How to Get Rid of Cobwebs

Cobwebs are a common problem in many homes, and they can make an otherwise clean house look dirty. If you spot cobwebs in your house, you share your space with at least a few spiders. This is true even if you cannot see spiders on the webs at the moment.

Whether you’ve noticed cobwebs around your light fixtures, behind your furniture, near the windows or in other places, you need to know how to get rid of them.

What Are Cobwebs?

Spiders build webs to capture prey. The sticky strands in spiderwebs are actually made out of silk. As the silk comes out of a spider, it is semi-liquid. It then forms into a very fine, solid substance. Spider silk is strong and durable, but it is thinner than a human’s hair.

If you’ve ever accidentally walked into a spiderweb, you no doubt are familiar with how difficult it is to find the web strands sticking to your skin even though you can feel them. A cobweb is an abandoned spiderweb that has collected dust and dirt.

What Causes Cobwebs in Your House?

When a spider dies or moves on to another area of your home, its web remains. The web is no longer maintained by a spider, so a cobweb is usually a tangled, unsightly mess.

In addition, the stickiness of the web fibers collects the fine particles that float in your home’s air. This includes dust, dirt and other particles. Cobwebs seemingly grow more visible by the day as a result.

What Is the Best Way to Clean Up Cobwebs?

Getting rid of cobwebs is easier to do than you might think. You can simply swipe the cobwebs down with a broom. Because of a broom’s long handle, reaching cobwebs in the upper corners of your rooms and wrapped around overhead light fixtures is easy to do.

As an alternative, you can suction the cobwebs away using your vacuum’s handheld attachments. If you are dealing with cobwebs weaving through intricate areas, such as if your overhead light fixtures are ornate, the vacuum may be a better option.

How to Get Rid of Outdoor Cobwebs?

While indoor cobwebs are most visible to you on a daily basis, outdoor cobwebs are equally problematic and common. The best way to get rid of these cobwebs is with a broom. However, you could also use a Shopvac.

How to Prevent Cobwebs

Because cobwebs are formed by old spiderwebs, the best way to prevent cobwebs is by eradicating spiders from your home. Consider do-it-yourself pest control methods or professional pest control services.

There are also natural solutions. Essential oils, for example, can keep spiders away. Oils like lavender, tea tree, cinnamon, peppermint and eucalyptus work well.

If you notice spiderwebs and cobwebs tend to return to the same spots, spray these areas with WD-40. Spiders are repelled by the scent of this lubricant.

In addition, the greasy nature of the substances makes it more difficult for spiders to reach those areas. This can be effective around the interior corners of windows as well.

Watch this video and discover more ways to reduce spiders at home by cleaning webs, decluttering, and using nonchemical methods:

FAQs

Why Is It Called a Cobweb?

The word cobweb stems from the Old English word for spider, which is coppe. In Middle English, a spiderweb was called coppeweb.

Are Cobwebs Made By Spiders or Dust?

Cobwebs are made by both spiders and dust. Spiders make silky webs, or spiderwebs, to capture their prey. When the spiderwebs are abandoned, they are no longer maintained by their previous occupants. As a result, the web fibers lose their structure and collect dust. The result is a cobweb.

How Do You Get Rid of Cobwebs Permanently?

As long as there is even a small spider hiding in your home, you will see cobwebs. To permanently get rid of cobwebs, you must first eradicate the spiders, such as with an effective pest control service or a store-bought product.

To deter spiders from returning, spread cedar chips around the base of your house, and spray WD-40 around the tiny crevices where spiders could easily enter your home through.

You also should remove as many of the hiding places for spiders as possible, such as by eliminating clutter. You can also spray essential oils throughout the house regularly.

Essential oils like lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus and others repel spiders. When you take regular steps to prevent spiders from taking up residence on your home’s exterior and inside, you prevent them from laying eggs and multiplying the web problem.

If you’re discovering cobwebs in the nooks and crannies of your home or in areas that you cannot reach, you may need help cleaning your house. Our professional cleaners at Cleanzen offer the full range of services you need to keep your home clean. To learn more about our cleaning service Boston, contact us today.