How to Get Rid of Spiders Without Chemicals
You love the earth, but there’s no shame in wanting your house to be yours — no spiders allowed. Fortunately, you can combine both your organic leanings and your love of an insect-free home with the following natural ways and tips that will give your peace of mind in more ways that one. Learn natural ways to get rid of spiders without chemicals.
6 Natural Remedies & Tips for Spider Free Home:
1. Close the Door
The best way to get rid of spiders? Don’t let them in your home in the first place. Do a perimeter search of your property and get rid of piles of leaves or brush where spiders might try to make homes. Check around your windows and doors to pinpoint any cracks where they might be sneaking in. Finally, fill any holes you discover.
2. Keep It Clean
A regular cleaning regimen can work wonders if you’re dealing with unwanted spiders. It’s not that your house is unclean, but a more thorough cleaning — including dusting baseboards and crown moldings to eliminate any dust or spider webs — can deter insects.
3. The Cat’s Meow
No matter what kind of spider runs loose in your abode, you can rest assured it’s probably not a big fan of cats. A great way to get rid of spiders is to adopt a cat, preferably one that’s more proactive than lazy. Your cat will serve as your designated hunter, whether or not you’re home to tell it that there’s a spider on the loose. Cats have no qualms with chasing down insects and other unwanted pests.
4. Spray Goodbye
Strangely enough, spiders hate many scents that humans love, especially humans who love the smell of a clean house. One such example is peppermint. According to Safer Brand, spiders despise the scent, but we register it as something spicy and fresh. Use it to your advantage and fill a spray bottle with water and add peppermint essential oil. Spray it all over the house, especially in areas where spiders are prominent. No chemicals or cleaners are involved, and the spiders will not want to stick around.
5. Orange You Glad…
…that spiders hate the smell of citrus? It’s yet another fresh-smelling scent that you can use to your advantage. First, have your family eat a few oranges, or slice up a few lemons to make a refreshing pitcher of lemonade. Keep the rinds and rub them on the baseboards, moldings, and other surfaces in your home to keep spiders at bay. Or an organic, lemon-scented cleaner should deter them, too.
6. Cedar You Later, Spiders
Finally, you can use the scent of cedar to make your home resistible to spiders. This one’s a bit different, though, because it’s a scent that can be planted around the outside of your home as well. A cedar-chip perimeter might be enough to keep them away, and you can also stock your closet with cedar hangers and other naturally scented accessories. Like peppermint and citrus, this remedy will smell great to you, too — what’s a better solution than that?
Whenever you’re dealing with spiders or other dangerous insects around your home make sure you wear the correct safety gear including works boots, you can find out more about work boots at rateworkboots which offers boots for all types of work. Also gloves and sturdy long sleeve clothing is essential.
I would like to say Thank You for this quest post that was kindly provided By — “James White” is a kombucha tea-sipping writer who focuses on homesteading and sustainable living via his family blog Homey Improvement. He also writes about DIY projects, home tips and green building. Find him on Twitter at @DIYfolks.
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My mantra is, “You can live, but not in my house! If I see you in here, you will have to go!”
I take peppermint essential oil and add water…about 1/2 & 1/2. I use it for spiders, ants (it kills the tiny ants on contact, the larger ones take a bit more)…and any other insects I find in my home. Believe me, there are PLENTY!mMy house was built in 1945 and not well. the foundation is bad, and there is about a 2” space between the floor and wall on the west side I can see daylight and the ground through…..not to mention other areas where bugs can get through. No simply sealing ‘cracks’ up for this house! But considering, I have very few insects….just the now and then stray spider and every once in awhile, the ants begin coming in. I once had a swarm of ladybugs….about 3 million strong on the west side of the house and about 3,000 of them got in around windows…didn’t know about peppermint back then… They still try to hibernate here, I always have ladybug in the house, but they can’t find there way out and die off, mostly upstairs…sad. One day, I plan to plant peppermint around the house. Just need to be sure the bugs are all outside, I certainly don’t want to encourage them to stay inside the house!
Hi Carol,
I love your mantra! Glad to here to here that peppermint is working so well for you. I have peppermint planted around my house and it seems to deter them from coming near my house. Have a healthy happy blessed day.
Hi Carol! hahah that is a great mantra 🙂 Ironic, you mentioned your foundation, I’m actually in the mist of writing up a post on how to check if your foundation is solid or has cracks. Regarding pest control for cracks, have you tried a hand duster to puff in food grade DE? Wow!! Crazy ladybug story…well, you can have worst insect infestations.
Hi Marla,
When I was growing up I was deathly afraid of spiders but now I realize that they are one of nature’s gifts and I have learned to respect them. Still I don’t wait to see them around so thank you for sharing these wonderful, natural and scent-sational ways to have a spider free home with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Blog Hop. I’m pinning and sharing.
HI Deborah,
I don’t like spiders in my house but I too realize that they play a great role in our Nature’s balance. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Deborah, That’s why I love using peppermint or citrus oil to get rid of them because it doesn’t kill or harm the spiders, they just don’t like the smell so they stay away.
Spiders love my house, despite my best efforts to keep them out. (Plus my 7 cats!) Luckily, my husband is something of an “animal whisperer”, I guess I could call him – he always calmly catches the spiders and releases them outside, no harm done 🙂
Hi Kyra,
I don’t have a lot of trouble with spiders anymore since I been using peppermint and a commercial completely botanical spray that has peppermint in it. We use with a the botanical spray in a fogger and spray in around the whole outside perimeters of the house plus I use peppermint periodically – I love the smell of it and it keeps my house fresh. It seems to really keep them away. Thanks for reading and commenting on my article. Have a healthy happy blessed weekend! Marla
I’m going to have to try the peppermint. I had to buy some oil for a testing thing I was doing (How to Clean Long-Term Stains Out of Your Microwave…I tried 15 ways and found 1 that worked…but it worked great!). Anyway, have had nothing else to use the oil for. I think I’m going to try this.
My grandma used to put ugli fruit around the house. Apparently that works too.
Jennie
p.s. Found you via Lou Lou Girls “Fabulous Party.”
Hi Jennie,
Thanks for reading my article and commenting. Thanks for the info about the ugli fruit – I had never heard that before. Have a healthy happy blessed day! Marla
Hi jennie!! Which way worked? Let me know what oils you have, I might be able to suggest some additional uses 🙂
Great tips! I have spotted 2 house centipedes recently, they have to be the SCARIEST things I have ever seen. I don’t think there harmful just frightening.
Hi Matt,
I don’t like centipedes either, but I dislike like spiders more. Have always had a phobia of them.
James, the peppermint did work on the stink bugs. They have stopped eating my berries and none have come in the house since I sprayed.
Awesome!! It’s good to know they work for stink bugs as well 🙂
Great to hear Lois!! Did the peppermint oil work for stink bugs as well?
I have a problem with stink bugs and was told to use peppermint essential oil. I also started to find pincer bugs in the house after a lot of rain but I didn’t think I had a spider problem. As I began to spray the essential oil around the threshold of the exterior door bot pls pincer bug and a spider took off running for the outside.
While my reason for trying the essential oils was for stink bugs I am thrilled to see the other bugs that would rather avoid it and have shared my oil with family and even the neighbors.
Hi Lois,
Spiders seem to be every where and the peppermint really does help can keep them away among other unwanted insects. Thanks for reading my article and commenting. Have a healthy happy blessed day!