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Does Hairspray Kill Spiders?

Does Hairspray Kill Spiders

Imagine this, you are walking through the house or just doing your hair early in the morning when a spider comes crawling towards you. Naturally, you grab the nearest thing you can, and usually, that may be a shoe or magazine.

However, there are moments where you may grab a bottle of hairspray and hope that your intense spray is effective enough to kill it.

Hairspray does kill spiders through various means and can be one of the most effective ways of getting rid of the eight-legged crawlers. Many people have seen the effect that hairspray can have on spiders and will actively look to get rid of them with the spray, usually having different results depending on the type of spider and hairspray used.

A spider’s death through hairspray is not the same as a spider’s death through insect killers, with many people not quite understanding what is happening.

Many different hairsprays will be effective in different ways, and some of the safer for the environment sprays can be a lot less effective. Some stronger spiders may also survive longer purely because they are larger, which is why many people think that hairspray to kill spiders is a myth.

How Does Hairspray Kill Spiders?

When it comes to killing a spider, we believe there is only one way that will always work: crushing them or slamming them with something hard and heavy. However, many different ways can be used, and some of these ways are significantly more effective than actual crushing.

Hairspray can be more effective than even the best insect killers, usually because, unlike the poisons used in these, hairspray has a three-part attack. That is why you will see some insect repellents working much the same way as hairspray because all you need to do is find the best way of stopping some creatures from moving instead of poisoning them.

The Breathing Way

An interesting fact about hairspray is that it creates a layer on your hair that hardens, which is why it is so great to style your hair. This is a synthetic layer that does not allow your hair to breathe or stretch as much as it normally would, which is why a heavy application of hairspray lasts several hours after gels and waxes have failed.

The interesting part about spiders is that they breathe through their skin, which means that anything that creates a layer over this would kill them.

Hairspray is great at doing this because it moves past the small hairs that would usually protect the spider and the layer is skintight around it. This is the most common way that most spiders will die from hairspray, which can take a few minutes, especially for larger spiders.

By Freezing The Spider

This is what you will see used by most people around the world to explain why a spider died from hairspray. It is by far one of the more creative things to see, and oddly enough is not always wrong. However, it is much more effective against smaller spiders than large ones. The same layer that can suffocate a spider can quickly harden and make it impossible for it to move.

However, larger spiders can be strong enough to break through this, as they are some of the strongest things on earth at their size. This means that it can be quite creepy to see the spider moving slowly even after being doused in the spray.

On the other hand, smaller spiders will suddenly stop moving as the sticking sensation of the hairspray prevents them from even curling up and dying.

Through The Most Dangerous Way

While stopping the spider from breathing is a good way to stop it from living and freezing it in place is a great way to know where it is, most hairspray has a trick up their sleeves.

Even the most eco-friendly hairsprays will warn you not to breathe any of it in or even to have it being sprayed in a closed room. This is because the chemicals used in hairspray is quite toxic, and it is no less toxic to the world of insects and arachnids.

Listing all the ways that these chemicals are toxic to a spider will be almost pointless as many times they kill the spider by either poisoning them or just burning them in a chemical way.

It is this that causes the spiders and other bugs to rarely become immune to hairspray as they may with other repellents. Each hairspray has different chemicals in them, and they are all effective at killing spiders.

What Are The Best Hairsprays To Kill A Spider With?

Choosing your hairspray to kill a spider may not be something you are setting out to do, but it is something you may find yourself thinking of.

There are many advantages to using all of these hairsprays, but we will be focusing on what part of them kills the spider. As we move through the list, it is vital to know that they all do the same thing to the spiders. They have different levels of strength.

This may be important to remember if you ever face an army of spiders or are ready to clean out an attic, and the first box you find is filled with old full bottles of hairspray, quickly followed by the box of very much alive spiders.

These are all good at killing spiders but depending on what you need for the situation, and they may all be more effective for your plans.

  • Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging: This is the hairspray to use if you don’t want your spider enemy to go anywhere, as it includes a claim that it can resist moisture for 72 hours, making it perfect for keeping any spider exactly where you can slam into it. Check it out here, if you’re interested.
  • BIOLAGE Styling Freeze: A lot more flexible, this hairspray is perfect for getting what you need to be done quickly for both your hair and the spiders. As it is more flexible, it is more likely to cause a thick film to develop and suffocate the spiders. Check it out here, if you’re interested.
  • Nexxus Comb Thru: One with the best of both worlds, the Nexxus Comb Thru is more likely to poison and suffocate the spider than almost anything else. This will easily stop it from moving while ensuring a quick death to the creepy crawly. Check it out here, if you’re interested.
  • Keratin Complex Firm Hold: Like the Alterna, the Keratin Firm Hold will keep your spider nemesis from moving even an inch once it has been doused. This is more likely to keep the spider in place and ready for a full magazine slam than you may expect. Just be sure that the spider is dead when you are done with it. Check it out here, if you’re interested.
  • Garnier Fructis Style Sleek: A common problem that you may find when spraying a spider with hairspray is that the pressure from the blast shoves them away. Finer mists usually have a lot less pressure and cause less chaos when you use them to kill the spider. Check it out here, if you’re interested.
  • TRESemmé Aerosol Hairspray: We highly recommend having a few cans of these ready throughout your home, not only because it is quite effective to use for spiders but also because it is significantly cheaper. This means you can save the good stuff for your styling needs while getting rid of the creepy stuff affordably. Check it out here, if you’re interested.
  • Dove Style + Care: The affordable answer to having a new spider statue wherever you are, the Dove Style only costs $5 and will easily stop even the largest of spiders if sprayed enough. Many people prefer to use this in their hair anyway as not everyone has the money to buy salon level spray for their homes. Check it out here, if you’re interested.

Conclusion

It would help if you remembered what you should be using your hairspray normally, as it can be costly to grab your favorite brand and kill spiders with it.

However, you can rest assured that even the cheapest brands you know will effectively kill spiders throughout your home or salon.

Just be sure that you don’t spray and forget, a frozen in place spider would make the perfect buffet for an army of ants looking for a new home!

Written by Christina Bowler

We're a team of hair care enthusiast that have been in this industry for a very long time. Since 2019 we've been writing helpful articles to help you find the right tips, tricks, and products that you might want. Feel free to ask us questions on the contact page.

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