Making your own natural dryer sheets couldn’t be easier! But most importantly, this natural alternative to commercial dryer sheets is so much healthier for you, your family and the environment! Your clothing and bedding (which is in contact with your skin 24 hours a day) will no longer be saturated in synthetic chemicals….yaaaaa! This recipe will help to soften your clothes and reduce static electricity.
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Making the choice to use more eco-friendly laundry products is to be celebrated! And I am assuming that because you are interested in this topic, you have already made this conscious choice. However, you may be interested in a blog post I wrote called “Are Commercial Laundry Products Making You Sick?” It is an informative read.
To make these dryer sheets, all you need is a glass jar with a tight lid, some cotton cloths (I used 12), vinegar, and your favorite essential oils. I don’t recommend using a plastic container as the essential oils can absorb into the plastic and make the container go sort of cloudy. (Note: don’t store the glass jar on top of your washer or dryer)
If you don’t have ready-made cloths, you can cut your own from cotton fabric. You can just use pinking shears, or finish the edges with a zig-zag or serged hem. I cut mine 10″ x 10″ (or 25cm x 25cm) with pinking shears. Fold the cloths in half and then roll them up as shown below. You can re-use these same cloths over and over.
Add 1/2 cup vinegar to the glass jar and 20 drops of essential oil. I used 15 drops of lavender, 3 drops of cedarwood and 2 drops of vetiver. I like to use base notes such as cedarwood and vetiver because their fragrance has more staying power. Other base notes are patchouli, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, and frankincense. Lavender is a middle note, so it’s scent is pretty stable.
Next, just swirl the vinegar around to blend in the oil and then add your rolled up cloths with the cut edge down into the jar. Put on the lid and you are done!
The vinegar will absorb into the cloths and they will be ready to use within an hour or so. Use one sheet with each dryer load and then just fold it up and set it aside when the load is done. Once you’ve used up all your sheets, simply make a new batch of vinegar and essential oil and roll up the cloths again and put them in the jar. They do not need to be washed in between batches.
Drying your cotton and natural fibers separate from any synthetic items will help to reduce static in your clothes. It is the synthetic fibers that cause the most issues with static electricity.
You may also want to use wool dryer balls as they help to reduce static and increase the drying time. I love, love, love these dryer balls from Splat & Co. I am not affiliated with them, I just love what they do! In addition to solid and variegated color balls, they also make these wonderful patterns of animals. They are so much fun!
I don’t have any children, but my husband and I still have so much fun with these guys. We have the fat little chicken, the bad dog, and the silly cow. They are always getting into trouble and often play hide and seek.
I also made a video tutorial to go along with this blog post, you can check it out below. Enjoy this recipe and I am so grateful you are interested in using more natural alternatives in your home!