#Why Is There a Dryer Sheet in Your Mailbox?

If you’ve scrolled through the internet lately, you might have noticed people talking about finding dryer sheets in their mailboxes. You might have even found one yourself. So, why is it there? Well, it could be protecting you from receiving a stinging shock.

Apparently, the trick originally popped up on Reddit, where a postal worker explained mail carriers were placing dryer sheets in boxes to ward away wasps. Evidently, the stinging insects tend to build nests in there.

Because dryer sheets are heavily scented and wasps have a keen sense of smell, this irritates them and keeps them at bay.

Is this backed scientifically? Not exactly. There have been no studies that specifically examined how effective dryer sheets are at warding off wasps. However, it’s worth a try! There have been studies that concluded that essential oils, like ylang-ylang, clove, lemongrass, and lavender, do repel the pests.

So if you pull out a dryer sheet along with your junk mail, just put it back. And whenever you need a wasp repellent while sitting outside this summer, there’s a hack for that, too!