Spiders are a common sight this time of year as they seek a mate, food and shelter from the cold and food. The colder months are prime time for dealing with these eight-legged creatures, prompting one cleaning enthusiast to share her method of keeping spiders at bay while also leaving her home with a fresh scent.
Eschewing shopbought sprays, Chantel Mila, better known as Mama Mila, suggested using essential oils to create your own natural cleaning remedy. To make your home smell delightful while also repelling spiders, she suggests using peppermint oil for its cleaning and insect-repelling properties.
The next time you clean your house, make a solution of water and washing up liquid with a dash of peppermint essential oil. This can be applied to floors and walls using a cloth or mop.
The aroma from the essential oil will not only freshen up your home but also has the added advantage of deterring any bothersome insects, such as spiders. When mixing the solution, add between 15 to 20 drops of peppermint essential oil.
The Spruce notes that it’s unclear why spiders have such an aversion to peppermint. One theory is that spiders smell and taste with their legs, so they tend to avoid surfaces with strong odours.
According to Zoflora, spiders are not fond of strong scents, including citrus, tea-tree, lavender, rose or cinnamon.
The Spruce further elaborated that their aversion could be due to a chemical compound called monoterpenoids that are found in essential oils, which act as a fumigant.
And if you’re keen on eliminating spiders entirely, adding salt to the mix might be beneficial.
When spiders come into contact with salt or a salty solution it extracts the moisture from the pest’s exoskeleton and internal tissues, potentially causing it to dry out and perish.
Several websites suggest that salt can also serve as a natural insecticide, potentially exterminating spiders by interfering with their internal processes.
