How to Use Dryer Sheets to Keep Pests Away (Step-by-step)

So this is your first time using dryer sheets to keep pests away? Dryer sheets have officially proven to be the best pest repellant. They can also help remove dried insects from your house walls and the windscreen of your car or body.

For newbies, spray water on the affected area and rub it off with a damp dryer sheet. If on the car, ensure to reapply wax to maintain its glossy finish since the chemicals in dryer sheets can melt your car’s finish.

Additionally, dryer sheets can keep pests away from indoor plants. Placing multiple dryer sheets close to your houseplants could shield them from these root-eating bugs because they have been shown to deter fungus gnats.

This is helpful for plants in damp locations where the fungus is most prone to grow in the soil, such as the bathroom or backyard.

How to Use Bounce Dryer Sheets to Keep Away Gnats

The affordable Bounce dryer sheets make garments soft, odor-free, and static-free (Amazon paid link.)

Although they pose no threat to people or animals, fungus gnats can be a nuisance. According to the HortScience website, bounce dryer sheets are efficient at keeping adult fungus gnats away; however, additional research is required to determine the most effective way to employ this product to keep insects away.

The humus-rich soils of indoor plants, including African violets, geraniums, cyclamens, and foliage plants, are where fungus gnats emerge. Fungus gnats resemble mosquitoes, approximately 1/8 to 1/10 inch long, with slender legs, a grayish-black body, and wings.

1. Take a Bounce dryer sheet out of the packaging.
   
2. To keep gnats off you, vigorously rub the dryer sheet over your clothing.
   
3. The dryer sheet should be tucked into your pocket. The linalool aroma in the dryer sheet is circulated by your body heat, driving the gnats away. Monoterpene alcohol has a floral scent, linalool. This clear liquid is used to create cosmetics and fragrances.
   
4. Dryer sheets can be cut into strips and taped to the sides of plant pots with organic matter-rich soil. This could deter gnats from reproducing more of the pests by preventing them from laying their eggs on the ground.
   
5. To repel gnats, take a few Bounce dryer sheets and scatter them around your house and greenhouse.

How to Use Dryer Sheets To Keep Away Ants

You can use safe insecticides made by manufacturers to keep ants out of your house, but you can also utilize a regular household item as a deterrent.

You can use dryer sheets to keep ants out of your home since they contain chemicals that repel them. These are the same sheets you use in the dryer to give your clothing fabric a softener.

Create a barrier that will deter ants and force them to seek out another place to live by using dryer sheets in a variety of ways.

1. Any places where you have seen ants should be cleaned with a wet dryer sheet. Cover the areas where the ants have appeared completely using the dryer sheet as a paper towel.
   
2. Place a dry sheet over a hummingbird feeder to stop ants from contaminating the sugar solution in the hummingbird feeder.
   
   Apply a tight rubber band to each end of the dryer sheet as you wrap it over the top of the feeder. Because the ants won’t touch the dryer sheet, there won’t be any swimming ants in the sugar solution.
   
3. Use dryer sheets nearby to stop ants from entering your house through window and door cracks and crevices. The sheets should be rolled up and stuffed into empty places.
   
4. To keep ants from approaching windows, which are frequently the most straightforward route to enter your home, pin dryer sheets to the window screens. The dryer sheets’ toxic ingredients keep them away from the region.
   
5. Placing dryer sheets along established ant routes can divert the ants’ attention away from your home. To stop the ants from entering your home once you have blocked their paths, place the sheets in key spots along the exterior of your house.

How to Use Dryer Sheets To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

It’s simple to get rid of bed bugs using dryer sheets. Dryer sheets work excellently in repelling bed bugs but remember that they don’t kill them. The two primary methods for eliminating bed bugs with dryer sheets are as follows:

Method 1: Using Dryer Sheets Indoors

Place dryer sheets in parts of your home that you wish to keep free of bed bugs, such as your bed. This will help keep bed bugs away from such locations. This can also apply to drapes, wardrobes, cabinets, and other furniture.

The corners of the mattress, under and between the pillows, and underneath the bed sheet and cover are all places where you can avoid getting bitten by bed bugs.

Method 2: Using Dryer Sheets Outdoors

To ward off insects, you can also use dryer sheets outside. For instance, if you’re going on a hiking or camping vacation, you can use dryer sheets to keep the pests off your clothing and sleeping bags.

It is crucial to keep changing the sheets depending on how long you stay. After a hike, camping trip, or picnic, wet dryer sheets can remove bug and pest droppings from your outdoor furniture, bike, and other items.

Additionally, you can use fabric softener sheets as bed bug repellants during these travels. Before you place your food into your picnic basket, line the bottom with a dry sheet.

To ward off insects, spread it out on the ground before erecting a tent, picnic blanket, and sleeping bag. To ensure that the bugs stay away, you can even wrap your garments in dryer sheets before packing them in the backpack.

How To Use Dryer Sheets To Keep Away Cockroaches

Dryer sheets are a short-term solution to your cockroach issue. If you wish to use it at home, begin by:

1. Put dryer sheets where you notice cockroaches hiding or moving around.
   
2. Cockroaches can access more surface area if the dryer sheets are flat. As a result, the impact radius of a single sheet will be increased.
   
3. Arranging numerous sheets in a single location. This broadens the radius and makes the linalool stronger.

Preventing Cockroaches from Getting Away

After establishing a line of defense, you must block any possible escape routes:

1. The sheets should be crumpled and stuffed into the cracks. This may prevent cockroaches from hiding.
   
2. The linalool in the sheets can be preserved by rolling them up, increasing their useful life.
   
3. Use rubber bands to bind several papers together. This results in a more potent aroma that might linger longer.

Prevention of Roach Nesting

If they are unable to escape, the cockroaches will search for alternative hiding spots. Place some sheets in the corners and behind the appliances to stop this.

Cockroaches are discouraged from creating their nests in warm, enclosed areas. They are also prevented from scavenging for food scraps.

Scenting Your House with Linalool

Dryer sheets can be used for more than just laundry and insect control when sprucing up your home using linalool. One of these is using a substitute cloth to clean surfaces.

Linalool residue may be left behind after wetting the sheet. These traces are insufficient to kill cockroaches. For a little time, they can deter them, though.

Do Dryer Sheets Repel Mosquitos?

There are several do-it-yourself or at-home solutions to get rid of bothersome mosquitoes. Some of these techniques may be helpful, but many may be unrealistic and idealistic.

Dryer sheets are one household item that many people swear keeps mosquitoes away.

Some claim that you can prevent mosquitoes from flying around by spreading dryer sheets in areas where they tend to congregate or tucking them into your pockets.

Trade periodicals and Master Gardener were the sources of this concept. Although Bounce has been mentioned in a few papers as a mosquito repellent, there isn’t much evidence to back up this claim.

According to studies, some dryer sheets do include insect-repelling qualities. However, some mites, beetles, weevils, and German cockroaches are among the insects that dryer sheets are most likely to repel.

Bounce dryer sheets are known to repel fungus gnats (Amazon paid link.) A study conducted at the University of Illinois and Kansas State University discovered that when mature fungus gnats were introduced into a chamber, 45 percent of them were found in the side of the chamber that didn’t have dryer sheets.

Further investigation revealed that the repellant in dryer sheets is linalool, according to testers. Some insects can be poisoned by linalool, according to other studies.

Many plants naturally contain the substance, including basil and lavender. Even some sprays to ward off mosquitoes include linalool.

Unfortunately, this study provides no conclusive evidence about mosquito repellents. The only thing the researchers were observing was the fungus gnats.

The fact that they successfully repelled gnats and other insects does not guarantee that they will be effective against mosquitoes. It’s best to stick with tried-and-true strategies for repelling mosquitoes.

Deet and other insect repellents have been used for decades and have proven quite effective at keeping mosquitoes and other insects away. A pest control expert can also assist you in determining the best method of mosquito prevention for your house and family.

Can Dryer Sheets Remove A Cockroach Infestation?

Infestations of cockroaches are challenging to control. You’ll be unable to complete the process using dryer sheets. This is due to the fact that dryer sheets require regular touch with insects.

Dryer sheets must frequently be changed.

If one dryer sheet can eliminate one cockroach, several are required to eradicate an infestation. If you find one roach, there are probably more of them elsewhere.

Dryer sheets act as a modest deterrent in light of this. They can operate as a temporary line of defense while you implement more effective pest control measures.

How Often Should I Replace Dryer Sheets?

Linalool in dryer sheets is only useful for a limited time. The sheet is no longer useful once the fragrance (and subsequently the material) have dissipated.

Dryer sheets might retain their aroma between a few weeks and a few months. Having said that, remember that dryer sheets occasionally go wrong.

This is because they also take in nearby scents and wetness that roaches enjoy. Once per week, check the dryer sheets. Replace them with new ones if they are damp, unclean, or have lost their aroma.

Next, you can check out my article where I answer if dryer sheets expire or not.

What Are Dryer Sheets?

The sheets of material known as dryer sheets are safe to use while drying damp laundry. This sheet aids stain avoidance, lint collection, and static electricity prevention.

Additionally, some pests may be discouraged depending on the chemicals used to treat the sheet. There are three primary categories of dryer sheets:

Polyester

This nonwoven fabric is supple, elastic, and simple to combine with other garments. Static electricity is drawn to it. The majority of the dryer sheet is made of this polyester.

Softening Agent

The polyester material itself is coated with a softening agent. This agent’s components might vary, though fatty acids and alcohol ethoxylates are frequently utilized.

Your clothing will become softer as a result, and depending on the ingredients, stains may be avoided.

Scent

Some dryer sheet manufacturers come with extra additives that improve the scent they emit. Since it emits a lovely aroma resembling lavender and citrus, linalool is a favorite. However, linalool can cause allergies in certain people.