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How to Get Rid of Spiders in the Bathroom

Tired of sharing your bathroom with spiders?

These eight-legged intruders can not only be frightening but also unhygienic, leaving behind webs that are troublesome to remove.

This comprehensive guide offers expert insights to understand why spiders thrive in bathrooms and provides proven methods to eradicate them and prevent their return.

bathroom spider

Why Are There Spiders in My Bathroom?

A bathroom is a vulnerable place against spiders because bathrooms have many things that these eight-legged pests want: water, food, and shelter.

Spiders need moisture and water to survive and that is why they are attracted to your bathroom, especially during arid times like autumn and winter.

Spiders are in a constant search for food, and a bathroom is an attractive hiding place for fleas, moths, bugs, and mosquitoes that spiders prey on.

The damp environment of a bathroom also provides abundant supplies of insects for arachnids to hunt.

That’s why you’re most likely going to find these eight-legged insects in your bathroom’s wet spots, around the bathtub, the shower, and the bathroom sink.

Spiders are also drawn to dirty areas like windows that haven’t gotten dusted for a while.

That includes under your bathroom furniture or an untidy stack of clothing on the floor.

In some cases, spiders will go near your bathroom’s light fixtures as it’s an excellent place to find many insects.

They may congregate in areas where insects will have to go sooner or later, like adjacent to your bathroom lights.

Aside from wet spots and dirty areas, spiders love the bathroom because it has many dark places for them to hide.

They have poor eyesight and most of the time love to stay in the dark and secluded places like under the bathroom sink or inside cabinets.

They may also build their webs at the corners of your bathroom walls, ceiling, or behind curtains where they can stay unbothered.

Spiders also prefer dark places for mating purposes.

Typically, female spiders will build their webs in the dark corners of your bathroom, like behind the toilet or at the nook of the cabinet, where they won’t get disturbed while waiting for male spiders.

They can lay many eggs very quickly, and they will hatch into live spiders after only two to three weeks.

It’s why you might see one or two spiders one day, and before you know it, they have already started invading more of your bathroom space.

How Do Spiders Get Into My Bathroom?

Finding ways to enter your bathroom is not much of a challenge for spiders.

They have tiny bodies, about a quarter of an inch, and can squeeze through any small openings, such as gaps around doors and windows.

If there tiny openings around your floorboards and air vents, spiders can easily crawl through them and enter your bathroom.

Spiders are incredibly sneaky pests, and some might find ways inside your bathroom by following broken utility and plumbing lines.

But sharing your bathroom space with spiders isn’t always a bad thing as they can help out in getting rid of mosquitoes and other annoying bugs.

Common Spider Types Found in Bathrooms

There are hundreds of spider species, but only a few of them you’re most likely to find in your bathroom.

If you saw an eight-legged pest living in your bathroom, it might be either of these types of spiders.

  • Common House Spider

It is the type of spider you most likely see in the bathroom, especially around undisturbed areas like wall corners and window sills.

They have dull brown coloring and can grow around 6-mm long. Common house spiders are also attracted to moisture, so you might see them lurking around the shower area and damp sink drains.

  • Giant House Spider

You can see this spider type around the shower area as male spiders try to find females they can mate with.

These spiders can grow around 120-mm and can run extremely fast.

They may bite you when they feel threatened but in no way poisonous.

  • Daddy Long Legs

Daddy Long Legs were rumored to be extremely dangerous and poisonous, but that’s only a myth.

Their bites are only likely to leave a slight burning sensation if anything at all.

Their maximum size can go up to 45-mm, but they have tiny bodies and will most likely hide behind your stacks of toilet paper rolls.

Common spiders found in bathrooms can bite when provoked or when they feel endangered, but thankfully, most spider bites are not medically serious.

Most spiders are harmless, but some are most notorious for their venomous bites, like brown recluse and black widow.

However, they are not as commonly found in bathrooms as you might expect.

How to Get Rid of Bathroom Spiders

Spiders don’t mean any harm, most of the time anyway, but it’s difficult to remain rational when you see their legs hanging or their bodies crawling all over your shower.

If you want to eliminate these creepy crawlies in your bathroom, you can use effective home remedies. 

How to Get Rid of a Spider Without Killing It

If you see one or two spiders in your bathroom and don’t want to kill it, the simplest way to eliminate this creepy creature is to catch it and release it outside.

The most used spider trap that can help you is a glass or jar.

You can use any container to trap and get rid of the spider, but these types work best.

  • Transparent jar
  • Not too fragile or heavy
  • Not too small or too big

Once you have the container, you have to calmly get as close to the spider as possible and use your quick reflexes to trap it under the jar.

Then slip a piece of paper or a thin card under the container and carefully trap the spider inside until you release it somewhere at a reasonable distance from your home.

How to Stop Spider Infestation in Your Bathroom

Trapping a spider works well if you’re only dealing with a single spider.

But if you have more spiders taking refuge in your bathroom, you need a better solution, and these spider repellents and killers can get rid of spider infestation in your bathroom. 

  1. Natural Spider Repellent Using Essential Oils

A drop of the right essential oil is enough to kill a spider.

You can make your spider repellent and killer solution by mixing essential oil and water in a spray bottle.

Essential oils that can get rid of spiders include:

  • Peppermint
  • Tea Tree
  • Cinnamon
  • Eucalyptus
  • Lavender
  • Cedar
  • Citrus

Add around 20 to 25 drops of essential oil to a spray bottle of water.

Then get on spraying the corners of your bathroom where the spiders are hiding.

Natural spider repellent
Mighty Mint 16oz Spider Repellent Peppermint Oil
$15.99 ($1.00 / Fl Oz)

Thi solution works as a natural spider repellent and can be safely sprayed on bathroom furniture, flooring, and other parts of the house to keep spiders away.

Why:
  • Natural, non-toxic, safe to use around pets and family
  • Pleasant smell
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
02/18/2024 03:18 pm GMT
  1. All-Around Vinegar and Water Solution
  1. Place Sticky Traps in Your Bathroom

The good-old jar trap only works for a single spider at once, but glue traps can get rid of almost the entire population of spiders living in your bathroom.

To trap spiders of ANY size
Catchmaster 72MAX Pest Trap, 36 units
$18.00 ($0.50 / Count)
This trap provides strong sticky glue that safely catches spiders of any size. The trap stays effective for months. Can also be used against other insects, snakes, and mice. Avoid direct sun exposure to prolong glue efficiency.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/08/2024 05:59 am GMT

They are non-toxic, and you can place them anywhere, but especially in areas in your bathroom where you saw the spiders hanging around.

  1. Spider Repelling Air Freshener

Air fresheners containing citronella don’t only deter mosquitoes, but they can also get rid of spiders in your bathroom.

You can either buy an air freshener spray with citronella or a candle or air filter and use it around your toilet.

  1. Saltwater Solution

Salt is a natural poison to spiders, making it a simple but effective pest control against spider infestation in your bathroom.

A mix of a gallon of water and an ounce of salt should make a saline solution that can kill most spiders, although it works best when used on younger and thinner-skinned spiders.

If you want instant death on those pesky spiders, spraying them with your typical bathroom cleaner also does the job.

Bleach cleaners are also classified as a pesticide and have a harsh acidity that can kill various pests, including spiders.

How to Keep Spiders Out of the Bathroom

Remember that spiders prefer moisture, dark, and quiet spaces, so the easiest way to keep them out of the bathroom is to get rid of any of these things.

Taking out whatever attracts hungry spiders is the key to making your bathroom unwelcoming to them, and here are a couple of tips to help that.

  • Keep your bathroom clean and tidy

Cleaning the bathroom often is an effective way of keeping the spiders away.

It will also ensure that you get rid of other pests like mosquitoes and bugs that can attract the spiders inside.

Ensure you get everything in the bathroom a good shake, especially the nooks and crannies, including the air duct.

  • Seal up any cracks and openings around windows and doors

Take out any possible entryway for spiders into your bathroom.

Seal up even the slightest openings and cracks in your windows, doors, ceiling, and floorboards.

  • Rub lemon peels all over the windowsills

Another way to make your bathroom unwelcoming to spiders is by rubbing lemon peels all over the windowsills or anywhere they might want to hide.

Rub lemon peels around the back of the cabinets, underneath any furniture in your bathroom, and behind the toilet.

  • Add spider repelling plants in your bathroom. 

Adding plants like mint, lemongrass, eucalyptus, lemon balm, and lavender to your bathroom will not only give it a wonderful smell.

It can also keep the spiders away as they hate these kinds of aromas.

These simple ways should keep your bathroom free from spiders and any other unwanted invaders.

The Ultimate Guide to Bugs in the Bathroom

Wondering about the presence of bugs in the bathroom? Our comprehensive guide explores the world of bugs in the shower, equipping you with valuable insights and actionable strategies to address them.

Dustin Carter

Dustin is the founder of Alpine Pest Control Solutions, the #1 best-reviewed pest control company in Austin, TX. He has been dealing with household pests for more than 15 years.

Dustin enjoys the opportunity to share with homeowners safe pest control practices that they can apply and unique tricks he has learned throughout his career as a pest control expert.

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At Loo Academy, our mission is to offer trusted advice for everything related to bathrooms (design ideas, plumbing advice, showering & bathing tips, remodeling guides, and more) — a place where we all spend a great deal of time.

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