade diatomaceous earth is labeled so you should not have any problems finding them. Check the label, food grade types should have no more than 10mg per kg of lead and 10mg per kg of arsenic.

Other notes to keep in mind when buying diatomaceous earth food grade are:

  • It has to have a label approved by the Food Chemical Codex Rating or FCCR
  • The label must also sport approval from GRAS or Generally Recognized as Safe
  • Make sure that you are buying pure white or off white DE. Anything else is not acceptable. You’ll find DE in different colors such as pink, grey, brown, and even orange – those are not acceptable for use
  • Make sure the product contains EPA approved labels. This includes: Animal Feed Additive, Inert Carrier, Grain Storage Protectant, Anti Caking Agent, and Trace Minerals Supplement

If you intend to use just one DE for all the functions mentioned above, Food Grade DE is your best option.

You will find that the Internet has lots of sellers for this item so compare and check the brand before buying anything.

How I Take Diatomaceous Earth Internally?

Is diatomaceous earth safe to be taken internally?

It is also possible to take diatomaceous earth internally and really benefit from the silica content of the powder.

Note: You must purchase food-grade diatomaceous earth for internal use to make sure that it is 100% safe to include in your diet.

To take this powder internally, just add 1/2 teaspoon of diatomaceous earth for every 8oz of juice or fresh water and stir.

Note that the powder will not dissolve in the water but it will distribute it evenly so that you will be able to consume it with the liquid.

Drink the juice or water as soon as you are done stirring so that the silica supplement will not settle at the bottom of the glass.

The maximum daily intake of diatomaceous earth is 1 tablespoon so you re welcome to add or subtract DE depending on what works best for you.

According to reports of people using DE internally, long-term use actually provides them with the following benefits:

  • Better digestive health
  • Healthier colon
  • Better food absorption
  • Clearer skin
  • Healthier hair and nails
  • More energy
  • Lower Candida levels
  • Lower chances of having Alzheimer’s disease

… more

Try Diatomaceous Earth out and see how it can improve your life and health.

All the Diatomaceous Earth uses makes DE one items homeowners can use to handle a broad range of pest problems. [LEARN MORE]