Have you ever considered making your own natural laundry dryer sheets? Making your reusable dryer sheets is so easy! You can personalize the scent of your own by choosing your favorite essential oils.
Are dryer sheets safe to use?
If you are questioning whether manufactured dryer sheets are safe to use, check out this post at Healthline.com. After reading this article, I figure making my own will ensure that questionable chemicals won’t be added.
In addition, making your own is much more cost-effective. You can use these over and over. Just set them to the side and when you have used all the ones in the jar, make another batch of the liquid and begin again. These have to be better for the environment since you can use the same ones again and again. The cotton fabrics are natural and will break down, unlike the plastic-based dryer sheets. When they get old and straggly, just toss them in the compost pile.
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If you have the extra cotton fabric in your sewing stash, just cut 8-inch squares. If you want to avoid the fabric squares unraveling, cut them using your pinking shears. I don’t think it’s really critical. Notice that I left the selvage edge on some of the squares. The quilt squares you can find at the fabric store or on Amazon will make this project even easier.
Laundry Dryer Sheets
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Supplies Needed:
- A large glass jar with a sealed lid
- 2-1/2 cups of distilled water
- 2-1/2 cups of white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons vegetable glycerine
- 8″ x 8″ squares of cotton fabric
- 12 drops of orange essential oil
- 12 drops of lemongrass essential oil
- 15 drops of lavender essential oil
DIY Dryer Sheets Directions
You can purchase a pretty glass jar, but you can also just reuse an empty glass jar. We had a few pickles left in this 46-ounce jar. So, we finished them off and I cleaned the jar for this project.
Place the cotton fabric squares in the glass jar. In my mind, rolling these so they would work like disinfectant wipes and pulling out one from the center would be nice. This jar is a little too short for that to work.
Ultimately, I decide to just pinch the fabric squares in the middle and place them in the jar with the loose edges toward the bottom. That way, pulling them out of the jar one at a time from the center will cause less fraying, less likely to pull out the threads on the edges, right?
Add The Liquid Mixture
Pour the distilled water, vinegar, glycerin, and essential oils into a separate container. Mix well.
Pour the mixture over the cotton squares. Then, screw the lid onto the jar. As soon as the cotton has soaked up the liquid, the dryer sheets are ready to go.
You might want to keep the clear glass jar with the dryer sheets in a dark place, like your cupboard, or use a dark jar. The essential oils will last longer in the dark. Of course, you won’t be able to see the pretty cotton fabric squares in a dark jar… You can always add more drops if you like.
How To Use Dryer Sheets for Laundry
Simply remove one of the fabric squares. Then, gently squeeze out a little of the excess liquid. You don’t want it dripping all over the place.
Toss into the dryer with your clothes.
So, I used these on a load of towels first. The laundry has a fresh scent and is not overpowering. If you like a heavier scent, you will want to add more of the essential oils.
*Update! I've been using these dryer sheets for several months now. Last week, I opened the drawer under the dryer and saw the box of purchased dryer sheets. It occurred to me that I should use the rest of the dryer sheets and get rid of the box. So, I tossed one of the sheets in the dryer with our sheets and pillowcases.
The next morning, Dave complained of his skin itching all night. It dawned on me that he hadn't complained of not being able to sleep because of his skin itching for months!
The sheets and pillowcases went back in the washer and this time, I used the homemade dryer sheets. Dave got a good night of sleep. We'll be using those from now on.
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