The key difference between a freeze dryer and a food dehydrator lies in how they remove moisture from food — and the results in terms of texture, nutrition, shelf life, and cost.

🔬 1. How They Work

🍎 2. Resulting Food Texture & Taste

🧪 3. Nutritional Value

• Freeze drying preserves more nutrients (minimal heat damage).

• Dehydrating may degrade heat-sensitive vitamins (like vitamin C, B-complex).

🗓️ 4. Shelf Life

💰 5. Cost & Equipment

✅ Use Cases

• Freeze Dryer: Great for long-term food storage, emergency prep, astronauts, backpacking.

• Dehydrator: Good for making snacks like fruit leather, jerky, dried herbs.

🔚 Summary

Absolutely — a powder version can be even more effective for long-term centipede control, especially in places like:

• Baseboards

• Under sinks

• Behind appliances

• Basement cracks

• Carpet edges

Here are a few excellent homemade powder options that are safe and powerful:

🌿 1. Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade) — Best All-Around Bug Killer

What It Does:

• Shreds the exoskeleton of centipedes and other insects, causing dehydration and death.

How to Use:

1. Lightly dust along baseboards, cracks, under furniture, and in corners.

2. Avoid thick piles — a light, barely-visible dusting works best.

3. Leave for several days or weeks, then vacuum and reapply if needed.

🟢 Safe for pets and kids if it’s food grade — just avoid stirring it up into the air.

🔥 2. Baking Soda + Cornstarch + Essential Oil Powder

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup baking soda

• 1/2 cup cornstarch

• 10–15 drops peppermint or tea tree oil (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a container.

2. Add essential oil drops, mix thoroughly until evenly scented.

3. Sprinkle around affected areas.

🎯 Baking soda is mildly abrasive and drying; essential oils repel.

🧂 3. Borax + Baking Soda Powder (Aggressive Option)

Not recommended if pets/kids are present — borax can be toxic if ingested.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup borax

• 1/2 cup baking soda

Use:

• Dust into crevices and corners.

• Great behind heavy furniture or appliances where bugs travel but kids/pets don’t go.

Bonus Tip: DIY Powder Dispenser

Use an old spice shaker or a mason jar with a lid poked with small holes for easy, controlled dusting.

If you're using it on walls and carpet, your homemade version (with dish soap, carpet cleaner, and degreaser) is pretty solid — just go light on anything that could leave a residue or stain over time.

Here’s a quick tweak to keep it safe for walls and fabric:

🧼 Wall & Carpet-Safe Centipede Spray (Refined Version)

• 1 cup warm water

• 1 tbsp dish soap (gentle or clear kind is best)

• 1/4 cup white vinegar (optional for extra punch, but test first)

• 1 tbsp carpet cleaner

• A few drops of peppermint oil (if you have it)

Mix and lightly spray. Dab dry on fabric if needed.

🪞 For Walls:

• Avoid oils or degreasers that might strip paint or finish.

• Use microfiber cloth to wipe after spraying, if needed.

🧴 Pro Tip:

If you're applying around baseboards or cracks, follow up with a dry barrier like diatomaceous earth (food grade only!) — it's safe and deadly to crawling bugs.

If you ever want to turn this into a long-term bug barrier or trap method, I can help you with that too.

You're on the right track using carpet cleaner, degreaser, water, and dish soap — that combo can definitely kill centipedes by disrupting their outer layer and suffocating them. But if you want a stronger, still safe(ish) homemade centipede killer, here's a refined version:

💥 STRONG Homemade Centipede Killer Spray

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup white vinegar

• 1 tbsp dish soap

• 1 tbsp degreaser (like Simple Green or a citrus-based one)

• 10–15 drops peppermint or tea tree essential oil (optional but effective)

Optional: Add 1 tbsp rubbing alcohol for faster knockdown

Instructions:

1. Mix everything in a spray bottle.

2. Shake well before use.

3. Spray directly on centipedes to kill them, or along baseboards, under sinks, and corners to deter them.

🛑 Why it Works:

• Dish soap & degreaser: Break down the centipede’s waxy exoskeleton, causing dehydration and death.

• Vinegar & alcohol: Penetrate and irritate.

• Essential oils: Repel survivors and prevent more from coming in.

⚠️ Safety Notes:

• Avoid spraying this on delicate fabrics or untreated wood — test small spots first.

• Keep pets/kids away until areas are dry (especially if using essential oils or alcohol).

Would you like a powder version too (something you can leave behind in cracks or basements)?