If you are looking for a way to keep spiders, ants, and other creepy crawlies out of your home without resorting to harsh chemical sprays, you are in luck. There is a highly effective, all-natural solution that uses just two simple ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen pantry.
This homemade repellent works by attacking the pests’ senses and dissolving their protective barriers, encouraging them to pack up and leave without killing your houseplants or harming your pets.
Here is the recipe, how it works, and exactly how to use it.
The 2-Ingredient Miracle Mixture
The Ingredients:
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White Vinegar (or Apple Cider Vinegar)
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Peppermint Essential Oil (or peppermint castile soap)
The Recipe:
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Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 10–15 drops of peppermint essential oil in a spray bottle.
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Fill the rest of the bottle (if there is room) with water to dilute it slightly, or use it at full strength for heavy traffic areas.
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Shake well before every use.
Why This Works Like Magic
1. The Power of Vinegar
Vinegar is highly acidic. While it won’t kill every insect on contact, it destroys the pheromone trails that ants and other social insects leave behind for their friends to follow. More importantly, spiders and many insects “taste” and smell through their legs and exoskeletons. The harsh acidity of vinegar is deeply offensive to them, making your baseboards an absolute no-go zone.
2. The Power of Peppermint
Peppermint oil is essentially nature’s bug spray. Spiders, in particular, do not have noses; they smell through their legs. Peppermint oil is incredibly potent and acts as a neurotoxin to small pests, overloading their senses. It is universally hated by spiders, ants, mosquitoes, mice, and even flies.
Where to Spray It
To make your home a fortress, spray this mixture in the places where bugs like to sneak in or hide.
Target these areas:
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Window sills and door frames: The #1 entry point for spiders and ants.
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Baseboards: Especially in corners, behind furniture, and in the kitchen or bathroom.
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Under the sink: A dark, damp area that bugs love.
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Garage and basement entryways.
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The perimeter of your bed frame (if you are terrified of spiders crawling on you at night).
Note: Always do a spot test on delicate surfaces like granite, marble, or expensive hardwood, as vinegar can be corrosive to natural stone over time.
Tips for Maximum Effectiveness
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Shake, Shake, Shake: Oil and vinegar naturally separate. You must shake the bottle vigorously before every spray so the peppermint actually hits the surface.
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Spray Weekly: Because this is a natural repellent, the smell evaporates. You need to reapply it every 3–4 days (or once a week) to maintain the barrier.
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Block the Entry: While this spray works wonders, it won’t stop bugs from walking in through a torn window screen or a gap under your door. Pair this spray with some basic caulking or weather stripping for the ultimate defense.
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Don’t Spray Directly on Plants: If you are using it near houseplants, avoid spraying the mixture directly on the leaves, as the acidity can burn them. Spray the rims of the pots instead.
If You Don’t Like the Smell of Vinegar
If the smell of vinegar is too strong for you (though it does fade as it dries), you can swap it out for 1 cup of water + 1 tablespoon of dish soap + 15 drops of peppermint oil. The soap breaks the surface tension of the water, which suffocates small insects on contact, and the peppermint does the heavy lifting for repelling spiders.
Try this recipe tonight, spray your thresholds and window sills, and you will likely notice an immediate drop in unwelcome houseguests!