What are dryer sheets?
In short, dryer sheets create a guard against the buildup of static electricity when drying your clothes. They can work as fabric softeners, help in the resistance of future stains, prevent clothes from gathering lint and make ironing easier too.
Where do they come from?
In the 1960s, they treated small sheets of material with a bit of fabric softener. When the sheets were in the dryer, the heat and moisture warmed up the softener that was imbued in the sheet and spread it across all the pieces of clothing in the dryer, thus reducing the static build up
What's the benefit of using reusable dryer sheets?
Save money! With regular dryer sheets, you can get about two uses out of them before having to through them away. No rushing to the store when you need more, just do this simple DIY recipe at home. Also, think of the millions of dryer sheets used every day, that's a lot of material that never gets recycled!
Sensitivity: Also, since regular dryer sheets work by coating our clothes with chemicals to make them feel soft and less static-y. The problem is the chemicals stay on our clothes and then are absorbed through our skin when we wear them. Anyone with sensitive skin has learned this the hard way.
How to make reusable dryer sheets with essential oils
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 1/2 cup distilled water (or boiled water)
- 10 drops Lavender essential oil
- 10 drops Wild Orange essential oil
Items Needed:
- Glass storage container with lid (32-ounce mason jar)
- Approximately 20 cloth "sheets" (cut from a sweater, cotton t-shirt, flannel blanket, or fabric of choice)
Instructions
- Cut your fabric into 5 x 5 squares
- Fold the pieces of cloth and place them in your container
- Mix the vinegar and essential oils in a separate bowl
- Pour over the cloth in the jar until moistened, but not dripping with saturation. Keep any excess vinegar mix in another lidded mason jar for the next round.
Use one to two sheets in the dryer per load of laundry. Repeat the process after the cloths have been dried. Run through the wash every two to three weeks, depending on usage (or when you're ready to change scents).
