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15 Natural Ways To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Home And RV

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

Nobody wants to find spiders crawling around whether it’s at home or in the RV. There are many all-natural ways you can get rid of these creepy-crawlies that are more kid and pet-friendly than using poisonous sprays and most are also cost-effective. Some will even make your place smell wonderful in the meantime.

1. Mix peppermint oil and water and spray it around your bed, windowsills, and entryways.

natural spider remedies
Modern Alternative Health

Most people love the smell (and taste) of peppermint. It’s in everything from candy canes to gum and lotions. But spiders just can’t stand it. In fact, they don’t like any scent that’s really strong.

Try making a solution with about 15-20 drops of essential peppermint oil, and 1-and-a-half cups of water. Spray it around your bed, windowsills, entryways, and anywhere else where spiders may be able to crawl in.

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2. Burn cinnamon candles.

natural spider remedies
The Sun

Cinnamon happens to be another option that smells amazing. Spiders will easily be deterred if you light a scented candle and let the aroma waft throughout your place.

3. Make a salt solution.

natural spider remedies
Ten Kids And A Dog

Salt is actually a natural poison to spiders. If you make a saline solution with about 1/8 cup (or an ounce) of salt and a gallon of warm water and pour it into a spray bottle, you can either spray it directly onto spiders to kill them or spray it onto their nests.

4. Keep things nice and clean.

natural spider remedies
Barry On The Road

Spiders thrive when there’s clutter, piles of clothes, and boxes everywhere.

To prevent them from getting comfortable, make sure to keep things tidy and clean. If you happen to see any cobwebs starting, take them down right away.

5. Try a vinegar mixture.

natural spider remedies
Concrete Powder

Like peppermint and cinnamon, vinegar has a really powerful smell (though not as pleasant) that will keep spiders away. Try mixing half vinegar and half water in a bottle and spray it around areas like the windowsills and entryways.

6. Rub citrus peels around your home.

natural spider remedies
Home Stratosphere

The leftover peels from lemons, limes, oranges, and other citrus fruits can help keep spiders out. For the best results, try rubbing them around places like your baseboards, bookshelves, and window sills. You can also place them in your garden to keep them away from your plants.

7.  Use tea tree, lavender, or Eucalyptus oil.

natural spider remedies
“The Organised Housewife”

These natural oils work great as a natural spider repellent. Mix about 5-7 drops in a spray bottle, with about 16 ounces of warm water, and spray throughout your RV as needed.

8. Sprinkle tobacco around your shelves.

natural spider remedies
Home Stratosphere

You don’t need to be a smoker to try this method (though you do need to be over 18). You can either sprinkle some throughout your RV on places like the bookshelf or windowsill or soak some in water and then spray it around.

9. Make a garlic spray.

natural spider remedies
Life Made Full

Like vampires, spiders are known to hate garlic. Try blending about 10-12 cloves with a cup and a half of water, and then strain out the pulp. Then combine that strained garlic water with another gallon of water and pour it into a spray bottle for a homemade natural pesticide.

10.  Dust baking soda throughout your place.

natural spider remedies
The Homemade Experiment

Baking soda may not kill spiders, but it will certainly help drive them away. It also works well as a deodorizer for your carpet before vacuuming.

Sprinkle some baking soda around the perimeter of areas where spiders can get into the house, like the windowsills, doorways, etc. For best results, you may want to re-apply once or twice a week.

11. Keep chestnuts around your home.

natural spider remedies
Pure Cotton Grass

Horse chestnuts are well-known to help repel spiders. Try leaving some around your RV where you frequently notice spiders. Walnuts are also thought to have the same effect.

12. Your dog or cat may do the hunting for you.

natural spider remedies
Seniors 101

Our four-legged friends naturally love a good hunt when they see one crawling across the floor. They’ll often kill ones they see, just out of boredom.

13. Mix coconut oil and vinegar and spray it around.

natural spider remedies
Mattie Hagedorn
Veganbaking.net from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If vinegar and water are not doing the trick, you may need a stronger solution. Try mixing one part coconut oil with two parts white distilled vinegar. Spray around your windows, entryways, or underneath pillows.

14. Sprinkle turmeric on surfaces…

natural spider remedies
Flickr/Garen Meguerian

Turmeric is often used as one of the main ingredients in curry. The spice has a distinct, mustardy smell that spiders don’t particularly like.

Try mixing about 2-3 tablespoons of turmeric powder with enough water to make a fine paste. Then apply it around all of the spider-prone areas in your place.

15. …Or some Diatomaceous earth (DE).

natural spider remedies
Equine Nutrition Nerd

Though hard to pronounce, this white, fine powder is a great, all-natural option that’s safe around humans and pets. Diatomaceous earth is made from fossilized water creatures known as diatoms (a type of phytoplankton).

It just feels like a soft dust in our hands, but when a spider crosses over the powder, their exterior gets all cut up. This causes all of their bodily fluids to leak out, and as a result, the spiders eventually dry out.

You can sprinkle this stuff around cracks, corners, windows, and around other perimeters where spiders may be able to come in. It can easily be purchased online or found in most gardening sections at stores, like Walmart, Home Depot or Lowes.

Of course, if you have a really bad infestation, you may need to just call an exterminator. But hopefully, if you just have spiders around every once in awhile, these natural methods will help keep them at bay.

Do you have any other natural tips for keeping spiders out of your RV? We’d love to hear them down below!

See also: The Best Way To Get Rid Of Ants In Your RV