Home » Crafts and DIY » Cleaning » Natural Dryer Sheets For Your Laundry!

Natural Dryer Sheets For Your Laundry!

February 25, 2013 by Diane Hoffmaster · 38 Comments

Last Updated on

I am not a huge fan of store bought dryer sheets for a number of reasons.  I think they are seriously a waste of money and create a huge amount of unnecessary trash.  Not to mention the very fake smell left behind on my clothes, as well as the questionable chemicals involved.  Natural News discusses several health problems associated with dryer sheets if you want to learn more about this particular issue.  I found a ton of recipes online for homemade dryer sheets but a large number of them use store bought fabric softener.  I have the same issues with most fabric softeners as I do with dryer sheets.  They contain nasty chemicals, fake smells and are a waste of money.  So I started researching some natural dryer sheet alternatives and came up with a very simple solution that involves vinegar and essential oils.  Easy enough to make so I thought I would give them a try.  Here is my recipe and instructions for making natural dryer sheets if you would like to make your own.

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DIY Natural Dryer Sheets

DIY natural dryer sheets

 

 

Materials you will need:

Large Mason Jar
Scraps of cloth like old flannel sheets, t shirts or baby blankets
scissors
white vinegar
Tee Tree oil
Essential oil of your choice

natural dryer sheets

 

Directions:

1.  Cut material into pieces about the size of a baby wipe or regular dryer sheet
2.  Pour approximately 2 cups of white vinegar into the mason jar
3.  Add 10 drops of Tee Tree oil to the vinegar
4.  Add 30 to 40 drops of essential oil of your choice to the vinegar or enough to achieve a nice scent (it doesn’t have to be strong, the heat of the dryer will amplify it and dissipate the vinegar smell)
5.  Close the lid of the mason jar and shake vigorously
6.  Open the mason jar and stuff the material pieces in one at a time
7.  Once all the material is in the jar, close the lid and give it a shake.  Store tightly closed and use one sheet per load of laundry in your dryer.
8.  You can reuse your scraps of material….just put them back into more vinegar/oil solution.

 

 

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Filed Under: Cleaning, Crafts and DIY
Tagged: DIY, health, natural cleaning

Comments

  1. Ellen Christian says
    February 25, 2013 at 6:06 pm
    Sounds like a great alternative to the chemicals in traditional dryer sheets!
    Reply
  2. Linda Bradshaw says
    February 25, 2013 at 7:33 pm
    I was looking for something like this to try. Thank you.
    Reply
  3. Valerie says
    February 25, 2013 at 8:33 pm
    Does this help with static cling too? That's the main reason I use dryer sheets but I would like a natural alternative.
    Reply
    • Diane says
      February 26, 2013 at 6:27 pm
      It gets rid of SOME static but not all. You can also add a few tablespoons of an organic hair conditioner into the mix which is supposed to add more scent and help reduce static even more.
      Reply
    • Rochelle says
      December 12, 2013 at 1:27 pm
      For static cling, take tin / aluminum foil about 2-3" wide and tear it into 2-3 pieces and then throw it in the dryer. It doesn't hurt the dryer, it helps to get rid of the electrical charges that build up. I do this all the time and use the foil for several loads. If you're still hesitant on this, then something I just read said to put a couple of safety pins on an item or 2 and they'll do the same thing.
      Reply
  4. Small Footprints says
    February 25, 2013 at 8:55 pm
    What a clever idea ... and very Eco-friendly! Thanks for sharing!
    Reply
  5. Kristi says
    February 27, 2013 at 6:07 pm
    How often should you replace the vinegar/oil mix??
    Reply
  6. Tonya @ The Traveling Praters says
    February 27, 2013 at 7:28 pm
    I've made my own detergent a number of times and have been happy with the results but I've not made my own dryer sheets. Mainly because my husband prefers the perfumed scent. After reading the health risks involved, I'm definitely going to break out my Tea Tree Oil and grab another scent to make my own dryer sheets. Thanks for sharing!
    Reply
  7. Mel Lockcuff says
    March 4, 2013 at 3:42 am
    We use tea tree oil for quite a few things, including baby wipes when our boys were little. Love that these would be reusable. Great recipe! Thanks so much for linking up to Inspire Me Wednesday! Featuring your recipe in this week's issue.:)
    Reply
  8. Courtney says
    May 26, 2013 at 4:45 am
    This sounds great! Do you know if this is safe to use with cloth diapers? I don't use any dryer sheets just so I don't even have the residue of them in the dryer when I dry the diapers.
    Reply
    • Diane says
      May 27, 2013 at 11:54 am
      I have no experience with cloth diapers but I would think it would be fine. many people put vinegar in the wash cycle for cloth and the scent is from pure essential oils which should be okay but not sure. Sorry! Good luck!
      Reply
  9. LIndsey says
    June 3, 2013 at 3:54 pm
    How can you get rid of the vinegar smell? Add more essential oils?
    Reply
    • Diane says
      June 4, 2013 at 6:07 pm
      yes, you can add more oils or you can also add a tablespoon or two of an all natural scented conditioner. But the vinegar smell wont be there after the dryer run!
      Reply
      • Rochelle says
        December 12, 2013 at 1:31 pm
        I had to stop using the vinegar & essential oil cause even though the dryer would get rid of the vinegar smell, when my husband was working (aircraft electronic / mechanic) and he gets sweaty, the vinegar smell starts to come back. Several of the guys he works with mentioned it to him.
        Reply
        • Diane says
          December 12, 2013 at 7:12 pm
          huh! Interesting! I wonder why sweat makes it smell more? Or maybe it is heat? I never noticed this but thankyou for letting me know!
          Reply
  10. Diane says
    June 27, 2013 at 3:47 pm
    Where do you get the tea tree and essential oils inexpensively?
    Reply
    • Diane says
      June 27, 2013 at 4:56 pm
      I know my local Rite Aid carries tea tree oil but it may be cheaper to buy on amazon. You can check the healthfood store, too. Essential oils can often be found at healthfood stores too but they aren't always cheap. a small bottle does go a long way, though.
      Reply
      • amanda says
        November 7, 2013 at 2:10 am
        I buy from a company called Back to Basics Log Cabin for essential oils, you can find them on etsy or on facebook. I buy their tea tree and lavender in 2oz sizes.
        Reply
  11. April Golightly says
    September 3, 2013 at 5:28 pm
    Does the oil stain the clothes?
    Reply
    • Diane says
      September 3, 2013 at 5:36 pm
      Not that I have noticed at all. I made sure to really shake up the mixture in the jar before adding the cloths so it was fairly well dispersed.
      Reply
  12. loup says
    January 10, 2014 at 5:37 pm
    Do you have to wring the rag before putting it in the dryer? Or soaking wet it goes?
    Reply
  13. Cathrin says
    January 22, 2014 at 3:43 am
    I've never done the rags in a jar method for dryer sheets, but I frequently put vinegar in the liquid softener compartment of my washer. There's only the slightest vinegar smell to the clothes when I transfer them to the dryer, but it's 100% gone by the time the clothes are dry. Maybe this could be a solution for anyone still smelling vinegar after vinegar rags are used in the dryer? Maybe the rinse cycles in the washer eliminate a good portion of the vinegar scent. So, as an alternative, since I put the vinegar in my washer, do you think I could do a variation on your method by doing a water/oils mixture in a jar with rags, so that the rags are purely for giving a scent boost rather than softening?
    Reply
  14. Christy says
    February 5, 2014 at 4:30 pm
    Thanks for this tip. I tried it last night and LOVE it, no more commercial dryer sheets for me. My clothes are so soft. The dryer took away the essential oil smell so I'll try adding more to see if that helps. I also used the safety pin idea and that worked as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you
    Reply
  15. SG Woodward says
    August 9, 2014 at 9:13 pm
    I love this idea and made up a batch yesterday. I used one cup of vinegar and 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil. I tested the first sheet on a load of towels and was very pleased that there was absolutely no static at all. I noticed the vinegar smell when I took the towels out and thought that it would go away, but it never did. My husband asked why the towels smell like ketchup! LOL Maybe I'll try to make the next batch with 1/2 cup of vinegar.
    Reply
    • Diane says
      August 11, 2014 at 1:47 pm
      I have heard that adding a tablespoon or two of store bought conditioner will help more with static AND add a pretty scent!
      Reply

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