Can fabric softener sheets kill bed bugs? Even though I’d be out of a job, I wish they did. How great would that be? Somehow word was spread on the internet that they worked. Unfortunately this is one of the many bed bug myths out there, and the truth is that they just do not kill bed bugs. I find dryer sheets in probably a quarter of the homes I treat. They are typically under the fitted sheet or between the mattress and the box spring.
Gardeners often claim that putting Bounce fabric softener sheets in their pockets is an effective way to repel pests like mosquitoes and gnats. In a new study. Maxis Graduate Trainee Program.
Sometimes they are set up like a barrier around the bed. And it’s not uncommon for customers to tuck one or two into each dresser drawer. One person I met, had them taped to a ceiling fan. I informed her that they would not help. She responded saying that she just likes the smell and has done that since long before her infestation. I had another customer with moth balls who realized they didn’t help, but kept them because she liked the smell – but that’s an entirely different story. I once treated a semi truck and the driver said he found that if he placed the sheets near his pillow, that the bed bugs no longer bit his face.
They may act as a mild repellent, but that’s the only “evidence” I’ve heard that indicates fabric softener sheets make any difference at all. He tried them around his entire body and still got bit. It is worth mentioning that bed bugs don’t typically go for faces in the first place. They usually bite arms and legs, with the occasional torso. I think fabric softener sheets smell great so if you have bed bugs, you may as well put some near your face. In the meantime, please use MAD (Mattress covers, Alcohol, and Diatamaceous Earth) as part of your DIY strategy or call a professional.