Sprinkler Magician
October 18, 2021
For millennia, plants have been producing their own essential oils to naturally repel insects that may harm them.
For almost just as long, humans have been using these oils for many reasons, including repelling insects. One of the compounds in these essential oils is linalool, which is found in many dryer sheets, but can dryer sheets alone repel mosquitoes?
Do Dryer Sheets Repel Mosquitoes?
Yes! There is evidence some dryer sheets may repel mosquitoes.
A study was conducted that tested the insect repellency properties of Bounce® brand dryer sheets on gnats and found around a 50% decrease in the number of gnats inside the testing radius.
Despite this test, not a lot of research has been done to prove dryer sheets repel specifically mosquitoes. All is not lost, though, because linalool has been tested on mosquitoes and was proven to repel them.
Linalool is found naturally in over 200 plants. It is abundant in lavender, lemongrass, and eucalyptus, which all have strong evidence to suggest they repel mosquitoes, so it’s safe to assume dryer sheets can have a similar effect.
What are the Best Dryer Sheets to Repel Mosquitoes?
Many dryer sheets likely contain linalool, but you might not be able to tell just by looking at the ingredients list. Dryer sheet labels usually encompass all of the ingredients that attribute to scent as “fragrance”.
While any dryer sheet that contains linalool or natural oils should work, there are some that stick out.
Dryer sheets that repel mosquitoes include:
- Bounce® – Since Bounce® has been tested, it’s the best recommendation for a dryer sheet that repels mosquitoes.
- Mrs. Meyer’s – A perfect example is Mrs. Meyer’s brand dryer sheets. The ingredient list for this brand explicitly mentions lavender oil and orange peel oil, which both contain linalool.
Can You Rub Dryer Sheets on You to Repel Mosquitoes?
We don’t recommend rubbing dryer sheets on your skin, as direct skin contact could cause some kind of reaction. Plus, this probably wouldn’t work any better than wearing clothes that were dried with dryer sheets.
A better method would be stashing some dryer sheets in your pockets, shoes, backpack, or even tying them around backpack straps.
Despite little proven evidence of them having an effect on mosquitoes, it’s worth a shot. It’s important to keep mosquitoes away from you. Plus, most insect repellents on the market contain harmful chemicals.
Need a Different Mosquito Repellent?
With the big push to mitigate our negative impact on the environment, why not use a natural active ingredient mosquito repellent? Plus, your yard and home will remain free of harmful chemicals found in most insect repellants.
To keep mosquitoes out of your yard for good, try our effective mosquito repellent.