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These homemade fabric softener sheets are such a great discovery, I am excited to share the how-to with you!
I’ve been intentionally cutting toxins from our home little by little for years. Store-bought fabric softener is definitely not worth the risk, so this whole time (15+ years), my family has just gone without fabric softener.
In my mind, the main purpose for fabric softener is to make clothes smell nice, and that’s not really a priority for me. Back in the day when I heard Martha Stewart say that “clean” doesn’t have a smell, the idea stuck. If it’s clean, it should have no fragrance at all.
The Problem with Mainstream Fabric Softener
Common fabric softeners, both liquid and dryer sheets, contain numerous chemicals to create the fragrance and the softening effect on your laundry. The types of chemicals used and their potential effects are listed below. Source: ewg.org.
- Fragrances Many different synthetic chemicals are used to create the fragrance that is deposited onto your clothes. Side effects of these chemicals can include skin irritation/allergy, toxicity to the aquatic environment, and negative effects on the nervous and respiratory systems.
- Fabric Softening Agents A range of chemicals are included in fabric softeners for this purpose. Effects of these chemicals can include triggering asthma, skin irritation and allergies, and reproductive harm.
- Preservatives & Colors Effects of the chemicals used for this purpose include skin allergy, asthma flare-ups, and toxicity to marine life.
Anyone raising kids today is likely concerned with the safety of products used in and around the home. I especially try to be careful about the substances that come in direct contact with my family. Fabric softener definitely falls into that category. My kids all have a different mix of allergies, asthma, and skin sensitivities so commercial fabric softener is absolutely a no-go.
DIY Dryer Sheets
Like most things used for cleaning around the house, if you want to be 100% certain it’s safe and non-toxic, DIY is a great solution. Like I mentioned, I had not been using any fabric softener at all for my family’s laundry. One big problem we were having though, was static.
I often use white vinegar in the softener compartment of my washing machine, and this DOES work miracles for getting clothes smelling fresh. However, it didn’t help much with the static. So I thought I’d give making my own non-toxic dryer sheets a try.
Guys, I was blown away at how much softer our laundry felt after using my homemade dryer sheets! And no more static. I guess you don’t know what you’re missing until you try it, but I can say for sure, I’m not going back.
My husband and kids agree with how much nicer all of their clothes feel, so it’s not just a subtle difference that only a mom would notice. 😉
Fabric For Reusable Dryer Sheets
Making the actual dryer sheets is super easy. It’s actually a great opportunity to repurpose other items in your house.
For my dryer sheets, I use those thin terry washcloths that are used for bathing a newborn. After 5 kids, I had a bunch of them stashed.
Here are some other ideas of what you can use. The dryer sheets shouldn’t be very big. Around 5-7″ square is a good size.
For your dryer sheets, you can use:
- repurposed cloth baby wipes
- washcloths cut into quarters (you’ll want to zig zag stitch the edges to prevent fraying)
- old t-shirts cut into squares with pinking shears
- old flannel baby blanket, cut with pinking shears
- thin cotton fabric, cut with pinking shears
How To Make Homemade Dryer Sheets
Supplies
- about 20 cloth “sheets”
- a quart size mason jar or another leak-proof container
- distilled (or boiled and cooled) water
- white vinegar
- essential oils of your choice
Step 1: Put as many of your dry dryer sheets into your jar as you can. I rolled mine up the first time but now I just stuff them in there.
Step 2: In a separate container, mix together 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar, 1/2 cup of distilled water (or water that you’ve boiled), and 20 drops of your favorite essential oil. A few of my favorite scents are lavender & tea tree, lemon & orange, and geranium & lavender.
Step 3: Pour the solution over your dryer sheets in the jar and put the lid on. It may take a little while for all of the sheets to absorb the solution. Each dryer sheet should be saturated but not dripping.
Step 4: When you switch a load of laundry from the washer into the dryer, just toss in one of your dryer sheets.
The vinegar smell goes away after the clothes have dried, but you will be able to smell the essential oil on your laundry. And your clothes will be SO soft and static-free!!
More Natural Fixes For Really Severe Static
There are several things that affect the amount of static you get in your laundry. Water hardness and humidity where you live are a couple. For my water and dryness, these dryer sheets do the trick. However, if you are experiencing really bad static, I have a couple other natural things that will help when combined with these dryer sheets.
Wool Dryer Balls
The first one is to add some wool dryer balls. You can make your own like I did with wool yarn, but it probably didn’t save me any money, so keep that in mind. I add my dryer balls along with a dryer sheet if I’m drying something that I know has a tendency to get really static-y.
Soap Berries
The second natural fix for static is to use Soap Nuts. These are natural dried berries that contain saponin, so you can actually use them in place of laundry detergent. And they are not actually nuts, so nut allergic people like my son can safely use them.
I am still experimenting with these as far as how well they clean, but I am blown away at how much they soften the laundry. Just throw a few of them in the cloth bag they come with, and add it to your wash. (I’m still using my regular detergent along with them.) Then, dry your load with a dryer sheet and you’ll be golden.
I wish I hadn’t waited so long to try out this green DIY because it’s a good one! Let me know what you think when you try it!
DIY Fabric Softener Sheets
Make these homemade dryer sheets for a non-toxic alternative to fabric softener.
Materials
- about 20 cloth "sheets"
- a quart size mason jar or another leak-proof container
- distilled (or boiled and cooled) water
- white vinegar
- essential oils of your choice
Instructions
- Put as many of your dry dryer sheets into your jar as you can. I rolled mine up the first time but just stuffed them in there after that.
- In a separate container, mix together 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar, 1/2 cup of distilled water (or water that you’ve boiled), and 20 drops of your favorite essential oil. I like to use, lavender, lemon/orange, or tea tree.
- Pour the solution over your dryer sheets in the jar and put the lid on. It may take a little while for all of the sheets to absorb the solution. (Each dryer sheet should be saturated but not dripping.)
- When you switch a load of laundry into the dryer, toss in one of your dryer sheets.
You might also be interested in my best laundry tips when you have A LOT of laundry to do. We have 7 people in our household, so I’m always doing laundry, but it’s not so bad. Laundry Tips For A Big Family
Dorothy Mitchell says
I can’t wait to try this, clever! Thanks, Grandma Dot
Natalie says
Awesome! Let me know what you think!
Donna says
What a clever idea…how long do they last in the container?
Natalie says
I usually go through mine in a couple of weeks and they are 100% fine in that amount of time. My guess is that they would last even longer than that since vinegar naturally has some antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. If you think you need them to last more than a couple weeks, just make sure to use distilled water or boiled water in the recipe. Hope you like the switch!
Kari says
So.. what do you do after you’ve used the rag? Put it back in the mason jar or put it in the dirty clothes?
Natalie says
I just keep a pile on the washer of the dry, used ones. When the jar is empty, just mix up a new batch and put the cloths back in the jar to start again.
Jan Lowry says
Thanks!
Rae Liebtag says
Hello! This method has not worked well for me. I’ve seen this on various DIY homemaker sites online, and was excited to try it as my laundry often smells musty after drying. However, my clothes do not smell like the essential oils I use in these homemade dryer sheets, not at all!! I’ve even increased the amount of EO to 40-60 drops, the laundry smells slightly like vinegar after using these!! The vinegar smell does not totally evaporate for me, and it definitely is not eclipsed by the EOs. Any tips thoughts suggestions here? Frustrating as I was excited about this simple fix, and from reading others comments I’m apparently the only person who this is an issue for..? Hm! Any help greatly appreciated!!
Natalie Clausen says
Hi Rae! I think when people have mixed results with diy dryer sheets, it’s likely because of differences in water hardness where you live. The first thing I’d do is try adjusting the ratio of water to vinegar by decreasing the vinegar. The other thing I’d look into is softening your water a bit in the wash cycle. You can do that by adding vinegar to the rinse cycle or adding washing soda to your wash. For an even more natural option, I’ve been using Soap Nuts with my detergent and it softens the water a lot. If you can get your water hardness down, I think the vinegar smell from the dryer sheets will release from your laundry more completely. I hope that helps!
Denise Killingsworth says
I am making my batch now. One question though, do you squeeze the liquid out of the sheet? Should I use them soaked, or just a little wet?
Thanks for this great natural remedy,
Denise
Natalie says
You can do either, but you might smell vinegar faintly on the load if you use it soaked/dripping. I stuff a ton of sheets in my jar, and sometimes even stuff more in after I’ve used a few, so mine are not totally soaked. If yours are that wet, I’d recommend either squeezing each out a bit before adding it to the load, or stuff more sheets in your jar to absorb more of the solution. Let me know how it goes!
Carmella Long says
This is a wonderful idea! One question however about the oil. I’m concerned that the oil will cause oil spots on the clothing. Has this been an issue for you?
Natalie says
Thanks, Carmella! No, I have never had that issue before and I have been using these sheets for quite a while so I believe you’re safe. I’m thinking that because of the really small amount of oil relative to the vinegar/water, as well as the fact that the solution is completely absorbed in the dryer sheets themselves and not the clothes, there is little risk of oil spotting.
dls says
I too do not like using dryer sheets, so 2 years ago, I started using 1 paper coffee filter sprayed with white vinegar and a couple drops of essential oil . Is static free and smells wonderful. Money saved!
Chris says
Great idea!! I miss having my laundry smell good. Sounds like a great option
Natalie says
I hope you like it! ☺️
Kelly says
How many loads to dry can you get out of one laundry sheet?
Natalie says
You use 1 fresh sheet per load. After the load is dry, I just take out the sheet and put it in a pile on the dryer of used ones. Then when I run out, they are all in a pile and I just stick them back in the jar and pour in a new batch of the solution.
Kristie says
That seems like a lot of vinegar to go through……I’m doing 1-2 loads a day (6 kids, 2 adults……I wanna cry, it never ends! I know lots feel my pain.) So, is there liquid left if I keep recycling, putting used sheets back in the jar?
Natalie says
If you buy the big jugs of vinegar for a couple dollars, it’ll actually last you quite a while. I think you might be able to get away with throwing a few of the used/dried sheets back in the jar to absorb more of the solution, but at some point, that will cause the sheets to become too dry to be effective. I do feel your pain with the amount of laundry you have to do! If you haven’t seen it, check out the ways I make laundry a little easier in Laundry Tips for a Big Family.
Darcy says
Hi
What in the recipe helps with the static since you said that vinegar did not help with the static? The boiled water? Or the oils? Or the fact that it goes into the dryer and not just the vinegar in the wash?
Thankyou
Darcy
Natalie says
It’s the vinegar that cuts down on the static. Theoretically, vinegar in the rinse cycle should help with static as well. However, I find that it is MUCH more effective when used in the dryer sheet solution. It is extremely dry where I live with low humidity, so that may also play a factor.
Cara Elite says
I am currently using wool balls and have recently been having issues w the balls not helping w static….. would i be able to use these sheets w the balls?
Natalie says
Definitely!
Maria says
I tried this and the clothes came out smelling like Vinegar! Did I do something wrong? I followed the recipe.
Natalie Clausen says
Hi Maria. I think the hardness level of your water at home plays a role in this. Try decreasing the amount of vinegar and increasing the water so the overall vinegar concentration is not as strong….that should improve the vinegar smell. Let me know!
Erin says
Did you stop using vinegar in the washer when you started using the dryer sheets?
Natalie Clausen says
I did for the most part. I still add vinegar to the fabric softener compartment of the washer if I’m washing something like teenager socks or dirty kitchen towels. Mostly for the deodorizing boost.
KIM says
Do you squeeze any excess liquid back into the jar before putting the sheet in the drier?
Natalie Clausen says
The sheet should be saturated but not dripping, so if it is dripping, go ahead and squeeze the excess back into the jar.
Tracey says
I really want to try this! Did you use baby washcloths as your “sheets?”
Natalie Clausen says
Yes, that’s what I use, but you can use any small, thin pieces of cloth. Whatever you have!
Small Talk Mama says
I am SOOO trying this! I use the wool balls for my laundry and my son’s, but my husband insists on dryer sheets for his work clothes. We have agreed to disagree on the toxicity of commercial sheets, so he now does his own poison-soaked laundry. While the wool balls do cut down on some of the static, they don’t help as much as I would like. Hopefully this will be the answer! Thanks for sharing.
Natalie Clausen says
Ooh I hope this does this the trick! You can also play around with the ratio of water to vinegar and increase the essential oils until it’s perfect for your family.
Alma Mom says
Can’t wait to try these!! We’ve used dryer balls for years and unscented detergent tablets, but sometimes the laundry needs a fresh scent.
I was wondering if I could store them in a sealed plastic container instead of glass? I worry about dropping the jar on the tile floor.