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.
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.
Studies find that some dryer sheets do have characteristics that repel insects. However, the insects that are most likely to be repelled by dryer sheets are some mites, beetles, weevils and German cockroaches. Bounce dryer sheets are known to repel fungus gnats.
Dryer Sheets: Mostly False
Linalool is an alcohol derived from plants, and it gives dryer sheets their distinctive scent. In sufficient concentrations, linalool can indeed be used as a pest repellant, but your average dryer sheet doesn't contain enough of it to actually work on roaches.
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.
If used for preventative reasons, they may work well to keep rats and mice away. Most of the all-natural or DIY methods used to prevent mice are said to work because rats are repulsed by their smell. This is especially true for dryer sheets—while these smell wonderful to us, they are abhorred by rats and mice.
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.
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.
What Smell Attracts Spiders? The stinky smell of sweaty socks might repulse humans, but scientists now find it enthralls mosquitoes and spiders. The odor apparently helps the creatures hunt down their victims — the mosquitoes want to feed on people, while the spiders prefer to devour the mosquitoes.
Spiders really don't like strong scents such as citrus, peppermint, tea-tree, lavender, rose or cinnamon. Add 15 to 20 drops of your chosen essential oil or a couple of capfuls of Zoflora fragrance to a spray bottle filled with water, and spritz around the house.
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.
Deter Insects
It is also an insect repellant and kills fleas," says Jose. "This is the major substance in Vicks, aside from Vicks use in upper respiratory infections, that can be used to repel mosquitoes and even fleas."
Vanilla extract, pine, or lavender oil repels biting black flies and mosquitoes too. Herbs like anise, basil, cedarwood, coriander, lemongrass, and mint may work to repel black flies and can be planted in flower boxes or pots and around the edges of your yard. Garlic plants are also reported to have a repelling effect.
Another strong smell that will discourage mice from your home is dryer sheets. Place fresh ones around mouse hangout points, or stuff them into entry holes. Same thing here, though: make sure to remove them once the smell wears off. Nothing looks nicer for a nest than an unscented dryer sheet.
Irish Spring Soap has a strong fragrance that helps to repel mice. Their sharp sense of smell finds this fragrance to be too strong. Many testers say that putting soap shavings strategically keeps their home mice free. However, some others say the mice ate the shavings, and it made no difference.
Dryer Sheets Will Only Repel, Not Kill
Even if your dryer sheets are effective, they'll only repel the mice and not kill them. Once the scent goes away, the mice will likely return. It would be best to take extra precautions to keep mice out of your home or RV.
Sugar. Sugar is by far the most attractive substance to a cockroach. They love sugar and can smell it from anywhere. This means you'll want to keep your sugar containers, fruits, and other sweeteners sealed in air-tight containers that are up off the floor.
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.
Neem. Neem has been used as a desi natural remedy for a lot of things including pests over the years. Neem oil or powder contains potent components that can kill cockroaches. To use it in oil form, mix a small amount of neem oil with water in a spray bottle and spray it in places where you have spotted these pests.