Easily Remove Cobwebs From Ceilings And Other High Spots

Nothing makes your home look old and dingy more than those creepy cobwebs dangling from your ceiling. They love to collect around beams and rafters, and are also commonly found in corners, or the area where the wall meets with the ceiling. Textured ceilings will often amass the the largest amount of these little mess makers, and the same surface that makes them stick, also makes them more difficult to take off.

You will also regularly find cobwebs covering ceiling fans and other hard to reach objects that are well beyond your normal reach. All of these locations are difficult to clean, and will require a special tool, practiced technique, or at least some sort of ladder, stool or extension to put you closer to the action. Besides high up areas, cobwebs also collect in tight spaces like the crack between appliances, or locations with little traffic like stairwells.

Because nobody really likes to touch them, and the appearance of them is also unwanted, it is important to have a good tool to make the job of removing cobwebs easy.

What Is A Cobweb?

Despite what you might think, a cobweb is not just a spider web with a less terrifying name. They do both originate from the same source, but there is also a distinct difference between the two.

Essentially, a cobweb is the left over remnants of a no longer used spider web. When a spider dies, or moves on to a more fly-filled locale, the web remains to deteriorate as it collects dust and other debris. This is what gives cobwebs their familiar and unsightly appearance.

Unlike fresh webs, the ones we are commonly cleaning are thicker, more wispy, and far more tangled looking. Regular spider webs are the fine ones spun into elaborate patterns in order to create a home for their maker, and these are typically still being used to catch bugs and house spiders. The look is quite different, and when touched, fresh webs will be thinner and more sticky in comparison. Even though there is a clear difference between the two, most people would want to rid their homes of either, and the method outlined below, would work in all cases.

Top 4 Traditional Cleaning Methods

1. Use a Vacuum Cleaner

One of the most highly recommended methods for dealing with this particular mess is to use your vacuum cleaner. This method works well for the cobwebs you can reach, but you’ll be limited by the length of your extension hose. In some cases, you can climb on a stool or ladder to extend your reach when using a vacuum, but depending on the exact machine, it may not be possible. Although your vacuum cleaner will work to complete this job, you’ve probably already tried it, and then decided that there must be a better way.

The Upside

Pretty much everyone has a vacuum cleaner already, so if you choose this method, you can get right to work. Thanks to the powered suction, the machine will do most of the work for you, so you should be able to finish the job quickly, and with little effort by using a vacuum. For all of the cobwebs that you are able to clean, you won’t have to touch them with your hands, or work hard to dispose of them after you finish.

The Downside

Whenever you try to suck up cobwebs with your vacuum, you’ll end up with a sticky dirty mess that begins to coat the outside of your extension hose. Many will be sucked up and eliminated, but any that remain coated on the hose will have to be wiped away by hand when you finish. A good vacuum will do the job in a pinch, but it’ll require electricity and cord management, and it’ll also cause you to lug a heavy appliance all over your home.

For any cobwebs within reach, you should be able to clean them relatively easily, but for all of the ones out of reach, you’ll still need a stool, or a ladder if you want to be able to clean them. Also, there may be some cobwebs that are so high up that you won’t even be able to reach them with your extension hose or brush tool, so you might need another option to finish the job.

How To Do It

1. You’ll need a vacuum cleaner with an extension hose and attachments.
2. Set it up to use the hose, then connect your longest extension. You can use any attachment you prefer, but for best results, something with a brush works best.
3. To clean cobwebs, simply such them up.
4. Use the brush to loosen any stubborn webs, and switch to a different attachment for tight spaces.
5. For cobwebs out of reach, use a ladder or stool carefully.
6. Once finished, dispose of the debris, and then clean the machine. You will have sticky stuff stuck to the hose and attachments, and you may have sticky stuff in the collection bin too.

If you do decide to use you vacuum cleaner for this job, you can get good results in a short time, but your reach will be limited. Also, you may contaminate and dirty your machine more than you want to. When working with a vacuum, ensure that it’s on level ground, and use the brush attachment for best results. Once finished, most of the collected debris should be able to be dumped from the bag or canister, but the sticky bits clinging to the hose will need to be wiped with a paper towel or rag in order to dispose of them.

2. Use a Broom

Another commonly recommended method for removing cobwebs from ceilings and other high places is to sweep them away with a broom. If you’re using the right kind of broom, you’ll probably have some success with this method, but there are also some clear downsides that you may want to think about.

The Upside

Using a broom to clean cobwebs is pretty easy-to-do, and you’re guaranteed to remove at least some of them when you try it. Most people have a broom sitting in a closet, ready to go, so it’s another tool that’ll allow you to get to work immediately. A broom will be much lighter than a vacuum cleaner, so for many, it’ll be way easier to manage, especially when trying to reach rafters, fans and chandeliers. When using this tool, you’ll be able to get to work quickly, and you’ll be able to clean large areas with a single swipe.

The Downside

Because most of us use our brooms for sweeping floors, we don’t typically have one that is clean enough to be used to remove cobwebs. If you go sweeping ceilings and walls with your regular floor broom, you’ll probably take down most of the webs, but they’ll be replaced by dirt marks swept on in their place.

Also, a broom sort of whisks things from side to side, and it has no real ability to pull cobwebs in toward you when used in this fashion.  For this reason, you’re more likely to brush cobwebs off the wall and onto your floor instead of actually eliminating them from your house.

Your broom is pretty long, and it’ll allow you to reach most regular ceiling heights, but for anyone with vaulted ceilings or ones that measure more than eight feet tall, you’ll have some trouble getting all the way to the top. In order to get every last web, you’ll need to climb up higher, or extend your broom in some way.

How To Do It

1. If you do want to try this method, make sure to sweep lightly in order to minimize contact with textured ceilings, and reduce dirt left on surfaces.
2. A gentle sweeping action should loosen and remove most cobwebs, but it may be difficult to clean in tight areas, or remove cobwebs from tight spaces using this technique.
3. Use care to avoid damage. Stiff bristles can mark walls, bring down popcorn ceilings, or scratch certain fixtures and other stuff.
4. To extend your reach, attach your broom head to a longer extension pole, or climb up on a stool or ladder.
5. Once the job is complete, use another brush to get all of the sticky debris off your broom, or take it outside to hose it off.

3. Use Cleaning Cloth

Another technique that is commonly recommended will be wiping the cobwebs with a cloth. You could use a regular cleaning cloth, or specialized dusting cloth, or even a paper towel. The type of cloth will not make that much difference because you’ll want to try to avoid contact with any surfaces. For stuff that is close, you can easily wipe it with a cloth and get good results, but for cobwebs on ceilings, fan blades and light fixtures, you’ll probably need something extra to help you reach it. Using a cleaning cloth to remove cobwebs is a method that will produce results, but it’s not without it’s drawbacks, and there are certainly other easier ways to go about it.

The Upside

Wiping with a cloth is probably the quickest, easiest, and most simple way to get the job done, and everyone will have some sort of rag that’ll work. For cobwebs within arms-reach, it’s a great way to clean them, and as long as your careful, you can eliminate the grime without any damage to the surfaces underneath. When using a cloth there is no set-up, so you can begin right away, and finish the job fast.

The Downside

When you use any sort of cloth or similar technique to remove cobwebs, you may be pressing the dirt down against the wall or ceiling, and then wiping it clean. Because cobwebs are coated with oily dirt and dust, you’ll find it difficult to remove the web without dirtying the surface. For this reason, you’ll probably have to come back and wipe the wall clean to eliminate the smudges and dirt left behind by the first job.

When using a cloth, your hand will be pretty close to the action, so anyone afraid of spiders or wanting to avoid touching dirt will not find this technique enjoyable. You’re almost guaranteed to have sticky, yucky webs touching your skin, and the job will not be that easy to finish completely.

In order to get up high, you would need to climb, or attach the cloth to some type of extension. When attached to the extension, it’ll be difficult to apply the right amount of pressure, or control the cloth to make the job fast and simple.

How To Do It

1. If using this technique, you would want to attempt to minimize the degree to which the dirt and webs come into contact with the surface you are removing them from.
2. An ideal method would gently lift and remove the cobwebs while not getting the wall filthy.
3. Use a light touch, and try not to press cobwebs into surfaces.
4. For debris that is out of reach, try draping the cloth over a broom or mop to extend your reach.
5. When wiping, work from one side to the other, and work from top to bottom.
6. If your cloth is heavily spoiled, you should shake it out, or somehow remove the bulk of the cobwebs prior to washing.
7. If you only collected a little bit, you can probably just toss the cloth in the wash in order to rid the clinging debris without touching it too much.

4. Buy A Specialized Tool

You can go to the store, or shop online, and find an expensive tool labeled just for this job. It’s such a common task, and so many people are searching for a good way to do it, that there are literally a number of tools made just for cleaning cobwebs. If you get one, you can be sure to get the job done, but it may be pretty expensive, you’ll have to go get it, and it’ll probably be useless for anything else in life.

The Upside

When you get a specialized tool, you take out the guess-work, and you guarantee results. Sure, you could probably do it with your broom, or your vacuum, but a tool designed for the task will save time and effort in almost every case. A good tool will also help you get into every location, and reach as far as you need to. If you want to get professional level results, it may be worth while to consider using the same type of tool that the pros use.

The Downside

As previously mentioned, cobweb cleaning tools are designed for a single task. You won’t be able to clean anything else in your home with it, so it’ll sit in a closet when you’re not cleaning cobwebs in high up locations. Also, these tools often have pretty stiff bristles. The stiffness makes them effective at gathering cobwebs, but it also makes them dangerous to use in some locations. You’ll want to use a light touch to avoid scraping and scratching the stuff you come into contact with.

Although most cobweb cleaners will have an extension option, many are not actually that long. For vaulted ceilings, most people need a 20 ft. reach to do a good job, and many options will not provide that length. You’ll definitely pay to get a good tool for this job, so it won’t be an economical option, but for many it may be money well spent.

When it comes time to dispose of the collected cobwebs, the stiff bristles on traditional tools can be pretty annoying. The same properties that allow the bristles to collect debris so well, also causes them to hold onto cobwebs tightly when you try to dispose of them.

Overall, a specialized, store-bought tool can be an effective option for many people.

How To Do It

1. Cobweb cleaners are usually just a stiff brush on a pole.
2. To prepare for cleaning, make sure the bristles are clean.
3. If the pole is telescoping, extend it to your desired length.
4. To clean, use a light touch to avoid damage.
5. Lightly wipe, or twirl to remove cobwebs from surfaces.
6. Use a cloth or rag to wipe the bristles clean after the job is done.
7. For tough soiling, take the brush outside to use a hose for cleaning.

An Easy Way To Clean Cobwebs Up High

If you’re going to buy something, it might as well be something awesome. Why waste money on a mediocre tool that’s only good for one thing? If you want to maximize value and feel good about your purchase, you may be better off if you choose a better option with more versatility.

Our Long Reach Duster Set offers one of the best ways to remove cobwebs from any surface in your home, and it will actually make the job easy. Instead of struggling with the less than perfect methods that everyone else is using, you could switch to a faster, easier and more efficient way in order to save yourself time, money and frustration.

You can forget about deciding between drawbacks when you start cleaning with a tool and method that is more suited to this job. You won’t have to worry about things that are too high up, or areas that are too tight or difficult to reach. This amazing set will prepare you for any cobweb on any surface in your home. You’ll have an incredible reach of up to twenty feet, and the tool at the end of your extension will be perfectly suited for lifting and removing the sticky debris. You won’t have to worry about creating new messes as you work, and you’ll be delighted at how effective this lightweight tool really is.

Why This Tool Is Better

The static duster portion that does the actual cleaning may look like a regular feather duster, but it is far more powerful and ideal for this job. When activated, it builds and holds a static charge in the fibers. This charge will literally pull in cobwebs just like it does with other dust and light debris. It will almost act like a vacuum and brush combined as it lifts and removes cobwebs without leaving marks or pressing them down so that they stick to the wall.

Once pulled in toward the duster,  webbing will collect and hold in the synthetic fibers until the job is done. You can poke straight into a high corner to suck out some webs, or brush lightly along a ceiling beam to clean the whole length. You can even twist up large webs like you are eating spaghetti, and it will roll it right up.

Despite the large, fluffy appearance, the duster actually has a very slim body made from flexible metal. This feature not only allows you to bend it to any shape you need, it also allows the tool to sneak under large objects, or squeeze between a couple.

No portion of your house will be unreachable when you’re using this tool. It’s gentle enough to dust the knickknack shelf without moving anything, and it’ll actually clean all sides of all objects as it eliminates dust and sucks away any webs. All of the fibers are connected to the center rod, but they extend out pretty far to enable you to gently clean almost anywhere. The synthetic material is safe for all surfaces, and when charged it’ll allow you to clean surfaces without even really touching them.

What’s Included

Our long reach duster set comes complete with one large duster, and one 12 foot extension pole. Basically, it includes everything necessary to remove dust and cobwebs from any surface in your home. You can use the duster in your hand for all of the close stuff,  or stick it on the long, aluminum extension to reach all of those high up areas.

Add on extra dusters to save one exclusively for this job, and you’ll never have to worry about cleaning it. You could also save the extra as backup because the duster included in our set is fully washable and reusable.  In most cases you would never have to think about actually washing the duster, but if it becomes necessary due to a yucky job like this, it’s totally safe to do. When you’re finished collecting cobwebs, we would recommend simply wiping the duster head clean with a plastic bag, paper towel or reusable cloth. A single swipe should eliminate all debris.

How To Use It

Using this set to clean cobwebs in hard to reach places is easy. You’ll be able to eliminate them from any place in your home using the following simple and effective technique. The key to success with this set of tools is to charge the duster prior to using it. When you do this, the fibers will be statically charged, and able to suck in cobwebs like a magnet.

1. To charge it up, simple get a plastic grocery bag and hold it in one hand. Take your duster in the other hand, then sort of grab the duster with your bag hand, and then give it a rub.
2. A quick up and down motion will build the charge, and you will know it is ready when the fibers start to stand on end, and the whole duster begins to look a bit fatter and fluffier.
3. Once charged up, it is ready to clean, so simply determine where you are going to clean to decide if an extension pole is needed.
4. If you do need one, remove the plastic cap from the bottom of your duster handle, and then insert the duster in the end of your desired extension pole.
5. Once in there, tighten the tension screw to secure it in place.
6. The 2 foot poles are able to telescope to become longer or shorter, so once your duster is in place, adjust the pole to the correct length.
7. To dust or remove cobwebs simply get the duster close and they will suck in and attach themselves to the fibers.
8. You can use a gently brushing motion, or a sort of twirling action for best results.
9. The thin center of the dusting wand allows you to get into tight spaces, and around delicate stuff without risk.
10. For difficult spots, you can even bend the head to any angle for better access.
11. Once the duster head is full of cobwebs, shake to empty into a trash can.
12. At full extension anyone can reach cobwebs 20 feet away while standing on the floor.

When using this tool, spider webs are easily eliminated with little effort, and you never risk any damage to textured surfaces, or dirt residue left from smearing webs. The long pole will allow you to reach the highest spots without straining, and because this tool is bendable, you’ll even be able to get into weird corners, or above ceiling fans.

Slip it under the bed to sweep cobwebs out from underneath, or shove it between counters and appliances to remove debris from those tight spaces. No area will be too far away to reach, or too compact to fit. You can wipe up the webs by coming into full contact, or simply move over the top without touching as they are pulled into the fibers.

The job is way easier when you use this tool, but you’ll still be faced with disposing of the debris once it’s collected. Luckily, this is pretty simple to do, and if you use the following technique, you can avoid touching anything disgusting. Simply take that same bag you used to charge the duster up, and then grab and wipe over a trash can. One single swipe should release the webs and allow them to fall into the garbage.

You could also use a paper towel, or rag and wipe in the same way. If the static charge is still strong, and the webs are still clinging hard, give the duster a couple taps against the inside of your trash can to release the charge and make it easier to remove them. If the duster get too dirty over time, you can also wash it with soap and water when necessary. This would be overkill for a single cobweb job, but it helps the tool to last longer without replacement.

Prevent Cobweb Buildup

Stop living in fear of what might sneak down from all of those webs on your ceiling. With these amazing tools, and this simple method, anyone can easily eliminate cobwebs no mater how high up they are. Don’t keep struggling with those other methods that only waste time and cause frustration. Try completing this job the easy way, and never contaminate your vacuum with spider webs again.

Have a better way to clean cobwebs on high ceilings? Please share with everyone else. If you have a better way, or a way you used to use that was worse, use the comments box to share.

Products Mentioned

• Long Reach Duster Set
• Static Duster

Tip Contents

• What Are Cobwebs
• Clean With a Vacuum
• Clean With a Broom
• Clean With a Cloth
• Buy a Special Tool
• An Easy Way To Clean Cobwebs
• Step by Step Instructions
• Prevent Cobweb Buildup