It’s probably everyone’s nightmare to be combing through your closet, looking for a shirt or pair of pants to wear, only to be met with the terrifying sight of a spider scurrying across the floor or (worse) planted on your favorite piece of clothing!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had spiders in my closet, and on my clothes as a result. It can be a real problem for some, as some spiders can bite; leaving an irritating bump on your skin. While rare, some spider bites can be poisonous and lethal, so making sure they aren’t hiding in your clothes is probably a smart idea.
If you’ve noticed a spider (or two) in your closet recently, it’s important to understand why this is so common so you can take the necessary steps to get rid of these eight-legged freaks for good!
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Why Do Spiders Live Rent-Free in Your Closet?
Spiders are expert hitchhikers. If you or an item on your person comes into close enough contact with a spider on a common surface like a door frame, bench, or a plant, for example, it’s easy to pick up one of these eight-legged creatures.
You are unlikely to notice a spider’s presence, so as you hang up your coat or toss your bag to the floor, you may unwittingly introduce it to its new home in your closet. A space like this has the potential to serve as an ideal habitat for a spider. Closets are typically dark and offer seclusion, which makes them perfect for setting up a web.
Try keeping your closet free of unnecessary clutter and doing a routine visual sweep or dusting of the inside to keep spiders from making themselves comfortable.
Additionally, a clean closet that doesn’t house stacks of old cardboard boxes and newspapers is going to help deter tiny, appetizing insects from settling themselves in. If the contents of your closet are attracting the kind of bugs that spiders eat, it’s like ringing a dinner bell.
If you find that spiders have already become a problem, and you’re wondering how to deal with finding them in unwelcome places like in your clothing, read on. There is a way to banish your unwanted arachnid guests fast.
How to Keep Spiders Away From Your Closet
If discovering a spider infestation has you feeling concerned about finding a safe and healthy solution for your family, you are in good company. I am the same way!
Tell me, if you knew there was a remedy for your spider problem that wouldn’t pose a threat to the health of the people in your home, would you want to hear more? How about if this remedy came with a mess-free and nontoxic guarantee as well as the promise of preventing subsequent infestations?
Placing a pouch or two of All Natural Stay Away Spiders strategically inside my kids’ closet gives this Mama peace of mind.
These days, my curious boys wouldn’t pass up a chance to closely inspect a creepy crawly spider, and the potential danger of that worried me! Now I breathe easier knowing that any spider that may have been hiding away in their room has vanished and that the pouches are safe for my kids to be around.
Eliminating Clutter in Your Closet to Keep Spiders Out
It’s hard to know where to start once you have decided to tackle decluttering an area of your home. Spaces like living rooms, spare bedrooms, playrooms, and garages can quickly become unmanageable as clutter accumulates.
Try these tips for practical problem solving when it comes to eliminating the extra mess and making the most of your space.
Hang Shoes on The Back of Your Closet Door
Another option for shoe storage is to utilize the vertical storage space of a closet door. You can tuck pairs of shoes into neat rows using a pocket organizer that is meant to attach to the back of a door, where you can easily access them when needed. Use it to hide or proudly display your footwear. You’ll find these useful products priced conveniently under $20.
Put Clothes on Hangers
Hangers. We seem to have too many and never enough all at once. They can get tangled and crowded together, and make a closet appear messy. Try grouping clothing items together on space-saving hanger organizers instead! They allow for more room, using the space of one hanger to store up to five items.
Buy Shelf Dividers
Try shelf dividers for a way to maximize the use of smaller spaces. Stacking folded clothes is easier with dividers to keep things where they belong.
Use Baskets & Small Bins
As your closet space allows, consider the use of containers like baskets, decorative boxes, or small bins.
These can be the perfect solution for all of the extras that don’t seem to have an ideal place. If you have purses or statement accessories that only make an appearance at certain times of the year, this is a great way to keep them out of sight but still handy.
Feel free to play with options for sprucing up your closet, whether it’s custom shelves and a dressing area to show off a large area or a minimalistic space-saving approach to the look of a small area.
Install Shelving
Where there is wall space, there is a potential storage space. Shelving options range from stylish to simple and are usually a very manageable DIY project. Use shelves to display shoes, bags, blankets, hats, or difficult to hang items and leave the floor more open.
Hang Accessories on Shower Hooks
Tricky to hang items like belts, scarves, and shawls can be looped through simple, inexpensive shower hooks and arranged on a hanger or closet rack.
Using shower hooks to keep accessories like these together adds to the look and feel of a spacious and well-organized closet!
How to Get Rid of Spiders Naturally
There are other natural forms of spider repellent that you can take advantage of as well. If you happen to spot a spider where it is not welcome, consider either an ultrasonic spider deterrent or mixing your own repellant with typical ingredients found at home.
If you combine 1 cup each of pepper and vinegar with 1 teaspoon each of both dish soap and oil, you can spray this concoction around any problem areas and feel confident that this will work well to drive spiders away.
For an ultrasonic repellent, check online or at your favorite hardware store. This should be an easy find.
Make Sure Other Insects Aren’t Getting in Your Closet
Everyone knows that a hungry spider loves to catch a nice fly in its web. Do what you can to keep flies from being attracted to the area you wish to keep free of spiders.
Flies will gravitate toward trash that hasn’t been taken out or properly discarded, old food or drinks, or dirty clothes or dishes. Keep your space not only neat but sanitary and you are less likely to be visited by either flies or spiders.
Consider Placing Citrus Peels Inside Your Closet
Strong smelling citrus is a known dislike of spiders as well. The same way a spider will typically avoid the potent scent of mint, it also will avoid the aroma you get from the fresh peels of oranges and lemons. Place these peels in proximity to the problem areas and plan to replace them almost daily for the desired effect.
Other Scents Spiders Hate
We’ve established that mint and citrus are repulsive to spiders, but thankfully, humans may rather enjoy the smell of oranges or peppermint as they find ways to leave these scents around window sills or doors to the outside. Eucalyptus is another favorable option. Less pleasant, but equally as effective, is the smell of vinegar.
Here’s another helpful tip. Spiders tend to enjoy hiding out and resting in and under things. Dark and cozy spaces are created when clothes and shoes are left lying around in corners or under dressers, and the next time you lift one of these from the floor, you may be startled to find that you disturbed a spider.
Try to keep your floor clear of these kinds of hiding spots, allowing for fewer options for the spiders as well as for the ease of regular cleaning with a vacuum or broom. In doing so, you will not only make your wardrobe space less inviting for the spiders, but for the bugs that spiders like to catch and eat.
Conclusion
As you can see, getting rid of clutter and ensuring your home is cleaned regularly will do wonders when it comes to keeping spiders out. You should also take steps to ensure spiders don’t have a chance to come inside in the first place.
While insecticides and traps are still options to rid your closet of spiders, these can be dangerous to pets and humans, so we recommend trying the options listed in this blog post first.
