Do Dryer Sheets Repel Mice?

Many homes either currently deal with or will have to deal with mice at some point. This is because mice are always looking for warmth, shelter, food, and water, and human homes are an excellent source of all four of these things.

The problem is that mice tend to cause damage when they get into a home. They can eat wiring, clothing, furniture, improperly stored food, and more. Plus, mice can also carry diseases that are dangerous for you and your family.

If you see a mouse, you should assume that you have more and rush to get rid of them. That’s because a pair of mice can turn into an infestation really fast. The trick is to get ahead of the problem and, at this stage, most people like to go DIY.

Many people claim that one of the best DIY methods that repel mice is dryer sheets. Yes, you read that right, and yes, we mean the dryer sheets that you use for the washing machine. The claim is that mice do not like the smell. But are they right? We’ll address this question and share some great products in the paragraphs below. 

Dryer Sheets and Repelling Mice

If you were wondering, the answer is yes, dryer sheets really do repel mice. You see, mice are very sensitive to smell. It’s how they can find food even when you hide it in your home. Generally, mice have terrible eyesight, but their sense of smell is always top-notch since they rely on it to survive.

Most dryer sheets are made of polyester that is covered with positively charged ions and has a strong fragrance. While that fragrance may smell pleasant to you, it is repugnant to mice, so they stay away. So, while using dryer sheets won’t kill the mice in your house, it will repel them.

Ready to repel mice from your home? Here are some great dryer sheets that you can use. 

A-Z-Animals’ Top Picks for the Best Dryer Sheets to Repel Mice

1. Best Overall: Bounce Dryer Sheets

Bounce Dryer Sheets are the #1 Best Overall dryer sheets for repelling mice. Purchasers who used Bounce Dryer Sheets as a mouse repellent reported that it was successful and they’d do it again. One tester used it for an old cabin and had great results. They even said that after the sheets lost their scent, they used them for their intended purpose as dryer sheets. How cool is that?

We love Bounce Dryer sheets for their lovely fragrance. So although mice hate this smell, your house will smell like the Great Outdoors. We also love that the scent is so strong. You can seal them in Ziploc bags, and the smell will still come through.

Reviewers also appreciate that these dryer sheets are economical. This particular pack has 240 sheets which you can spread around your house to chase the mice away.

One reviewer raved: “I use these to keep mice out of a very old cabin. They work perfectly. No more mice! Honestly! After they lose their scent, they can still be used as dryer sheets…” Another said, “I use in cars and campers keeps mice out plus smells good been doing for years.”

People who are sensitive to artificial fragrance may be unable to use this product.

Pros and Cons of Bounce Dryer Sheets

Best Overall

Bounce Dryer Sheets Laundry Fabric Softener

• The lovely fragrance smells like the Great Outdoors
• Biodegradable
• Strong scent
• Great price
• 240 sheets per box

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2. Best Value: Snuggle Blue Sparkle Dryer Sheets

We chose Snuggle Blue Sparkle Dryer Sheets as our best value here because of how long-lasting they are. When you’re trying to use dryer sheets as a repellent for mice, you want sheets that still give off a strong odor for many days. Snuggle Dryer Sheets do just that. In fact, they last as long as 30 days!

Most buyers love the citrus, flowery and woody fragrance of these sheets. Add that to the long-lasting power of these sheets, and you have an effective air freshener and mouse repellent.

You’ll love the great price. Some purchasers also suggest wetting the sheets before you put them in many areas for maximum effect. Since there are 230 sheets in each pack, you have more than enough sheets to put in many places to chase the mice away. 

One reviewer said, “Bought to deter mice in fleet vehicles. So far so good. Best quantity for the price. Will buy again.” Another remarked, “My dad could smell these and he hasn’t smelt anything since getting kicked in the face by a horse in early 2000’s. Using them to keep mice out of a camper. Couldn’t use these on clothes. The smell is overwhelming.”

Based on consumer feedback, people who are sensitive to manmade fragrances may not be able to use this product for its intended purpose or as a rodent repellent.

Pros and Cons of Snuggle Blue Sparkle Dryer Sheets

Best Value

Snuggle Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets

• Long-lasting fragrance -- lasts up to 30 days
• Buyers describe the fragrance as citrusy, flowery, and woody
• Strong fragrance
• Budget-friendly
• You may choose to wet the sheets before you use them for mouse control

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3. Best Scent: Downy Infusions Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets Lavender & Vanilla Bean

We love the calming smell of Downy Infusions Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets Lavender & Vanilla Bean, but mice don’t. This is why Downy Infusions Dryer Sheets is the best scent on our dryer sheets for mouse-prevention list. You’ll walk into a calm, relaxing atmosphere because of the fragrance and the fact that the mice are gone.

You’ll also appreciate that these sheets come as a 105 or 200-sheet packs that you can get depending on your needs.

When it comes to chasing mice, here’s what one reviewer said, “I do not use these in my dryer (I avoid unnecessary chemicals) but I use these in my RV during the winter when it is closed up. I heard it keeps mice and other small creatures away, but to be honest, I just like opening it up and not smelling that damp, musty smell. We air it out in the spring to rid the chemicals from the air.”

Another reviewer remarked, “This makes doing laundry enjoyable (well, more enjoyable). The scent of these is like vanilla lavender, not too much lavender. I put these in my car and garage as well and I’ve heard they keep mice away. They work very well to reduce static in your laundry and give clothes a soft, sweet smell.”

Some reviewers (who were not, to our knowledge, planning to use the product for rodent control) said that the fragrance was overwhelming. This reviewer said, “Smell gives me a headache. Cannot use it on any items where I will be inhaling it. Would be great for something that you’re going to pack away. Ought to smell great for a long time.”

Pros and Cons of Downy Infusions Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets Lavender & Vanilla Bean

Best Scent

Downy Infusions Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets Lavender & Vanilla Bean

• Feature a calming, soothing lavender and vanilla fragrance
• Eco-conscious choice: They're biodegradable and certified to be climate pledge friendly on Amazon (when used for laundry)
• Available in 105 or 200-sheet packs
• The fragrance is quite strong and users say the sheets are effective at repelling mice
• You can use them to wipe down surfaces that you think mice frequent

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4. Best Premium: Snuggle SuperCare Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets

Snuggle is on our list again, this time with their Snuggle SuperCare Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets making our best premium. Buyers specifically love this dryer sheet for its lovely fragrance. It is strong and smells like lilies and linen. The strength of this fragrance should keep the mice away while making your home smell great.

The Snuggle Super Care comes with 200 sheets in a pack, and the fragrance is long-lasting. Since the scent is lilies, it won’t overwhelm most humans. This product is, however, not tested on animals, so if you have pets, you might want to be careful where you place this.

The high number of sheets that come with the Snuggle Super Care Pack ensures that you can use this effectively. Place these in drawers, cupboards, holes, vents, and other places where you suspect mouse activity. They’ll help to chase the mice away.

We were unable to find any reviews from buyers who purchased these sheets to repel mice. Negative reviews fell into two camps: those who thought the fragrance was too strong and those who thought that it wasn’t strong enough.

Pros and Cons of Snuggle SuperCare Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets

Best Premium

Snuggle SuperCare Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets

• Customers love the strong lilies-and-linen fragrance
• Mice dislike the strong, floral scent
• Long-lasting fragrance
• 200 sheets per pack
• Not pet-safe, so be careful to place the sheets out of their reach

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5. Best Size: Bounce Mega Dryer Sheets

A long-lasting fragrance is key when looking for dryer sheets that repel mice, and Bounce Pet Hair and Lint Guard Dryer Sheets fits the bill. This is because one of the ways that this will work is if you wipe down counters and other surfaces with the sheets. Bounce Mega Dryer Sheets work perfectly for this application.

Since these are large, they make wipe-downs easier, and you can always split a sheet in two. These sheets are two times larger than normal dryer sheets and are 120 in the pack. If you split them, you’ll be able to use these twice as long.

We were unable to find any reviews from buyers who successfully repelled mice with this product. One reviewer did, however, say, “The smell of these is unpleasant and VERY strong. I’ve had the boxes open and sitting outside next to my door for several months, I can still smell them everyday. They may make decent rodent repellent???”

Pros and Cons of Bounce Mega Dryer Sheets

Best Size

Bounce Pet Hair and Lint Guard Dryer Sheets

• These oversized dryer sheets are perfect for wiping down surfaces that mice frequent
• You can split these sheets into two
• If you divide them, they'll last twice as long
• The fragrance is pleasant to humans and repugnant to mice

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How to Choose the Best Dryer Sheets?

Are you planning to use dryer sheets to repel mice in your home or car? There are some things to consider when choosing a brand. Here are three that we paid string attention to when writing this review:

• Fragrance
• Durability
• Price

Let’s look at these in detail.

Fragrance

For dryer sheets to repel mice, you’ll need to have the fragrance waft around your house. Being particular about choosing a good one goes a long way. You want to come home to a fragrance that’s pleasant to you.

Durability

The more lasting the fragrance on a dryer sheet is, the longer you’ll keep the mice away. In this review, we choose some of the best long-lasting dryer sheets. They’ll also help you save money since the long-lasting fragrance will repel mice for an extended time.

Price

Mice can cause a lot of property damage. In comparison to that, the cost of dryer sheets is negligible. You can, however, go for products that are on sale whenever possible.

Using Dryer Sheets to Get Rid of Mice

Once you’ve confirmed that you have mice, it’s time to bring out the dryer sheets to chase the rodents away from your home. The process itself is relatively easy. You just have to do the following:

• Rub dryer sheets along paths that you suspect mice of using in your home.
• Where possible, drop sheets along these paths. You might have to cut the sheets into strips to make them fit into some places. 
• Rub some more dryer sheets around your kitchen cupboards, your pantry, inside cabinets, etc.
• Leave some sheets in cabinets and your pantry. That way, when the mice come looking for food, the fragrance from the sheets will overpower and repel them. 

Scents That Repel Mice

Dryer sheet fragrances are not the only scents that chase mice away. In fact, there are many scents that mice cannot stand. For example, mice are not big fans of cat urine. This is understandable as cats are natural predators of mice. 

However, you can’t go spraying cat urine around your house! Mothballs and onions also repel mice. Unfortunately, these are also impractical scents to spread around your home.

When it comes to pleasant scents that repel rodents, the answer is essential oils. Peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil, and citronella oil are proven to chase mice from your home.

How To Keep The Mice Away

Are you planning to keep mice away from your home permanently? You should because they are a danger to your household items and your health. To do this, it is important to first understand why mice are coming into your home.

As we mentioned earlier, mice enter a home in search of food, warmth, water, and shelter. To keep them away permanently, you must limit easy access to these things. Below are four steps that you can take to keep the mice away.

1. Seal All Entrances: Any cracks or openings in your windows and doors have to be taken care of quickly. Mice are known to squeeze through these to gain access to your home. Chimneys and vents could also provide access.
2. Ensure that these spaces are sealed wherever possible or covered with a wire mesh. If you notice any holes or paths created by mice, you’ll need to do the same. You can use a copper wire mesh for this as mice do not like to chew on them. You can also easily squeeze wire wool into cracks. 
3. Take Care of Faulty Pipes: Mice are fabulous swimmers. So, if you have faulty pipes around your home, you might want to fix or replace them. Doing this also limits access to drinking water, which will also help keep mice away from your home.
4. Store Your Food Well: Place all food into containers that mice cannot access. You should also eliminate food scraps and ensure that your garbage bin is properly covered at all times. This will cut off the rodents’ access to food.
5. Keep Your Home Tidy: Mice love clutter. To keep them away, tidy up places like your basement, storage rooms, and garages. They need cardboard, fabric, old newspapers, etc., for nests and will have to leave if they cannot find the materials they need to build one.