Being a professional home cleaner, I find spiders all the time–and during the Seattle winter months, I find a lot of Hobo spiders moving indoors. They’re cold! And and while they’re “shy, retiring, and reluctant biters” according to the State of Washington Dept. of Health, they can be scary looking and if they do bite you, and I know from experience, it can be a bit painful and take months for the light red scar to go away. To deter them from sticking around, mix about 10-20 drops (depending on how strong you like the scent) of lavender, peppermint or tea tree organic essential oil with 8-10 ounces of water and, finally, add a dash of eco-friendly dish soap. Shake well and then spray the mixture around the areas where you typically see them (please don’t spray on live spiders, though!). The spiders enjoy neither the smell or the taste.