How to make your own chemical free dryer sheet alternative
By mom4life | Category: Creating a Home, Moneywi$e, Recipes & Kitchen Tips, The Journey of Motherhood
Finding natural alternatives to chemical household products is something I enjoy so when I recently came across a recipe for homemade dryer spray to replace dryer sheets I was curious to give it a try. As I often find with homemade recipes, the ingredient list was short and it was quick and easy to put together. This frequently leads me to start out skeptical that it will even work (after all, we seem to be programed to believe we need a LONG list of unknown ingredients if we are really going to have a product that works). Once again my skepticism melted away to astonished surprise when this simple spray repeatedly proved its ability to tackle the static clean in my dryer. Want to try it yourself?
1 Cup Water (distilled or filtered is best)
1/2 Cup alcohol (isopropyl or vodka)
20 drops of your favorite essential oil combo (such as lemon and grapefruit or peppermint and eucalyptus or orange and geranium)
Add all ingredients together in a spray bottle and spritz 4-5 times over your wet clothing in the dryer and dry as usual. This mix can also be used as a linen spray or room freshener.
My mother-in-law has also been using this simple spray and loves it. Give it a try for yourself!
Another option that I have not yet tried is to simply use a clean cloth and place a few drops of essential oil on the cloth and toss in the dryer. In between loads, refresh it with a few new drops of oil. After every few loads launder it in the washing machine.
Someday I may also attempt to make my own laundry detergent but for now I am content to let Kim’s Rockin’ Green concoction work its magic on our cloth diapers and clothing. If you haven’t yet had a chance to watch the Rockin’ Green Laundry Soap review video I made with Kim, you should. In it you will see how Kim’s soap compares to some of the top competing brands of cloth diaper detergent and how effective it is at renewing the absorbency in your cloth diaper inserts.
How about you? I would love to hear if you have found something to replace your dryer sheets or if you even have any desire to do so.
How scented does the essential oil make the mix? I have to use fragrance-free or VERY lightly scented stuff for my husband. Can you just lessen the number of drops some?
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mom4life Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 10:46 pm
@Keisha H, I don’t find it to be very strong, however we don’t have a fragrance sensitivity so for you I would suggest starting with just a small number of drops (perhaps 5-8?) and then add more if desired.
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Rachel Reply:
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:19 pm
@Keisha H, I use doTERRA’essential oil. So far, the people who are sensitive are usually sensitive to the synthetic additives to essential oils. doTERRA has set a high standard for purity. They are the only company who offers Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils. I use lavender on a hand knitted square cloth which works very nice.
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Have you tried Buddha Bunz Wool Dryer Balls (http://buddhabunz.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=DryerBalls)? The mama who makes them is awesome. They would be a great asset to your store. She’s also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BuddhaBunz.
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mom4life Reply:
July 30th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
@Trisha W., Thanks for the link, I have actually made some dryer balls recently. It was a craft I did while I was on bed rest. I had planned to write a blog post telling how I did it but I haven’t gotten to it yet–hopefully I will:)
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P.S. I forgot to ask if the above recipe is just for scenting your clothes or if it also helps with static issues. Thanks.
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mom4life Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 10:43 pm
@Trisha W., I don’t understand the science behind “why” it works but my mother-in-law and I have found that it helps with static issues including silky fabrics such as you might find in slips or underwear.
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Trisha W. Reply:
August 2nd, 2011 at 4:03 pm
@mom4life, Wow. I love that it helps with static issues. I wonder if I could spray a washcloth (slightly) damp and toss it in the dryer and yield the same effects. Hmm. I’ll have to bookmark this and test that out this fall when I resume using my dryer on a more regular basis.
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mom4life Reply:
August 4th, 2011 at 10:33 pm
@Trisha W., yes I do think you could do that! I haven’t tried it but it seems like it would be about the same thing so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work:).
I’ve been using dryer balls, and I don’t miss those dryer sheets at all! Buddha Bunz are also the ones I have, but making your own, or another brand will work just fine. The best part is you just leave them in the dryer and forget about them, no need to mix up a batch of anything…
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