Hard-To-Reach Cobwebs Are A Thing Of The Past With A Tennis Ball Hack

If cleaning the hard-to-reach corners of your ceilings and porches seems like more hassle than it's worth, it's understandable. By the time you move everything else out of the way, drag the step stool out of the closet, and remember how to set it up, you could've cleaned half the kitchen. Unfortunately, it's those tall corners where spiders seem to love to set up shop, leading to cobwebs appearing just out of your reach.

Fortunately, there is a hack you can use involving one of our favorite versatile objects: the ordinary tennis ball. For a quick solution, place the tennis ball inside the end of knee-high socks or a cut leg from the pantyhose. Secure it in place with a rubber band and toss it gently at the corners with the cobwebs, where they'll cling to the material. Using the tennis ball inside these materials gives you the ability to control the toss more effectively. Granted, this method works better when you are trying to remove cobwebs outdoors on a porch, where throwing the tennis ball won't break anything.

You already know you can use a tennis ball to clean your floors. Additionally, including tennis balls in your laundry supplies works well to fluff up your pillows and blankets during the dry cycle. They also work as floor protectors under chairs and tables. As you can tell, they have quite a few uses that go beyond throwing them for the dog or smacking them with a racket at the court.

The tennis ball has a rubber core and a fuzzy wood felt on the outside. The rubber core gives it firmness that works well for pushing it into the corners where cobwebs often appear. The fuzzy exterior sticks to the cobwebs, pulling them out of the corners more effectively than a long wood or metal pole alone. If the ceiling has a rough texture, you need a material that has a grippy exterior to be able to pull the webs loose.

If you don't want to risk throwing the tennis ball around the interior or exterior of your home, another option is to place it on the end of a long pole or a broom handle. You then can reach into the tall corners to pull cobwebs loose. Most broom heads attached to plastic handles will unscrew, so you can remove the broom and attach the tennis ball.

Cut a slit in the tennis ball, so you can insert the pole or handle into the ball. Keep the slit small, so the handle will fit tightly without the tennis ball popping loose when you put it under stress. Many people use this hack to clean scuff marks from the floor, but it also works well for pulling sticky cobwebs out of tall corners. You still may have to climb on a step ladder or step stool to reach the highest spots, even with the ball on a handle.

If you don't have a tennis ball available, there are a few other options you can use to reach the cobwebs and fully remove them. If you have a wet-dry vacuum with a long hose, you can use it effectively to remove tall cobwebs. Climb on a ladder or step stool and use a long, firm plastic extension on the hose, so you can accurately aim the vacuum at the webs. Vacuums work nicely because they also catch the dust that can accumulate in these areas.

A similar option is a disposable duster head on the end of a long pole. You will probably have to climb a ladder again to reach the corners, but this process also catches dust, rather than knocking it to the ground underneath. If you don't have any of these items, you can make use of a broom. Climb the ladder and reach into the tall corner to brush the cobweb loose and pull it down. However, this method may knock dust to the floor.

For cleaning cobwebs that are outside on a porch or patio, you often can use a sprayer hose or a spray nozzle and wash them away. You may be able to do this from the ground, rather than having to dig out a step ladder, which is convenient. However, you may get wet from the spray.