Instagrammer shares easy DIY hack for keeping spiders out of your home

This story was written by Mary Swansburg and originally appeared on The Cool Down.

Spiders are good to have around — they eat disease-carrying pests like mosquitoes and flies — but an overabundance of them usually isn’t ideal. Luckily, this all-natural “spider spray” will keep them away without using any toxic chemicals. 

The scoop 

Health tech and DIY advocate Kamana Bhaskaran (@kamanabhaskaran) posted an Instagram Reel featuring a simple, two-ingredient spider spray that takes under five minutes to make. 

The recipe requires a spray bottle with water and a few drops of peppermint essential oils. Once shaken up, the mixture can be sprayed along the outside of the house, baseboards, windows, door frames, and in corners. 

Spiders and other insects, including ticks, roaches and flies, don’t like the smell of peppermint oil — making it the perfect repellant. 

“No more spiders!” Bhaskaran exclaims at the end of her video. 

How it’s helping 

It’s important to note that if you have a pet, essential oils can be toxic for them, so you’ll need to make sure that the oils you’re using are safe for your four-legged friends.

If you don’t have pets or have one that isn’t bothered by essential oils, this hack is not only simple and more affordable than pest spray, but its main ingredient — peppermint oil — is a multipurpose household item, too. 

Peppermint oil can be used in DIY household and mold cleaners as well as air fresheners, so even if this recipe only calls for a small amount, the rest won’t go to waste. 

Plus, peppermint oil won’t damage your furniture or upholstery and doesn’t contain toxic chemicals like other pest sprays do. 

Pest sprays often contain pyrethroids — a specific group of chemicals known to repel insects but also cause dizziness, headaches, and nausea in humans. These chemicals are toxic for many pets and mammals as well as pose a deadly threat to fish and aquatic life. 

What everyone’s saying 

The need for a simple spider hack became obvious in the comments, which were full of viewers who expressed gratitude for the tip. “Needed this. Thank you!” said one, while another added, “I need to make this ASAP.” 

Some other commenters could attest to the hack’s success. “This really does work! I love the smell as well!” wrote one user. 

This story was written by Mary Swansburg and originally appeared on The Cool Down.