If you’re desperately seeking advice on how to keep spiders out of your house, you’ve likely had it with these eight-legged critters sneaking in whenever they feel like it. Your home is, after all, your home, and you have every right to keep it spider-free!
But if you’re not willing to use any harmful chemicals such as raid, what should you use instead?
Don’t worry, there are plenty of chemical-free solutions for you to try out, and you can read about them right here. What’s more, you’ll also find some great tips on how to prevent spiders from re-entering your home.
Why Do Spiders Come Inside the House?
In order to find a solution for how to keep spiders out of your house, you will first need to get an idea of why they come inside in the first place. It’s kind of like this ― in order to get rid of a spider, you have to think like a spider. So here’s what you need to know.
House Spiders
One of the most commonly found house spiders is called the Parasteatoda tepidariorum. It originates from North America but can be found all around the world.
This type of house spider can spend its entire life indoors. It will find itself a cozy, secluded place where no one will disturb its web to lay its eggs.
Over time, these egg sacs will spread around your home. As for the spiders, they will continue to mate and live in your home for the entirety of their lives.
Outdoor Spiders
Unlike indoor spiders, outdoor spiders typically don’t spend their entire lives inside. They will enter your home through any crack they can find and then look for a place to set up a web. But what attracts these eight-legged critters to the indoors?
Ultimately, there isn’t just one reason. What’s more, different spiders need different living environments. For example, your basement may have the perfect amount of moisture a spider needs to survive. On the other hand, spiders in need of a dry environment may find a perfect hideaway spot inside your air vents or in your attic.
And another thing; spiders will typically choose cluttered, secluded spaces where they can easily find food and water. Namely, the clutter will help keep its web hidden, which is why you’ll usually find plenty of spider webs in garages, attics, sheds, basements, light fixtures, etc.
So to summarize, outdoor spiders are attracted to the indoors for the same reason humans are; it’s more comfortable inside.
How to Keep Spiders Out of Your House
And now, the part you’ve been waiting for; how to keep spiders out of your house 101!
This section will be divided into two parts:
1. How to keep spiders out of your house: natural repellents
2. How to keep spiders out of your house: other deterrents
Some of these tips will come in handy for those of you whose homes are already infested with spiders. Others will tell you how to keep spiders out of your house once you get rid of them.
How to Keep Spiders Out of Your House: Natural Repellents
The safest sprays are the ones made with natural ingredients. However, you never know what you’re going to get with store-bought products. Ultimately, making your own spray is your best bet.
If you don’t know where to even begin, here are some of the most effective spider repellents to make at home.
#1. Citrus Spray
Image source: Pinterest
You may not know this, but spiders detest citrus fruits such as lemon and grapefruit. Ultimately, since lemons are a bit more affordable, you may want to consider using them to make this spray.
Essentially, you will need a couple of lemons, some distilled water, and an empty spray bottle. Squeeze the lemons and mix the lemon juice with water. Add the mixture to the spray bottle and shake it.
You can now spray your entire home with this mixture as the smell isn’t too overpowering (unless you’re a spider, of course). Just remember to take special care to get all the nooks and crannies where those pesky spiders tend to hide.
However, if you find that the spray isn’t effective enough, you can use citrus essential oil instead of lemon juice. Ultimately, essential oils are far more pungent, so if you don’t mind the smell, go for it.
Just swap the lemons for 10 drops of citrus essential oil and spray.
#2. Lemon Peel
If making a citrus spray feels like too much work, there is a simpler way to get rid of spiders using lemons. All you have to do is peel a lemon and rub it on the problem areas. Make sure to rub it on your window sills, on bookshelves, countertops, etc.
If your furniture has metal pieces, it would be a good idea to rub some lemon peel onto it for extra measure.
Since spiders can’t stand the smell and taste of lemons, this is the perfect weapon!
#3. Peppermint Spray
Image source: Pinterest
Spiders loathe the smell of peppermint essential oil. This could be because of the monoterpenoids found in peppermint oil which act like natural fumigants against spiders. On the other hand, it could just be because of the overpowering smell. But regardless of why, you can use this to your advantage!
Here’s what you need to make homemade peppermint oil spider repellent:
• Peppermint essential oil (10 drops)
• Dish soap (¼ Tbsp)
• Distilled water (12 oz)
Mix the ingredients together and add them to a spray bottle. Shake it well, then spray all the problem areas. And if you don’t mind the smell, spray the uninfested areas as well.
#4. DIY Spider Repellent Concoction
If peppermint, citrus, and lavender aren’t as effective as you had hoped for, then try making this spider-repellent concoction!
It basically combines all the aforementioned ingredients, with the addition of dish soap and vinegar. Here is what you will need:
• Peppermint essential oil (10 drops)
• Lavender essential oil (10 drops)
• Any brand of dish soap (1 Tbsp)
• White vinegar (1 cup)
Mix these ingredients together and add 1 ½ cups of water. Then, pour everything into an empty spray bottle and spray the areas around your windows, doorways, shelving units, etc. Try to cover all the areas you think are necessary.
The spray should essentially kill any spiders that are already in your home, but it should also deter any spiders from entering it in the first place.
The spray should essentially kill any spiders that are already in your home, but it should also deter any spiders from entering it in the first place.
#5. Coconut Oil and Vinegar Spray
Image source: Pinterest
Another thing most people don’t know is that coconut oil acts as an amazing spider repellent! Mix ½ a cup of melted coconut oil with 1 cup of vinegar and add to a spraying bottle. You can also use this mixture to spray onto spider-infested plants.
However, don’t spray pure coconut oil onto your plants, or else they will die. Only do so if you added the said amount of vinegar.
#6. Eucalyptus, Lavender and Vodka Spray
Image source: Pinterest
The strong smell of eucalyptus mixed with the soft tones of lavender makes a killer spider repellent. Add a bit of vodka to the mix and those critters are as good as gone! You will need:
• Eucalyptus oil (5 drops)
• Lavender oil (5 drops)
• Vodka (2 tsp)
• Water (6 oz)
Mix the ingredients and pour them into the bottle and spray the infested areas of your home.
#7. Diatomaceous Earth
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Diatomaceous earth is essentially a natural silica compound made from the fossilized remains of minuscule aquatic organisms, also known as diatoms.
Ultimately, this compound can kill fleas, cockroaches, ticks, bed bugs, crickets, and most importantly spiders.
The way it works is that once an insect ingests this compound, the pest will eventually dehydrate and die. Ominous as it may sound, diatomaceous earth basically absorbs all the oils and fats from the exoskeleton of the insect.
All you have to do is apply the powder to the spider-infested areas of your home. Better yet, the first time you use it add it to every corner and even under your bed for good measure.
Within a few days, any unlucky spider residing in your home will have dried out and died.
Afterward, you can use a vacuum to get rid of the powder and reapply it if needed.
Also worth noting is that you can make your own diatomaceous earth spray. You will need:
• Diatomaceous earth (8 tbs)
• Water (2 cups)
Inevitably, the powder will sink to the bottom of the spray bottle, so make sure to shake it well each time before using it.
#8. Cinnamon as a Repellent
Of all the different smells mentioned in this article, cinnamon may be the most pleasant one. But more importantly, it will keep the spiders away.
The most obvious choice would be to purchase some cinnamon candles. However, apart from making your house smell amazing, a candle won’t do much to repel spiders.
What you should do is buy some cinnamon quills. You can find these in most supermarkets. and the quills will be effective for a few months.
Position the quills on countertops, on your window sills, on bookshelves, etc. The smell won’t bother you (unless you’re not a fan of cinnamon) but it will send any rogue spiders packing!
And another positive thing about using cinnamon as a spider repellent is that it’s non-toxic for humans and pets. So if your furry companion happens to lick the cinnamon quill, you have nothing to worry about.
#9. Turmeric as a Repellent
Just like cinnamon, turmeric can act as a spider repellent. It’s also a common ingredient, so you may already have some in your home, likely in the form of a powder. You can sprinkle some on your countertops, and thanks to its pungent smell and taste, the spiders will immediately flee the scene.
Furthermore, you can make some turmeric paste to spread around in the infested areas. Just mix the powder with a few drops of water until it has a paste-like consistency.
However, keep in mind that turmeric is yellow, which means you shouldn’t use it on your walls or floors. Countertops and similar surfaces are easy to wipe down so that should be fine.
Additionally, you could sprinkle some outside in order to discourage spiders from getting too close to your home.
#10. Baking Soda as a Repellent
Unlike turmeric, baking soda is white, thus it won’t stain your furniture, floors, or walls. Feel free to sprinkle some baking soda onto your window sills, in kitchen corners, on bookshelves, etc.
Important to note is that baking soda will not kill the spiders, but rather drive them away from your home.
#11. Horse Chestnuts as Spider Repellant
Image source: Pinterest
Horse chestnuts have some noxious chemicals that apparently work great as a spider repellant. Place one in each corner of your house, as well as in areas where you frequently find spider webs.
To make this more effective, you could poke some holes in the horse chestnuts to release more of the scent.
How to Keep Spiders Out of Your House: Other Deterrent
#12. Declutter Your Home
As you may recall from reading the section about why spiders like to come inside, these critters are huge fans of cluttered spaces. Jumbled bookshelves, messy attics, are all places you’re bound to find a spider web.
But the thing is, spiders don’t choose these places because of the clutter, but rather because they’re not regularly cleaned. For example, how often do you dust and vacuum a disarranged bookshelf? Likely not very often. But if you were to keep your shelves tidy, you’d probably also make sure to dust them every week.
The same goes for any cluttered area. So if you’re interested in how to keep spiders out of your house, you will need to make it a clutter-free zone.
#13. Use Cleaning Supplies to Keep Your Home Clean
Once you declutter your home, the next step is to establish a regular cleaning schedule. This typically means dusting, wiping, and vacuuming once a week.
Keep in mind that you should always use cleaning supplies when wiping down your bookshelves, countertops, etc. If you don’t want to use chemicals, feel free to use one of the homemade sprays such as the citrus spray.
Also, always remember to vacuum the corners in every room, as well as the door frames and window sills.
#14. Install a Door Sweep
Image source: Pinterest
Spiders have a knack for crawling through the tiniest holes. So you can imagine how easy it is for them to slip in under your front door. That’s why installing a door sweep is a great way to keep all critters from entering your home. It will seal the gap between the bottom of the door and the threshold.
What’s more, it’s not difficult to DIY:
First, measure the door from inside your home. Then, mark the length of your door onto the door sweep and cut the door sweep with a utility knife.
Position the door sweep onto your door and mark the screw positions. Make sure that the flexible part of the door sweep is slightly touching the top part of the threshold.
Finally, drill the holes and secure the door sweep with screws.
You can find plenty of door sweeps on Amazon.
#15. Seal up Your Home
Spiders are masters at getting through the tiniest of cracks, so it’s time to give your home a thorough inspection. If you happen to find any holes or cracks, you should immediately patch them up with caulk.
For reference, use caulk to fill in any gaps between closed windows and doors, apply some around cables, wires, faucets, and any electrical components.
Another place you should definitely close up is your chimney. You can do so with a mesh insect screen.
#16. Water and Bleach Spray
Bleach is something most people have in their homes, which is why this method is quite popular. Essentially, you’ll need to combine water and bleach and pour the mixture into a spray bottle. But unlike natural repellents, you should purchase a bleach sprayer rather than use a regular plastic spray bottle.
When spraying the first time, you likely won’t need more than a gallon of bleach.
Make sure to follow the instructions on the bleach bottle, and always use cold water to make the mixture. Mixing hot water and bleach can end up creating harmful chlorine gas.
But before you start spraying, remember to put on some protective gloves and goggles as bleach can harm your skin and eyes. Finally, give the spider-infested areas a healthy dose of bleach spray.
All in all, if you’re not averse to using chemicals in your home, this concoction is quite the spider-killer, so definitely give it a try.
#17. Wash Fruit
Fruit won’t attract spiders, but it will attract flies and other small insects (grapes and other sweet fruits are quite appealing to them). Since spiders eat these small insects, they will weave their webs around your fruit bowl to trap their prey.
Notably, organic fruit is most likely to attract insects, which is why you should always wash it as soon as you bring it home from the store.
Even better, keep the fruit in a cupboard or somewhere where small insects aren’t likely to gather.
How to Keep Spiders Out of Your House: DIY Spider Trap
If you’re not a fan of sprays and powders, perhaps a DIY spider trap is more up your alley.
The simplest way to make one is to use some supplies you have at home.
Furthermore, this is not only quick, but it’s also a humane way to get a spider out of your house. So to summarize, you will need:
• A transparent jar or glass
• A thin piece of cardboard (something like a takeaway menu)
You’ll also need some patience and nerves of steel, so hopefully, you’re equipped with both!
As soon as you see your target, trap it under the jar or glass. Then, slip the cardboard underneath the jar. This will keep the spider trapped while you take it outside.
Keep in mind that you will need to release the spider as far away from your home as you can, so as to discourage it from re-entering it.
How to Keep Spiders Out of Your House: Bedroom Edition
So you’ve gotten rid of the spiders in your basement, attic, kitchen, etc, but you’re still afraid of finding one in your bed. Or even worse, you found a spider bite on your body this morning, and you could swear it wasn’t there last night!
Unfortunately, it’s pretty likely that you have a spider hiding somewhere around your bed. So, what should you do?
First, follow these steps.
Step 1: Empty Out Your Bedroom
Remove everything you can from your room. Just leave the things you’re unable to move such as your bed, dresser, etc.
If you have any rugs or carpets, try to remove them as well. The same thing goes for curtains.
Finally, remove all the sheets and pillows from your bed, and leave it as bare as possible.
Step 2: Vacuum Every Nook and Cranny
Once you’ve removed everything you can from your bedroom, it’s time to get out your trusty vacuum. Give the entire room a once-over, and make sure to thoroughly vacuum every nook and cranny.
Also, if possible, vacuum your mattress.
Step 3: Clean Your Bed Frame
Wipe your bed frame using the proper cleaning supplies. Again, you can use a homemade citrus spray instead of a chemical one, if you prefer.
If possible, lift your bed and wipe the bottom part of it as well.
Step 4: Wash All Your Sheets and Pillow Cases
Before you put back your pillows and sheets, make sure to wash them. The same goes for anything else you removed from your room, for example, curtains, rugs, etc.
Step 5: Move Your Bed
Most people tend to place their beds against a wall. If this is the case with your bed, consider moving it a few inches away from said wall. This will prevent spiders from making webs across your bed frame.
Step 6: Add a Few “Traps”
This part is optional, but pretty useful if you’re adamant about keeping spiders out of your bed.
Fill up some cups or containers with water, and place them under your bed. This will deter spiders and other critters from climbing onto your bed.
Note: If your bed isn’t elevated, consider lifting it a few inches off the floor.
If you want to take it a step further, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the water. Alternatively, you can light a citrus candle from time to time. However, make sure not to leave the candle unattended, and don’t fall asleep while it’s still burning.
How to Keep Spiders Away From Your Bedroom for Good
After you’re done cleaning your bedroom, the best way to keep spiders away from good is to keep it clean. Vacuum and dust regularly, and always check the corners of your room for spiderwebs.
But most importantly, if you’re prone to snacking in your bed, it’s time to kick that habit for good!
Spiders will set up their webs near food sources, so basically, wherever there are crumbs. In fact, keep all food and drinks (apart from water) away from your bedroom entirely.
Air Out the Room Regularly
Spiders generally prefer dark, cozy places. That’s why you should air out your bedroom every day. This will also help rid your room of any excess moisture.
Also, leave the curtains open whenever you can in order to let as much light in as possible.
How To Keep Spiders Out of Your House: Patio Edition
Having a patio is great, but what’s not so great is having to deal with incessant spiders all the time.
During the wintertime, when you’re less likely to use your patio, spiders will make their homes on your furniture every chance they get!
Here are a few suggestions for how to keep them away.
Clean the Patio Furniture
Once patio season comes to an end (when the weather gets colder) make sure to hose down all the furniture. Give it a thorough scrub with some soap and water, and let it dry. Then, wipe it down with some cleaning liquids.
Note: If you’re going for natural repellents, it may be a good idea to choose some of the stronger options such as the DIY spider repellent concoction. This will keep the critters away for longer so you don’t have to clean the furniture several times a month.
Buy Some Furniture Covers
Furniture covers can come in quite handy when it comes to protecting your furniture from the cold weather. But, can it help with spiders?
Obviously, putting these covers will keep the spiders away from the furniture itself, but what’s stopping them from making a web on the covers? The answer is simple: homemade spider repellent.
However, if you don’t want to ruin the covers, avoid using sprays with essential oils. Instead, go for the citrus spray.
Turn the Lights Off on Your Patio
Although spiders are constantly on the lookout for dark places, it’s not a good idea to leave a light on your patio during the nighttime. Small insects such as moths, flies, and mosquitos will gather around the light source which will encourage spiders to make their webs in those spots.
Bring Your Furniture Inside
If you have enough space, bring your patio furniture inside. You could keep it in your garage, or somewhere where it won’t take up too much room. But before you do so, make sure to thoroughly clean it, and apply some homemade repellent on it.
How to Keep Spiders Out of Your House: Getting Rid of Spider Eggs
So now that you know how to keep spiders out of your house, what about getting rid of spider eggs?
Yes, inevitably, with spiders come spider eggs. What’s more, the longer your home is infested, the more eggs you’ll need to deal with.
Furthermore, if you’re not careful you could end up spreading the eggs all around your home. Needless to say, having hundreds of tiny spiders crawling all over your house is nothing short of a nightmare!
Luckily, dealing with this problem isn’t difficult and won’t require any special tools.
Method 1: Get Rid of the Eggs with a Vacuum
Step 1: Locate the Spider Eggs
Check every window sill, doorframe, and bookshelf first, as these are the places where spiders typically make their webs.
Once you locate the spider eggs (they’ll look like tiny balls on the spider web), leave everything as is.
Step 2: Spray the Web
Spray the spider web with bleach or vinegar if you prefer. And don’t be stingy. This will destroy the eggs instantly.
You can also use hairspray if you have any at hand, as this will “freeze” the entire web along with the spiders and spider eggs.
Step 3: Vacuum
Get out your trusty vacuum and use the suction to suck up the entirety of the web. Remember to immediately empty the contents of the vacuum into the trash.
Method 2: Dispose of the Eggs With a Kitchen Roll
If you’re not willing to fill up your vacuum with spider eggs, then you’ll probably prefer this method.
Use a kitchen roll to carefully dislodge the egg-filled spider web. Since this is a bit more tricky to do without making the spiders scuttle away, it’s best to spray the web with hairspray, bleach, or vinegar first.
Scoop up the web into the kitchen roll, and quickly put everything into a bag and tie it. Dispose of this bag immediately, don’t leave it in your home so as not to risk any surviving spiders getting out.
Are Spiders Dangerous?
So now you’ve learned how to keep spiders out of your house. But are spiders dangerous? Should you be worried about one biting you while you try to get rid of it?
Namely, Parasteatoda tepidariorum and other house spiders don’t pose a threat to humans. Ultimately, the only time a house spider will bite you is if it feels threatened.
But just because these spiders aren’t dangerous, doesn’t mean you need to let them live in your home. Even if you’re not squeamish, walking through a spider web can be quite a nuisance.
On the other hand, spiders such as black widows and brown recluses are less common, yet they can cause symptoms such as increased blood pressure, fever, and nausea. So again, nothing life-threatening, but still unpleasant.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, there are three types of people in the world: arachnophobes, arachnophiles, and those who don’t really have any particular feelings towards spiders. But regardless of which category you fall into, no one likes a house full of spiders.
It’s true that spiders are nature’s creatures, and they have their purpose in the world. They’re incredibly important when it comes to keeping harmful insects such as mosquitos in check. But even with all of that in mind, encountering one of these creepy crawlies at night is anything but pleasant!
So if you’re ready to solve your critter problem, these tips and tricks on how to keep spiders out of your house will help you get rid of them for good.
