August 30, 2025, 11:59 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Spiders don’t have a particularly good reputation. Many people are disgusted by the eight-legged creatures—especially when they encounter them in their own homes. Some resort to using a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the intruders. Scientists have explored whether spiders can crawl back out of the vacuum cleaner.
When it gets colder outside, more spiders come indoors seeking shelter. While it may be warmer inside, it’s usually not safe for them. In some cases, spiders are simply taken back outside with a glass and a piece of paper, but in others, they end up in the vacuum cleaner. This raises the question of how humane this method is for the animals—and whether they might reappear after being vacuumed up. Researchers have reached a clear conclusion.
What Happens to Spiders When They’re Vacuumed Up
Depending on the suction power and setting, a spider can be sucked through the tube and hose at speeds of up to 87 mph. It gets tossed around and hits the walls inside the device. This “roller coaster ride” is fatal for the animals in most cases, as they are quite delicate.
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Can Spiders Crawl Out of the Vacuum Cleaner?
Scientists have also investigated whether spiders can crawl back out of the vacuum cleaner after landing inside. In 2007, researchers from Brazil vacuumed up 240 spiders. The result: Hardly any spider survived. This means that the fear many people have that spiders could crawl back out is unfounded.
If they survive the spinning in the long hose and the impact against the backflow preventer, the animals would suffocate from lack of oxygen or starve. According to the researchers, spiders would survive inside the vacuum cleaner for a maximum of one week. Moreover, in modern vacuum cleaners, the hygiene valve prevents escape from this death trap.
What Gentle Methods Are Available?
Given the research findings, the vacuum cleaner method seems anything but gentle for getting rid of spiders in the house. Generally, this method is not recommended. This also raises the question of whether spiders need to be dealt with at all.
Arachnologist Dr. Jason Dunlop explained in an interview with myHOMEBOOK: “Spiders are actually beneficial creatures in the house and garden because they eat unpleasant insects like mosquitoes.” Therefore, he advocates for “peaceful coexistence” with the animals. He would simply take an unwanted spider outside with a glass and a piece of paper. Additionally, researchers have found that certain scents can also repel spiders.