Kitchen staple banishes spiders from your car and helps you avoid £1k fine
September marks the start of spider mating season in the UK, which is why you'll probably have seen way more of the creepy crawlies over the last few weeks. And while the arachnids often seek out the warmth of our homes during this time of year, they can also take up residence both in and around our cars, with common hiding places including your wing mirrors, the top of your dashboard, and - most terrifyingly - the sun visor.
If you're frightened of spiders, then finding one in your car while you're driving can be anxiety-inducing and can make you lose focus on the road while you try to deal with the creature. But doing so could land you with a £1,000 fine for failure to have proper control of your vehicle or full view of the road and traffic ahead, according to the Highway Code. So, it's important to make sure you've cleared your car of spiders before you head off for a drive.
Thankfully, car and van leasing company Vanarama have said there are a number of ways you can discourage spiders from ever coming near your car, which should help you avoid hefty fines over the unwanted passengers. In even better news, the hacks are all cheap to use, and you may even own some of the ingredients already.
According to the experts, spiders can't stand the smell of cinnamon, so one easy hack to get the creatures to leave your car alone is to put cinnamon sticks in the doors. It's not quite Christmas yet, but if you love the smell of the festive season then cinnamon has the added benefit of making your car smell amazing - and it only costs £1 to buy from Tesco if you don't already have some in your spice rack.
The experts said: "You can put cinnamon anywhere in your car, but the easiest option would be to put some cinnamon sticks in your car doors. This way your car will smell lovely, and it's also an ideal option for those who don't like the smell of essential oils."
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Essential oils are another way to keep spiders at bay, as they don't like the scent of things like peppermint, cedar, lavender, or eucalyptus. You can either mix these scents together or just pick one of your favourites, but either way, you should put a few drops of oil into a spray bottle and mix it with water before spritzing the mixture over your car's interior. "While it's unclear why arachnids don't like these scents, they smell and taste through their legs so walking through these in your car would deter them from staying," the pros explained.
And if neither of those tips float your boat, why not try a citrus-scented air freshener? It's known that spiders - and other insects - don't like citronella or citrus scents, and it's common knowledge to light a citronella candle to keep bugs away. You obviously can't light a candle in a car though, so air fresheners are the next best thing. Halfords stock Little Trees air fresheners in scents including Sherbert Lemon for just £1.99.
The experts said: "A citrus air freshener would set you back as little as £1.99, depending on the scent and brand you go for. If you really want to deter them, feel free to add as many as you like. Just make sure these aren't in your eyeline to distract you from driving."
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