How to Get Rid of Spiders Fast: 7 Proven Steps That Work

I've been poking around crawlspaces, basements, and garden sheds for the better part of a decade. Spiders? They're not evil. They're just really good at finding the one gap you forgot to seal. And if you're trying to figure out how to get rid of spiders without fogging your whole house with chemicals, you're in the right place.

Here's the short version: kill the food source, block the entry points, and make the environment hostile for them. That's it. But the details are where most people mess up.

Why Spiders Keep Showing Up

Spiders don't wander into your living room out of curiosity. They follow prey. If you've got fruit flies hovering around the kitchen sink or silverfish lurking in the bathroom, you've basically rolled out a welcome mat.

A common mistake I see: people spray insecticide along baseboards and wonder why spiders return two weeks later. The spray kills the ants and gnats, but it doesn't fix the moisture problem that attracted those insects in the first place. The spiders come back because the food comes back.

Another thing—spiders love clutter. Cardboard boxes stacked in the garage. Old shoes in the closet. Piles of firewood against the house. Those are perfect hunting grounds for wolf spiders and brown recluses. In my own garage, I found three egg sacs tucked behind a stack of moving boxes I hadn't touched in a year. Lesson learned.

Step 1: Close the Entry Points They're Using

Spiders can squeeze through gaps as thin as a credit card. I mean that literally. So grab a tube of silicone caulk and a flashlight, and do a slow lap around your home's exterior.

Here's what I check every single time:

• Door sweeps: If you can see daylight under the door, spiders can walk right in. A $10 door sweep from the hardware store fixes that in five minutes.
• Window screens: Tiny tears in screens are easy to miss. Run your hand along each screen—if you feel a bump or gap, patch it.
• Utility penetrations: Where pipes and cables enter the house, there's usually a gap. Foam sealant works wonders there.
• Attic and crawlspace vents: Make sure they have fine mesh screens. I once found a black widow living behind a loose vent cover in a client's garage.

This step alone cut my indoor spider sightings by about 70 percent. No exaggeration.

Step 2: Natural Repellents That Actually Repel

Peppermint oil. Vinegar. Citrus peels. You've probably read about all of them. Some work, some are a waste of time.

Here's my honest take after testing them side by side in a shed that was crawling with orb weavers:

Peppermint oil is my go-to because it's cheap and the smell doesn't bother me. But don't expect it to wipe out an infestation. It's a deterrent, not a pesticide.

Step 3: Traps and Vacuums Do the Dirty Work

Sticky traps are brutally effective. I place them along walls where I've seen spiders travel—behind the toilet, under the kitchen sink, in the corner of the garage. The key is to put them flush against the wall, not in the middle of the floor. Spiders hug walls when they move.

A shop vac with a long hose is another tool I keep handy. Suck up the spider, then immediately empty the vacuum outside. It sounds gross, but it's fast and chemical-free.

If you've got a serious wolf spider problem in the basement, a simple glue board trap placed near the floor drain can catch dozens in a week. I've seen it happen.

When to Stop DIY and Call a Pro

I'm all for handling things yourself. But there are times when a pro is the right call.

Call an exterminator if:

• You've identified brown recluse or black widow spiders (especially if there are children or pets in the house).
• You've sealed every gap and still see spiders daily.
• You have a known infestation in the walls or attic—some species breed fast, and DIY sprays won't reach the egg sacs.

A professional will use targeted treatments and growth regulators that actually break the breeding cycle. It's not cheap, but it's cheaper than a hospital visit if someone gets bitten.

The Prevention Routine That Keeps Them Out

Getting rid of spiders is one thing. Keeping them gone is another. Here's the routine I follow every season change:

• Declutter: Don't store cardboard boxes in the garage or basement. Spiders love them. Use plastic bins instead.
• Control moisture: Fix leaky pipes and run a dehumidifier in damp areas. Spiders thrive where it's humid.
• Trim vegetation: Keep bushes and tree branches at least a foot away from the house. That's a spider highway you don't want.
• Vacuum regularly: Corners, baseboards, and under furniture. You'll suck up egg sacs before they hatch.
• Keep firewood outside: Stack it away from the house, not against the wall.

I know it sounds like a lot. But once you do it for a month, it becomes automatic. And you'll notice the difference.

Dead-Simple Answers to Real Questions

This article was fact-checked against pest control guidelines from the EPA's Safer Pest Control resources and field notes from my own home inspections.