Immediately wash the bite with mild soap and warm water. This removes any bacteria your spider buddy left behind as a parting gift. Then, obsess—but in a productive way. Grab a pen and draw a line around the redness. If the red area spreads past that line in the next hour, you’ve got a growing infection. If it doesn’t, you’ve just performed science without a lab coat. Feel smart.
Ice, Baby: The Universal Antidote
Wrap an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas—no judgment) in a thin cloth and press it on the bite for 10 minutes. Do not apply the ice directly to skin unless you enjoy the sensation of freezer burn. Ice reduces swelling, numbs the sting, and gives you something to hold while you curse the spider’s ancestors. This step works 90% of the time for any local reaction. The other 10% is waiting for Benadryl to kick in.
