Homemade dryer sheets with essential oils are a great alternative to using commercial dryer sheets. They both make your clothes softer, reduce static cling and they make your laundry smell wonderful but there are a few major differences between the two.
When you touch commercial dryer sheets, you’ll notice they’re coated with something that feels a little oily. What you’re actually feeling is the chemicals used to soften your clothes and stop static cling. The problem is that while your laundry is drying, these toxins are covering all of the items in the dryer.
Each time you wear something or sleep on sheets that you dried with a commercial dryer sheet, the chemicals rub off onto your skin, which absorbs them into your body. Over time, they can cause a variety of health problems.
Majestic Pure Lemon Essential Oil for Aromatherapy, 5x Extra Strength, 4 fl. Oz
When you make your own dryer sheets with essential oils, you’re using all natural ingredients that are safe and non-toxic and they have other benefits, too.
Here are five of the most popular essential oils used for homemade dryer sheets:
- Lavender
- Bergamot (I buy mine from Amazon)
- Lemon
- Lemongrass
- Thieves
You can also experiment with different oils and blends to find the ones best suited for your family.
Benefits of Making Your Own Dryer Sheets
There are several benefits associated with making your own dryer sheets. For starters, it’s a good feeling to make your own products instead of having to buy everything you need.
Here are a few more benefits to consider:
- They don’t contain toxins and other ingredients that are bad for your health.
- You can change scents anytime you’re in the mood for something different.
- Blend oils together to create unique fragrances.
- Homemade dryer sheets are eco-friendly.
- They’re economical, so they help you save money.
- You get to choose your own scents so you have many more options than what you’ll find in the store.
Making your own dryer sheets is easy and very rewarding. More importantly, they’re much healthier for your family. You can read more about the dangers of commercial dryer sheets and the adverse effect they could have on your health at Branch Basics.
How to Make Dryer Sheets Using Essential Oils
doTERRA Lemongrass Essential Oil 15 ml
To make your own dryer sheets, you’ll need some washcloths, essential oils, an airtight container and white vinegar to soften your laundry and reduce static cling. Instead of washcloths, you can cut a towel, or an old cotton tee-shirt into small sections and use it for the dryer sheets.
Pour some vinegar in a bowl, add your essential oils and gently mix (ratio for this is 1/2 cup of vinegar and 10 drops of essential oil: adjust with the size of your container). Pour the mixture into the airtight container and place your washcloths inside.
To use, take one out, squeeze the liquid out, and toss it in the dryer before each load. Place it back in the container when you’re done. It’s that simple and the results are fantastic.
Making your own dryer sheets is a healthy alternative to commercial sheets that contain harmful chemicals that could have an adverse effect on your health. They’re easy to make and your laundry has never smelled better.
Other Ways To Keep Your Laundry Soft Naturally
If you want an alternative to making your own dryer sheets with essential oils, you can purchase ready made pure wool dryer balls. They help your clothes dry faster, reduce static cling and they’re reusable. Simply add the essential oil to the dryer ball to make it scented and toss it in the dryer. I’ve been using mine for a couple years now and love them: they reduced my drying time by about 30% and my laundry is soft and fluffy 🙂
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Do you need to wring the wash clothes out before putting them in the dryer?
Yes, you need to get as much of the liquid out.
Mine had quite a vinegar scent. Should I just add more essential oils (I did the recommended amount ration of 1/2 cup vinegar with 10 drops of oil)
You can add some water (up to the same amount of vinegar). But once the clothes are dry, there won’t be any vinegar smell.
Does the vinegar leave behind any stains or make the clothes discolor at all? Like bleach would leave white spots on colored clothes?
No, it doesn’t leave behind any stains: just make sure you use the white vinegar, not apple vinegar.
I tried both the vinegar DIY dryer sheets and the wool balls but still have tons of static cling. I even tried them both together. Any other suggestions to get rid of static cling?
Are you sure you are not over-drying your laundry? Try setting your timer for less time and see if that helps. I use both the vinegar and the wool balls and don’t have any static unless I have synthetic in there or leave the dryer on for too long.
Does the oil affect the clothes at all? Oil stains? I currently use vinegar in the wash and I use the wool balls in the dryer. My clothes were still staticky so I started wetting the balls before putting them in the dryer. It works for the most part except one of my tops is still staticky no matter what I do. Must be the type of material.
I haven’t seen any stains on my clothes. Quick question about the static: are you over-drying your laundry? Try lowering the drying time by a few minutes at a time and see if it helps. But yes, some materials (like synthetics) are more prone to static.