That is, some dryer sheets do have characteristics that repel some insects. The bugs that are theoretically most likely to shy away from the dryer sheets are certain mites, food-infesting beetles, and weevils, German cockroaches, and, according to one study, fungus gnats.
Roach Repellents
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
Most dryer sheets contain the ingredient linalool, which can be found in plants like lavender, basil, and coriander, all of which naturally repel common garden pests. Similar studies found that this ingredient is also useful for repelling bugs like mites, weevils, beetles, and German cockroaches.
Mix together equal parts of vinegar and water into a spray bottle and spray all of the affected areas of your closet, ensuring you cover all corners, cracks and crevices.
Keep your room and home clean.
Sweep, mop, vacuum, dust, and wipe down surfaces with multipurpose cleaner and a rag once a week or so. Also, it's crucial that you stay on top of doing the dishes and taking out the trash. Roaches love food, so full kitchen sinks and trash cans may draw them into your home.
Get Rid of Dust and Hair
Use dry or dampened dryer sheets to wipe dust and hair off of blinds, shelves, ceiling fans, window screens, and even plants. For television and computer screens, a dry sheet will remove surface dust and decrease static electricity.
Spiders and flies: Many of our readers have confirmed that dryer sheets will repel both spiders and flies. Keep a few extra sheets in clothes hampers and around the laundry area and you can kiss all those spiders goodbye.
Although they can keep mice away for some time, dryer sheets should not be used as a long-term solution to prevent mice from entering a home. House mice are adaptable creatures; it will only take a few days for them to get used to the smell of dryer sheets.
Tea Tree Oil. Many homeowners report that roaches don't like tea tree oil. You can combine 1 part vinegar and 4 parts water with a few drops of tea tree oil and apply the mixture with a spray bottle to deter cockroaches from specific areas.
Smells that roaches hate: a quickfire summary
Oregano, rosemary, mint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and catnip are great herby options. Citrus oils work brilliantly too. And surprisingly, lower concentrations – 2.5 parts per hundred – seem to work best as deterrents. Just don't bother with lavender.
Home remedies like diatomaceous earth, baking soda, boric acid, citrus, essential oils, and borax can be effective ways to get rid of roaches. If you want to take a more aggressive approach to eliminate roaches, glue traps, bait stations, and liquid roach deterrent concentrates are all excellent options.
If your home smells like mildew, but you don't find any leaks or mold, it may be a good idea to check for termites. Cockroaches have a telltale smell that's uniquely oily and musty. Unless you've encountered an infestation before, odds are you won't recognize this odor until it's too late.
Spiders and flies: Many of our readers have confirmed that dryer sheets will repel both spiders and flies. Keep a few extra sheets in clothes hampers and around the laundry area and you can kiss all those spiders goodbye.
A: The strong scent of dryer sheets is believed to act as a repellent, making the environment less appealing for bed bugs. However, this method is not guaranteed to work and is not a permanent solution.
Cockroach Repellent Sprays
DEET, Picaridin, lemon eucalyptus oil are some of the ingredients that work as repellents. These do not kill the cockroaches but confuses them.
Avoid using dryer sheets when washing bath, kitchen, microfiber or cleaning towels or rags. If you have children, avoid washing their pajamas with dryer sheets. The coating can make pajamas less fire resistant. Stearic acid coatings can disable the wicking capabilities of active wear and socks.
Cockroaches are attracted to food and water sources. Dirty dishes, crumbs, food spills, leftovers, garbage, and pet food will all draw cockroaches in. Roaches are excellent at scuttling into and over tiny spaces, especially holes in pipes, cracks and crevices in your home, and tears in screens.
Breadcrumbs or baby food can be effective lures to draw cockroaches out of their nests and into your traps.
Dirty houses are certainly more prone to attracting cockroaches and causing other types of pest infestations. However, even a clean house is not immune. In other words, you don't have to be a hoarder to have a roach infestation.