Can You Kill A Spider with Hairspray? | Find Out Here

Imagine prepping up in your cozy room, late in the afternoon, for a dinner date with your friends when all of a sudden, you spot a spider crawling towards you. Instant panic! 

I know how terrifying it is to be stuck in that situation.

Well, if your brain still works well despite being clouded by the thought that a spider might attack you anytime, the first thing you’d do is look around for something you can use as armor.

To your left, to your right, all around, and a hairspray catches your attention. Now, the question is, would it work? Can you kill a spider with hairspray?

In this article, I will not only answer your question but also teach you ways to handle this scary situation!

Can You Kill A Spider with Hairspray?

To answer this precisely, yes, hairspray can kill a spider. Various means have been found that hairspray is the most convenient way of killing spiders.

Hairsprays can launch a three-part attack, as believed to be better than most insect repellants. It’s a set of ways to stop them from creating movement first rather than poisoning them right away. 

If there is no hairspray available, you can use soapy water as a substitute, for they have the same consistency but different ingredients.

You can also apply this method to eliminate other pests, for soapy water effectively kills wasps.

Since spiders are known to breathe through their skin, hairsprays have the power to counter it.

A hairspray’s primary purpose of creating a synthetic layer on human hair that typically hardens and lasts over time can also pass through the tiny hairs of the spider until it creates a layer around them.

This action usually results in death after a few minutes.

Another way of getting a spider killed with hairspray is by freezing them. As many know, a few minutes after you spray them with hairspray, they become immobile.

Their inability to even move and curl up can lead to their death at the exact spot.

This process is more effective with smaller spiders because they are easily suffocated, so small amounts can already freeze them.

However, although this process can slow them down with bigger ones, they can still be strong enough to break through this. 

For bigger spiders, using antifreeze will keep them in place, giving you more time to shower them with hairspray. This product can kill more significant pests, for antifreeze can also kill a rat.

Lastly, because of the toxic chemicals in hairsprays, spraying them onto spiders can either poison or burn them. Some substances might also be in insect sprayers which most insects are rarely immune to.

However, with either of the ways above, the results differ depending on the kind of spider you’re dealing with and the type of hairspray you have.

Differences in results are caused by the variety of ingredients found in hairsprays. Those formulated with components that claim to be safer for the environment are usually less effective. Also, the kind of spider does affect the result.

Most often than not, the bigger and stronger ones survive longer. 

How to Use Hairspray to Kill Spiders

Once you start to panic, you can barely think of the right way to kill the spider in front of you using hairspray.

But, I still hope that you will remember the tips I’m about to give you when you’re in the middle of an emergency.

Firstly, let’s assume that you can’t choose the hairspray to kill a spider because you’d surely grab whatever is readily available next to you. But, before taking the bottle of hairspray into your hand, make sure you’re protected.

Cover your mouth, eyes, or nose if necessary since hairsprays have toxins in them.

Next, have the bottle in your hand. Have it ready to push anytime once you’ve locked your target.

Afterwhich, approach the spider slowly. Ensure you do not scare it, so it does not give you a hard time chasing it. 

The moment you’ve landed at a safe distance, spray the spider with a short-to-medium burst from the spray. 

Then, observe the spider and make sure it is unable to move. Once the spider dies, use a paper or towel to remove it from your location and dispose of it in the right place.

In cases wherein they don’t die right away, decide whether you want to get rid of them somewhere else after they’ve been frozen for a moment or kill them by doing some other way. 

Take extra precautions when spraying when the spider is on the wall or ceiling. For venomous spiders, it is recommended to seek help from pest control services instead.

Final Words

Thankfully, getting rid of spiders comes in handy with the help of hairsprays. Your hair’s best friend in styling can also be your armor against a crawling insect that might visit your home surprisingly.

Although the spray may not be potent enough to kill a spider completely, it does something to disable a spider, making it easier for you to kill it later on.

Just don’t spray and forget, though, since a battalion of ants might march their way to feast on a frozen-in-place spider, and it’s undoubtedly not the next problem you want to face.