Dryer sheet as bug repellant?

[aprilcait]

Has anyone tried using a dryer sheet as bug repellant? If so, does it work?

DH and I are headed to Pittsburgh this weekend and plan to do a lot of walking. Being that I am a mosquito magnet, I figured it would be much more convenient to pack a couple of dryer sheets in my purse instead of lugging around a bottle of bug spray. I''ve never tried the dryer sheet method, though, so I was curious if it was effective or not.

 

[monarch64]

I've heard the dryer sheet thing, too. Not sure if it works because I haven't tried it yet. However, I DO know that spraying listerine on your skin and clothing is a definite bug deterrent. I tried it Memorial Day weekend and it worked like a charm, safer than bug spray that contains that Deet chemical, too.

 

[aprilcait]

Date: 6/25/2009 10:58:04 AM
Author: monarch64
I''ve heard the dryer sheet thing, too. Not sure if it works because I haven''t tried it yet. However, I DO know that spraying listerine on your skin and clothing is a definite bug deterrent. I tried it Memorial Day weekend and it worked like a charm, safer than bug spray that contains that Deet chemical, too.

Listerine?? Interesting, I''ve never heard of that one. Cool! And it doesn''t stain your clothes?

 

[monarch64]

Date: 6/25/2009 11:56:45 AM
Author: aprilcait

Date: 6/25/2009 10:58:04 AM
Author: monarch64
I''ve heard the dryer sheet thing, too. Not sure if it works because I haven''t tried it yet. However, I DO know that spraying listerine on your skin and clothing is a definite bug deterrent. I tried it Memorial Day weekend and it worked like a charm, safer than bug spray that contains that Deet chemical, too.

Listerine?? Interesting, I''ve never heard of that one. Cool! And it doesn''t stain your clothes?

You know, I don''t THINK it stained my clothes...I used it while wearing a red and white tank top and white Charlotte beach pants, no stains, though. I wouldn''t use it while wearing anything silk or delicate. My clothes were all cotton. The listerine wasn''t the blue dyed kind, it was the regular yellowish brown color.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I have no idea about the dryersheet thing but I just want to caution you if you''re alergic to bees. Fragrance of any kind (natural or synthetic) will attract them.

 

[aprilcait]

Date: 6/25/2009 1:08:03 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
I have no idea about the dryersheet thing but I just want to caution you if you''re alergic to bees. Fragrance of any kind (natural or synthetic) will attract them.

Ooo, I definitely have an issue with bees. Never mind the dryer sheets... eep! Thanks for the heads-up, Hudson!

 

[stepcutgirl]

I''m a dryer sheet user! I use them often and they do work!

 

[lyra]

I would definitely bring the bug repellent, and some AfterBite just in case. Plus some benadryl (bees). Be very thorough about looking for ticks too. Perhaps hiking in a beekeeper outfit would be suitable?

My oldest daughter is the magnet in the family (I rarely ever get bit at all!), and she tries everything. She ends up with tons of bites whenever she goes camping or hiking, and they last for at least a week.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I''ve tried it. It works to some degree, but not as well as "Off" or other brand name insect repellents.

 

[hoofbeats95]

When people with horses go on trail rides a lot of them will wrap a dryer sheet on the bridle of the horse - by the ears. It keeps the bugs away from them and stops the constant head shaking from the bugs in their ears. I never noticed that it attracts bees. Avon Skin So Soft is a great bug repellant too.

 

[loray1962]

I like the dryer sheets and Skin So Soft for everyday use when I am in and out of the house but need some protection. I rub the dryer sheet around my ankles and backs of my knees since that is where the first attack spot, then I stick them in my pockets. Though they say the dryer sheets have bad chemicals in them too, they don''t smell as bad as bug spray...the unscented sheets would take care of the fragrance attracting bees. If I am going hiking or something like that or be in a particularly bug infested area...I use Off. Afterbite is the greatest thing I have ever found. I have carried Benedryl cream with me for years to treat bites immediately...it helps. However, Afterbite is the best at stopping the itch and you only have to buy it one time...the old folk remedy for bug bites is straight amonia...that''s the main ingredient in Afterbite! When you run out, just pull the top off and refill with amonia out of your kitchen. It smells a little until it dries but it does stop the itching. If you have scratched...it will sting until it dries.

 

[misskitty]

I''ve been a dryer-sheet fan for years! I can''t stand the smell and sticky feeling that most bug repellants have, so I love smelling like freshly-done laundry and getting less bitten at the same time.

I''ve never found that it''s attracted bees, but I only do the dryer-sheet thing in the evenings, when bees aren''t out and about as much (but mosquitoes are!).

 

[somethingshiny]

We tried Bounce dryer sheets over the weekend. It worked for me, but I don''t usually get bothered by bugs much. It did NOT work for my niece, she got terribly bitten. DH didn''t get bit and he didn''t have anything on but was sitting next to me. One of my sisters used real bug spray and still got eaten.

So, it seems to have various results. It either works great or not at all, I guess it depends on your individual skin??

Oh, and no bees. We have tons of bees but they were not bothering us, just all over the flowers.

 

[AprilBaby]

Avon Skin so Soft works AWESOME!

 

[Upgradable]

If you''re in a situation to plan ahead, vitamin B1 suppliments will keep the mosquitos at bay. Take 2 in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening. They are water soluable so you will excrete it in your urine. This is an old family remedy that we''ve used fishing in the Minnesota boundary water for years!