How To Get Rid Of Spider Webs

Spiders offer many benefits to the environment and even households, including choosing pesky pests like cockroaches, mosquitoes, and flies for their main courses. One side effect of allowing spiders to cohabitate in the same living space, however, is delicate, silky webs that make your home look like a haunted house. No one wants these webs cluttering up the crevices and empty spaces of their home, so knowing how to get rid of spider webs will help.

In most cases, these solutions are easy to do on your own, without the need to call an exterminator. Beyond the many cleaning tips and methods available for removing these webs from your household, you may also want to use a DIY spider web spray to keep these web residents from returning and rebuilding.

A natural spider web repellent will keep spiders from reconstructing their homes without harming them. Some repellents are even as simple as using fragrances spiders hate. These 11 cleaning hacks will get you started.

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Spider Web Cleaning Tips You Need
- 1. Clean Spider Webs Frequently and Regularly
- 2. Use a Cleaning Tool with a Long Extension
- 3. Clean Along the Outside of the House
- 4. How to Get Rid of Spider Webs with Caulk
- 5. Dissolve the Web with a Cleaning Solution
DIY Spider Web Spray Repellents and Preventative Measures
- 6. Try Peppermint Oil for Pest Control
- 7. Experiment with Other Essential Oils to Repel Spiders
- 8. Make a DIY Spider Web Spray with Vinegar
- 9. Use a Spider Web Repellent Made from Citronella
When to Call a Professional for Spider Webs
- 10. For Spider Phobias, Call a Professional Exterminator
- 11. For Infestations, Call an Exterminator

Spider Web Cleaning Tips You Need

So why do spiders make webs in the first place and where do spiders come from that decide they want to live in your house? Spiders look to live in areas where a food supply is abundant. Their intricate little web masterpieces are constructed purely for the use of catching prey. On some occasions, the spiders will even tear down the webs and eat them, either to recover lost energy or to save themselves from being seen by predators.

Not all spiders make webs, though. Wolf spiders, for example, are among the species of spiders that use alternative methods to hunt down their prey. Common household spiders that do use webs are listed below.

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Common Web-Building Spiders in the U.S.

American House Spider
Brown Recluse
Hobo Spider
Cellar Spiders, or Daddy Longlegs
Black Widow
Orb Weaver Spiders

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These spiders create cobwebs inside the home, in basements, or even outside on porches. Removing these webs may also save yourself a few spider bites, especially any that cause serious side effects or lesions.

While all spiders transmit a little venom when they bite, they are not always lethal and don't even cause a reaction unless the person is allergic. Spiders like a Brown Recluse, the Black Widow, and the Hobo Spider are the most venomous, however, and you should take extra care when ridding your home of these spiders.

1. Clean Spider Webs Frequently and Regularly

One simple and easy way to dissuade spiders from building their webs in your home is to clean them with more frequency. If you knock down those pesky little webs once a month after they've started to collect dust, you may want to consider increasing that time to once a week.

Most spiders take only an hour to make their webs, which means they could be living in their new webs, undisturbed, for a month before you knock them back down again. Spiders want clear, untouched areas that won't be repeatedly disturbed by humans or animals. Dusting these areas more often will discourage spiders from building there in the first place.

2. Use a Cleaning Tool with a Long Extension

The last thing you want to do when cleaning a spider web is getting anywhere near it. In some cases, the webs are already too far out of your reach anyway.

The best solution for both circumstances is to use a cleaning tool with a long extension pole, such as a broom, duster, or vacuum cleaner for getting rid of a spider nest in out of the way locations.

When using a broom, brush the broom bristles across the area with the cobweb and swipe them away. This is especially helpful when you are cleaning high ceilings, or along the edges of porches. If using a vacuum cleaner to suck up those wispy webs, use the extender cleaning attachment.

This attachment allows you to clear away webs and any accumulating dust drawn toward abandoned webs. For both, always clean the vacuum piece or bristles when finished to prevent spreading spiders or sticky pieces of cobwebs to other parts of the house. These methods also limit any hand-to-web interactions, which may result in a nasty spider bite.

3. Clean Along the Outside of the House

When cleaning those nooks and crannies inside the home, remember to get rid of spider webs outside. Porches and areas with overhangs, like window sills and awnings, are perfect places for spiders to spin webs. Not only are they out in the open, where spiders roam freely, but they also provide spiders with protection from mild weather conditions.

Keeping the areas around the house clear of spiders will also prevent them from taking the extra leap into your home. Clearing spider webs from these areas can be a little bit trickier, especially since some regions may require using a ladder to clean. For those areas that can't be cleaned with a broom, one option is to use a hose.

Just like you were washing the dirt off the side of your house, a powerful stream of water from your hose will do the trick with spider webs. This burst of water reaches most areas of your house and is also a good practice of regular home maintenance.

4. How to Get Rid of Spider Webs with Caulk

While caulking may not be your traditional method of house cleaning, it is one of the most fantastic home remedies to keep spiders away. Spiders slip into your home through small nooks and crevices caused by weathering or even normal wear and tear. Their access to your home in the first place is what allows these cobwebs to accumulate indoors.

Sealing all open spaces with caulk will keep spiders out of your home and force them to make their webs somewhere else.When using this method, search for cracks or open spaces in your basement or the lowest floor of your home.

Also, check along the foundation on the outside of your house. Any opening should be sealed to prevent spiders from entering and making their webs, saving you hours of cleaning in the long run.

5. Dissolve the Web with a Cleaning Solution

If you want to prevent those spider webs from clinging to the end of your broom, one great way to get rid of them is to use a cleaning solution. Cleaning products like white vinegar and coconut oil break down the fine, sticky strands of the spider web and completely dissolve them.

With just a few sprays, this method eliminates the need to remove the web from between the bristles or clean the end of your vacuum attachment.

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Vinegar and Coconut Spider Web Spray

½ oz of coconut oil
1 quart of white vinegar
A spray bottle
Washcloth

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This solution is relatively easy to create and only requires mixing the ingredients in a large spray bottle. To use, spray the area with the solution and wait for the web to dissolve. Afterward, clear any excess moisture and particles with a clean washcloth.

DIY Spider Web Spray Repellents and Preventative Measures

While cleaning away the cobwebs will stop the immediate issue of having them draped from one end of the household to the next, you may need to go to the source of the problem. Spiders construct their webs quickly, with many of them already taking down their webs and rebuilding them each morning as a daily routine.

So what do you do when the webs continue to pop up, day after day? Sometimes repelling the spiders themselves is your best option. Luckily, there are plenty of repellents to make it happen.

6. Try Peppermint Oil for Pest Control

One of the best ways to keep cobwebs from forming in your home is to get rid of spiders completely. After using a natural spider repellent recipe that includes peppermint essential oil, these troublesome arachnids will think twice before building a web in your home, as they dislike the fragrance that we humans enjoy.

Peppermint is one of those highly potent smells that keeps most insects away, including ants, cockroaches, and, of course, spiders. Some other essential oil fragrances you can try to deter spiders from entering your home are listed here.

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Essentials Oil Smells to Repel Spiders

Tea tree oil
Eucalyptus oil
Lemon essential oils
Lavender
Cedar oil
Cinnamon

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While all of these scents works as a natural, non-toxic way to keep spiders and their webs out of your home, the most common scent is still peppermint. There are several ways to use this method. The first is by placing the peppermint oil in a spray bottle and diluting it with water.

Spray the cobwebs, or any entry points you suspect the spiders are entering from, with the peppermint spray. An alternative is to apply a few drops of peppermint oil on cotton balls and leave them in the same entry points to repel the spiders before they enter your home.

7. Experiment with Other Essential Oils to Repel Spiders

So you don't like peppermint? Fortunately, there are several different options to choose from when it comes to fragrances that spiders hate. Most citrus smells, including lime, lemon, and orange, will keep spiders far, far away.

Lavender is another noxious smell, which is just too overwhelming for the spiders to withstand. Using these two fragrances together creates an excellent web dissolving spray, as well as a natural spider repellent.

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Essential Oil Web Dissolving Spray

10 drops of lemon essential oil
10 drops of lavender oil
½ tsp of dish soap
1 cup of water
A spray bottle

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Shake the ingredients in your spray bottle thoroughly before using it. Spray the area and let it soak. If you are cleaning along the side of the house, there's little need to wipe the area clean. The spray will break down the web, and the smell will keep most pests away. This solution even works as a natural gnat remedy.

8. Make a DIY Spider Web Spray with Vinegar

Another easy-to-use solution involves apple cider vinegar. Just as with other strong smells, vinegar is one of those odors that completely turns spiders away. This repellent and cleaning spray will keep spiders from dwelling in the corners of your home.

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Vinegar Spider Repellent

1 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of oil
1 cup of pepper
1 tsp of liquid dish soap

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This solution works in two different ways. The first is by adding the ingredients in a cup. Leave the container in an area of the home where cobwebs are common. For example, you may want to set it at entry points in your basement or wherever spiders have built webs in the past.

The second is to spray the entry points or areas where cobwebs are prevalent. In both circumstances, the scent will drive the spiders away, leaving you with less of a mess to clean.

9. Use a Spider Web Repellent Made from Citronella

Citronella remains one of the best insect repellents out there. Derived from the lemongrass plant, the active ingredient citronella keeps away fleas, mosquitoes, and spiders. Scented candles made from citronella also act as a homemade gnat catcher, stopping these insects from entering your home once they smell this powerful fragrance.

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DIY Citronella Spider Web Repellent

1 quart of water
5 drops of citronella oil
3 drops of dish soap
A spray bottle

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Beyond using a candle outdoors, creating a natural repellent from citronella will also prevent spiders from constructing webs in and around your home. Mixing the ingredients in a large spray bottle, shake the bottle well, and spray the areas where spider webs often appear. Spray both inside and outside of your home to keep spiders away.

When to Call a Professional for Spider Webs

Not every situation will allow you to handle the spider web removal on your own. Even after cleaning the webs themselves and setting out repellents to keep spiders away, you may still need to call a professional for larger infestations and for killing spiders that live within your home.

While a professional exterminator could set you back a couple of hundred dollars, it may be worth it if you encounter any of these conditions.

10. For Spider Phobias, Call a Professional Exterminator

Even with all their beneficial qualities, spiders continue to elicit fear in most homeowners. Whether due to a misunderstanding of the species, a phobia of spiders, or having been bitten before, removing spiders and their webs may not be as easy for some homeowners as it is for others.

Some people have a phobia known as arachnophobia, which is a debilitating fear of spiders.While many of us may find spiders unappealing and avoid them, we are still able to sweep the spider out the door or clear the area they are inhabiting.

Arachnophobia, on the other hand, increases these fears to a level that prevents the person from performing even the most basic tasks. If you have arachnophobia and are unable to clean cobwebs yourself, you may need to call a professional exterminator for help with spider control.

11. For Infestations, Call an Exterminator

Another reason to call a professional in is when you have an infestation that you are unable to control with basic procedures. If you are continually cleaning spider webs from corners, and repellents aren't keeping the spiders at bay, you may have a more significant problem than just a few stray spiders.

While we don't always see the number of spiders in our home, these indicators are evidence of a more prominent, underlying problem.In some cases, the source of the spider infestation may not even be the spiders themselves. Spiders come into, or around, the home in search of a food source, namely cockroaches, flies, and other small insects.

When they find these yummy little morsels, they set up shop and continue to hunt down their prey until the food source dries up. An increase in spider webs and spiders may indicate an infestation of these meal tickets instead. Either way, calling in a professional to take a look at the situation will save you hours of unnecessary time clearing porches and ceilings in an endless cycle.

By now, you are probably saying, "I'm ready to take back my house!" Those cobwebs are a thing of the past with these simple solutions.

Not only are these tips easy to use, but they provide natural ways to remove spider webs without eliminating these beneficial creatures from the surrounding environment. All that is left for you to do is choose your favorite option and get started!

We hope you have enjoyed the many spider web repellent ideas and tips to keep cobwebs from creeping their way into your homes. If learning about getting rid of spider webs was informative, don't forget to help your friends and family by sharing how to get rid of spider webs on Facebook and Pinterest.