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A friend reached out to me today and asked the strangest question. He wanted to know if Irish spring soap can repel mice! Here’s what he said:
I keep hearing Irish spring soap can keep mice and rats out of your kitchen pantry and house. It has something to do with the really strong smell or something. Do you have any idea if that’s true or is it one of those fake tip jokes going around?
Jeff B.
Hey man! Your question really piqued my curiosity, as I too have heard strange rumors surrounding the ‘magical’ powers of Irish Spring soap, and other various strong detergents. I had to do some research on this one in order to come up with an accurate answer for you, and my readers. We hope you don’t mind if we publish this article!
Can Irish spring scare mice away?
I’ll give the answer right away, and you can continue reading for some better alternatives. Does Irish spring help keep mice away? While there is no strong scientific evidence to prove that it does, there is enough colloquial evidence to assume that the strong odor can cause certain species of rodents to flee.
With that said, there are people who swear by Irish spring specifically. But there are other scents that are probably more guaranteed to send mice running than relying on a bar of soap.
Mint
Mint is a very strong repellent for bugs and rodents. They hate the stuff. They find it irritating and insufferable to be around which makes it an excellent rodent deterrent.
Using it is already an easy thing to do as it’s such a tried and true repellent, there are products made specifically for this purpose. Might Mint is a fantastic example of it already being used in a commercial setting.
You can simply add to a spray bottle filled with water, following the instructions for mixing. Then just spray it around your house. This should repel most mice without a fuss.
When it comes to using inside a pantry, it’s probably not a good idea to just spray everything. The water will increase humidity levels and your food may spoil. At worst, your food might all taste minty! So simply take a dropper and put a drop of mint oil into each corner of the pantry. This should keep any fury rodents out.
Mint plants are also an option if you wanted to be a bit more green about everything. Simply start growing mint in containers around the house. Although this method is more fun, it might not be as effective as the oil. Mint plants don’t smell very strong in their normal plant form, and you should crush up the dried leaves and spread them around the house corners.
Peppers and hot sauces
Did you know peppers can burn rodents tongues too? They don’t like that. So if you notice something specific getting gnawed on by a mouse, one of the things you can do is spread super hot sauce, such as Cayenne pepper or habanero sauce.
One bite will have them scurrying away and they might not come back. Do take caution not to get hot sauce in your eyes when spreading it around. It’s quite a hazard for humans too.
Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil smells really good for us humans. No so much for rodents, though. Rats and mice alike hate this smell. Just like the mint oil, put this in the 4 corners of your pantry or mix with water in a spray bottle.
This will leave your pantry smelling fresh, and mouse free.
Bottom line
It’s not the magical answer you were looking for. It doesn’t seem like Irish springs soap has an odor that’s strong enough to deter most rodents. But its very possible to work if you use enough of it. There are just so many better concentrated oils out there that would do a better job at repelling rodents.
You can’t overlook the commercial options either, As they are plenty and cheap. So if you have a rodent problem, Don’t rush to order some Irish springs on Amazon just yet, check out the concentrated oils section first.
