Keep spiders out of home with two-ingredient spray that ‘actually works’

Spider mating season is an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare. It happens every year, but still manages to catch us out. When the weather starts turning colder, typically in early September and peaking in October, spiders tend to leave their outdoor webs in search of a warm, dry place to find a mate.

And your home is the perfect place. This means you might see more spiders in your home than usual, as they come into your home in search for females. But luckily, there are several things you can do to try to prevent them coming in, and keep them out.

Online content creator and cleaning enthusiast Carolina Maccauley has shared a “two-ingredient spider spray that actually works”. And best of all, it has “no chemicals, no weird smells”.

In a video uploaded to TikTok, which was shared with her 2.9million followers, Carolina McCauley recommended taking two cups of water and 30 drops of peppermint oil, and putting it in a spray bottle. “Shake well before each use,” she added.

Once you’ve made the concoction, Carolina recommends spraying “around windows, doors and baseboards” as well as “doorways, corners and behind furniture”.

Carolina explained: “Spiders hate the smell of peppermint.” The good thing about this solution is that it’s cost-effective, and doesn’t require you to use any harsh chemicals.

However, you might not want to use this method if you have pets. Many essential oils, such as peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree oil can be toxic to them.

An alternative method is mixing equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and using it on entry points, cracks and corners can discourage spiders from entering. White vinegar contains acetic acid, which spiders are extremely sensitive to.

Other ways of preventing spiders from entering home

Other ways you can consider preventing spiders from entering home is to seal entry points, by making sure there are no cracks, gaps and holes around doors, windows or walls.

Reducing outdoor lighting can also help, as spiders are attracted to insects, which are srawn to lights. It can also help to keep your home clean by vacuuming regularly, removing cobwebs as soon as you see them, and decluttering storage areas.

Because spiders eat insects, you should remove the sources of foods these are attracted to, by cleaning up crumbs and keeping food sealted. Take the bins out regularly, and keep them sealed.