A cleaning guru shares her 16-cent trick for keeping spiders out of your home.
The warning comes as the spider mating season kicks off and thousands of the arachnids are invading homes across the UK.
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Hillary, creator of lifestyle Instagram account @my.horsford.home And CI group ambassador, has shared a simple trick to keep the critters at bay – for just 16p.
She said: “Now that mating season brings unwanted, horny, eight-legged visitors into your home or conservatory, this tip is for you.
“Get an empty spray bottle. If you don’t have one, you can always reuse an old spray bottle from another product and clean it.
“Fill the bottle with water and add 10 drops of tea tree essential oil to the mixture. You can also use peppermint, lemon or lavender.
“An average bottle of essential oils costs around £4, so just ten drops is a bargain.
“Spray and wipe along the windowsills and door frames with a duster to deter the spiders, as they do not like strong odors.
“To deter spiders, you can also apply a few drops of tea tree oil around openings in your home, such as windows, doors or cracks.”
The spider mating season usually begins in late August and lasts until October. Male spiders seek warmth and shelter and leave their webs to search for receptive females.
While homes can be a popular spot for these critters, there is another place you can control them.
“If you suffer from arachnophobia, or a fear of spiders, you don’t need to be afraid to clean the interior of your car regularly during spider season,” says Graham Conway.
“Spiders are naturally attracted to dark, sheltered places, such as discarded bags, wrappers and cardboard boxes that you have lying around.”
When you get your car dirty, you’re essentially rolling out the red carpet for arachnids.
Also, don’t forget to throw away loose clothing and shoes, as they can be an “obvious hiding place for spiders.”
You should also give your car’s air vents a good cleaning regularly, as “this is another hotspot for spiders,” says Graham, of Select car leasingwarned.
Everything you need to know about spiders
