If you’re getting frustrated with the sudden invading of spiders and other bugs at your home, you can try out different natural remedies to repel spiders. Among the natural ways, dryer sheets are notorious to repel spiders away due to the presence of a compound named linalool.
Do dryer sheets repel spiders?
Dryer sheets repel spiders due to the presence of two compounds named the linalool which is effectively toxic for spiders. The second compound beta-citronellol is also known to repel pests. As a result, having dryer sheets around your house can repel spiders and other bugs.
Even though dryer sheets were not produced to repel spiders and flies. However, they end up repelling spiders and all kinds of other bugs as well. Linalool a flower-scented compound present in the dryer sheets is effectively responsible to chase away spiders and other bugs.
The main purpose of the Bounce dryer sheets is to maintain freshness at your home. If you place one piece of a dryer sheet in your laundry or basket it will remain fresh and full of a nice smell. Moreover, your clothes and sheets will remain safe from spiders as well.
On the other hand, Downy dryer sheets are an outstanding fabric softener. When you use dryer sheets of this brand, you’ll notice instant softness, freshness, and static control in your clothes, bedsheets, and other areas.
Moreover, you’ll smell its soothing freshness and your mood will lift immediately. Not to mention, Downy dryer sheets are also very potent in chasing away spiders.
Why do dryer sheets keep spiders away?
Dryer sheets keep spiders away for the following reasons –
Spider repellant:
Dryer sheets contain a volatile compound called ‘linalool’ which is toxic for spiders and other bugs. These volatile compounds evaporate quickly into the air and spread at a large distance.
As a result, when spiders and other bugs could smell this floral-scented compound; they rush away from that place. Moreover, you can keep dryer sheets at places in your house where it is most likely for spiders to make their nets.
The strong floral and toxic smell of this volatile compound will keep spiders and other bugs away from your house.
Cleansing:
Usually, you use dryer sheets to wipe off your car or other glass or smooth surfaces of your house. Thus, cleaning with dryer sheets leaves your house and house objects with a clean and fresh touch.
Not to mention the floral scent of the sheets. Since spiders and bugs are not very fond of clean areas, you’re automatically repelling spiders using dryer sheets.
Fragrance:
Dryer sheets also contain a fragrance of the compound Citronella, which is actively responsible for driving spiders and mosquitoes away. The beautiful scent of this compound is toxic to spiders and other harmful insects.
Studies found that the fragrance of dryer sheets plays an active role in chasing spiders away.
Do spiders dislike dryer sheets?
Spiders do not necessarily dislike dryer sheets since dryer sheets are not entirely toxic for spiders. There are a number of ways to deter spiders and none of them are a hundred percent effective.
Dryer sheets are somewhat able to keep spiders away, however, they’re not potential spider repellants. As a result, spiders don’t have the need to dislike dryer sheets.
However, when placing dryer sheets you have to clean the entire space, and dryer sheets keep it dry. And you know how spiders like to breed in dirty and moist places, so due to dusting and cleaning spiders don’t breed in those places.
Yes, dryer sheets keep spiders away, but they’re not necessarily harmful or toxic to spiders for them to dislike dryer sheets.
What is it in dryer sheets that repel spiders?
In dryer sheets, there is a compound named linalool. Linalool is a volatile compound and evaporates in the air as soon as released. This linalool compound is floral-scented and can also be found in other essential oils like lavender, basil, marjoram, and coriander.
Not to mention, spiders have a strong sense of smell. And they can’t bear any strong fragrance and tend to move far away from that place.
As a result, the presence of linalool, an aromatic compound is responsible to repel spiders away. Thus, you can get rid of spiders at your home in a natural way.
How to repel spiders?
Spiders can get on your nerves if you have a lot of these eight-legged insects at your house. And you will find the spider web almost anywhere and everywhere at your home. As a result, it is important to get rid of these little buddies.
Make peppermint spray:
Peppermint oil is the most effective natural remedy for you to get rid of spiders. Peppermint has a chemical named monoterpenoids which are used in most insecticides to chase insects away.
Also, spiders have a strong sense of smell and vibration. As a result, the strong smell of peppermint oil seems toxic to spiders and they tend to move far away from that place.
Vinegar:
Vinegar spray also has an effective role in repelling spiders and other insects. Fill up your spray bottle with half water and half white vinegar. Now spray the vinegar in every inaccessible corner of your house.
You can also spray it outside your house as well as in the storeroom. The presence of acetic acid in vinegar significantly repels spiders and other insects.
Get a pet:
Pets can be very useful in repelling any insects from your house. Especially cats, they’re nocturnal animals and they roam in every nook and corner of your house. Not to mention, cats like to stay clean.
Now if you have got a cat at your house, you don’t need to worry at all about spiders. These small buddies will look and chase every small insect and animal away from your house including spiders and mice.
Tobacco leaves:
Spiders cannot bear the smell of tobacco leaves, hence, spreading those leaves around your house or at potential places for spiders breeding can deter spiders. You can avail tobacco leaves from any smoke shop or a grocery shop.
What can I put around my bed to put spiders away?
You can put the following thing around your bed to repel spiders –
Essential oils:
Spiders have got a strong sense of smell and they’re not a fan of essential oils. Essential oils have a pretty strong fragrance which is toxic to spiders.
You can mix essential oils like peppermint oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Tea Tree, Rosewater, Lavender, and Citronella separately or dilute together in a spray bottle, and spray them around your bed to keep spiders away.
Artificial spider repellants:
Among the artificial spider repellants, plug-in repellants are the most effective. Plug-in spider repellants release ultrasonic sound which is inaudible to human ears but unbearable for spiders and other insects.
As a result, you can keep plug-in spider repellants around your bed to deter spiders.
Dry sheets:
Spiders like to breed in a dirty and moist environment. If you keep your bedroom clean and dry, spiders won’t necessarily make spider webs around your bed or in your room.
After cleaning your room, to keep your room dry, you can place dryer sheets around your bed in order to keep your room dry. It will subsequently keep the spiders away from your bed and room.
Do dryer sheets repel all bugs?
Different research studies have found that dryer sheets somewhat repel all kinds of bugs. Starting from different types of mites, mosquitoes, weevils, food-infesting beetles, German cockroaches, and the Fungus Gnat.
Bugs and insects remain away from your house if you can manage to keep it clean. Regular dusting and cleaning deter potential bugs and spiders away.
To place dryer sheets in various places of your house require you to clean those areas, hence automatically bugs will remain away from your house.
While going on a picnic, you can put dryer sheets in your fruits basket and bedsheets. Thus, ants, spiders, and other bugs will feel discouraged and remain away from your essentials.
What bugs do dryer sheets repel?
Dryer sheets contain linalool which is present in other types of pesticides as well potentially responsible to deter natural garden pests and other bugs as well. Here is a list of bugs that dryer sheets repel –
- Weevils
- Mites
- German Cockroaches
- Mosquitoes
- Ants
- Beetles
- Spiders
- The Fungus Gnat
Final Thoughts
Even though it is not scientifically proven that dryer sheets can repel spiders, a lot of research found that spiders don’t breed in places where there are dryer sheets present. However, it is proven that linalool can deter spiders and other potential bugs, and dryer sheets contain linalool.