Spiders can be irritating and scary at the same time and when we encounter them suddenly in our home, we want to make sure they’re killed immediately. People try to use whatever is at hand to kill a spider or a wasp.
So what if we see a spider and the only thing around is Lysol? Will it do the job? Can Lysol kill spiders, and how fast?
We will answer these questions carefully and in detail in this article, and also list other effective ways of killing and preventing spiders.
Can Lysol Kill Spiders?
Spraying Lysol on spiders won’t kill them immediately. But they will be incapacitated long enough for you to kill them with an object or squash them with your legs if you aren’t afraid to move close. But to even incapacitate the spiders, you will have to spray a great deal of Lysol.
You can only kill spiders with Lysol if you maybe empty half a can on a couple of spiders. This will saturate the spiders, clog their lungs, or drown them to death. Either way, they will be motionless long enough for you to kill them with something more effective. And this is a waste of Lysol.
The cleaner that you wasted could have otherwise lasted you for weeks, if you used it for what it was made for; cleaning.
What About Spider Eggs?
Lysol cleaners aren’t designed to kill spiders or any insects at all, so they won’t be effective when sprayed on spider eggs.
Spider eggs come in sacs that are made of several strands of silk woven together. This thick layer of silk protects the eggs from harm. Not many things can successfully break down this protective layer and kill the eggs. Lysol isn’t one of the sprays that can tackle this problem.
Before dealing with spiders or their eggs, you should first determine if they are poisonous. Not many spiders are poisonous, but the poisonous ones can do great damage to the body. Generally, the black and brown spiders cause greater harm than other species.
If you spray Lysol on a poisonous spider, it is not likely to die and may not even become incapacitated. You may just end up pissing it off, and if it decides to come close and bite you, you might get into serious trouble.
So when dealing with spiders and their eggs, use other effective and better methods than Lysol.
Household Cleaners that Kill Spiders
1- White Vinegar
This contains acetic acid which is harmful to spiders. When spiders come in contact with acetic acid, they die instantly.
You can mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the spiders directly, or spray it in areas they frequent in your home. This will put a stop to their presence in your home and make you feel more relaxed.
To make this more effective, you can use undiluted white vinegar. Unlike the diluted one which may take a while to work, the undiluted vinegar will kill the spiders instantly.
This is one of the safest methods because vinegar is harmless to humans and pets.
2- Ammonia
You are probably familiar with ammonia. It is a gas composed of nitrogen and hydrogen and it smells bad. It is a very useful cleaner around the home and works fast but do you know you can use it to kill spiders too?
Ammonia is very toxic to spiders. They die within minutes of contact because the gas eats into their protective layers, and eventually bodies, snuffing life out of them easily. You can mix 1 part ammonia with 1 part water or use pure ammonia. Undiluted ammonia will work faster.
Ammonia doesn’t just kill spiders but also repels them.
Mix ammonia with water and spray the solution around your home, particularly around the areas spiders frequent in your home. This will discourage them from coming near your house.
3- Dish Soap
You definitely have this on your sink. And fortunately, this is all you need to get rid of that giant spider sitting confidently on your bathroom floor staring at you. Squirt some of the soap directly on the spider and saturate it. This will suffocate it and the spider will die in minutes.
You can also mix the soap with some water, but ensure you mix enough to drown the spider in.
Apply the same process if you use detergent instead of liquid soap. Just mix some with water, shake well, and then pour the solution on the spider.
4- Bleach
Bleach is not only useful for whitening your clothes or removing tough stains in your toilet, it can be used to kill spiders too.
Bleach is a powerful chemical that can hurt humans if not handled carefully, so imagine what it would do to spiders. It is toxic to the outer bodies of spiders and fatal to them if ingested. Ensure you protect your skin and wear a mask while using bleach.
Dilute some chlorine bleach with water (ratio of 1:3) and saturate the spider with this solution. Mix only that much which is needed for the size of the spider.
5- Fabuloso
Fabuloso multi-purpose cleaner can be used to kill spiders and also their eggs. You may spray the cleaner directly over the spider or choose to spray its concentrated form in the areas where spiders reside.
How to Prevent Spiders?
1- Get Rid of Ants
Many species of spiders eat ants, mosquitoes, flies, etc., and are always in search of them. Some exclusively eat ants so they go to any length to find them. And if your house has ants in abundance, then this is where these spiders will lodge.
They are only looking for food. Even if you kill the spiders you find, more will come. A more lasting solution is to get rid of their food supply.
Remove everything that attracts them to your house and they will relocate willingly. Sweep and dust every area of your house and use ant killers and repellants.
2- Essential Oils
Spiders don’t like the smell of these oils, so spraying them around your home will keep spiders away. Peppermint essential oil works best.
Mix some drops of this oil with water and pour it into a spray bottle. Then spray all the entrances, corners, and cracks in your home.
The smell will drive away spiders that may be in your home already and prevent new ones from coming in.
3- Seal Cracks
Check your home regularly for cracks in the walls, holes around wires & cables that lead outside, and gaps in windows and doors. These are the avenues spiders usually utilize to get into your house.
Seal these gaps under your doors and windows with mesh, fix the cracks in the wall, and use wire mesh around openings like vents.
4- Citric Acid
Spiders do not like the smell of citric acid so they stay away from places that smell like that. You can get citric acid from citrus fruits like lemon, orange, like, etc. These fruits are easy to get.
Pick a citrus fruit of your choice and squeeze the juice into a cup. Add a little water. Then pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
Spray around entrances in your home and in areas you have previously seen spiders. This will drive them away and prevent other spiders from coming in.
5- Clean Regularly
Spiders are attracted to untidy and dirty environments because they are safe places to hide. So tidy up your house regularly and avoid heaping dirty clothes in a corner.
Leftover foods and dirty dishes attract ants and other insects and this, in turn, attracts spiders who love to feed on them. If you want to prevent spiders in your home, cleanliness is the cheapest way.
How to Prevent Spider Webs?
The best way to prevent spider webs is to prevent spiders. When spiders are discouraged from setting up a home in your house, then you won’t have to deal with their webs.
Spiders love to spin their webs in dark corners where they will be safe while webbing and not be interrupted. Making sure every area of your home is well-lit with natural light will hinder them.
As we earlier said, spiders love unorganized and untidy areas. So dust regularly. Vacuum regularly, getting rid of spider eggs, nymphs, and webs, and this will discourage spiders from making more webs in your home. They will have to move somewhere else.
You can also use spider repellent sprays around your house. Examples are Zero In and Kate’s Garden. You can get them easily on Amazon and they don’t only keep spiders away. They also repel bugs, ants, and other insects.
Final Thoughts!
Lysol cannot effectively kill spiders but if you use enough of it, it can hinder their movement long enough for you to use a shoe or something more effective to kill them.
There are better ways of getting rid of spiders or preventing them in your home and we have listed and explained these ways. The materials needed aren’t expensive and some of them are right there in your kitchen.
