My Mom’s Solution for Keeping Spiders Out of the House
Even with the current pandemic — maybe especially with the current pandemic — we’re eager for fresh air, for that moment when we throw our windows open to fresh spring breezes. Unfortunately, the things outside our homes are awaiting that moment, too (but for different motives). If it’s not the pollen blowing inside, it’s the bugs that somehow make it through the tiniest nooks and crannies you don’t see, even if you have screens.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to deter bugs (particularly spiders) from making their home in yours — one that doesn’t involve spraying pesticides indoors, one that I learned from my mother: Mix a 50/50 solution of water and white vinegar and spray around your window frame. Do this indoors, and outdoors too, if you’re able to.
If you have doubts about my mother’s trusty vinegar-and-water spray, here’s what Natural Living Ideas says about this solution:
“If you don’t have a bottle of vinegar in your house, you should really get one as it has about a gazillion uses, including repelling spiders. As vinegar contains acetic acid that harms them, using a diluted vinegar solution will help you to safely and successfully repel the eight-legged creatures.”
And if you’re wondering about the smell, here’s the answer: To human noses, the smell dissipates as soon as the vinegar dries. Besides, I’d take a whiff of vinegar over spiders in my bedroom any day, wouldn’t you?
More On Pests in the Kitchen
This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: Why You Should Spray Vinegar Around Your Windows