Do dryer sheets really repel mosquitoes? Here's what science says (2024)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When it comes to the old wives' tale of folding a dryer sheet in your pocket as an alternative to bug repellent, there may be some science backing this claim -- sort of.

Scientists have only conducted studies using Bounce dryer sheets to test repelling abilities for adult fungus gnats, just another kind of those annoying bugs that never seem to leave you alone when hanging outside.

One group of scientists organizedan experiment to find out how well the dryer sheets really work on gnats, and published their results inHortScience, reports Smithsonian Mag. They set up one large container connected to two smaller containers -- and you got it, one of those side containers had a dryer sheet placed in.

The scientists checked back two days later to see where the group of fungus gnats, originally in the center larger container, ended up grouping. Every time they repeated the experiment, the gnats always tended to pool in the dryer sheet-free container. Overall, 45 percent of the gnats flew to the container without the dryer sheet, and 18 percent were in the compartment with the sheet. The rest of the gnats never moved containers.

Then the group wanted to explore further as to why this was happening. Clearly, it had something to do with the chemical content of the dryer sheet. There were two ingredients that stood out to them: one called linalool and another beta-cintronellol.

Linalool is naturally found in lavender and basil, and is considered toxic to some insects but is not known to have repelling qualities. Beta-cintronellol is found in citronella, a chemical used to repel mosquitoes.

While this group of scientists never tested the dryer sheet's abilities with repelling mosquitoes, some speculatethe technique could be applied to repelling certain mites, food-infesting beetles, weevils and German co*ckroaches. When it comes to mosquitoes, using dryer sheets to repel them is merely a possibility.

One TV station in Missouriput it to the test with a family of viewers.

They physically rubbed the dryer sheet on arms and legs, leaving a dandruff-like substance behind. And it worked! It felt grimy and nasty, the mother said, but she stands by the point they did not get bit.

What do you think? Have you noticed bounce dryer sheets work to repel more than fungus gnats?

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