DIY with Essential Oils – Ditch the Dryer Sheets
I’ve always used dryer sheets, but had been looking for an alternative option for quite some time. I came across a few options and even tried some of them, but my new favorite is using dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. So, today I will show you how to make your own scented dryer balls and save money while doing something good for the environment.
DIY with Essential Oils – Ditch the Dryer Sheets with Scented Wool Dryer Balls
Soft, static-free, fresh smelling laundry, all while keeping it natural and eco-friendly is easier than you think.
Do you love the “fresh scent” that dryer sheets and fabric softener gives your laundry? I do, but most the time the scent is overwhelming, so I’ve been trying to add just a few drops of Purification Essential Oil on mine and my laundry smells AMAZING – with no chemical overtones. You can choose lavender, lemon, or grapefruit, the choices are endless.
I am a new YL lover, and only use Young Living Essential Oils in our home now. If you want to know how to get your own essential oils for 24% off the retail price, I’m here to help if you have questions.
Since we made the switch, to the scented wool dryer balls
- our laundry smells much fresher
- laundry dries much faster
- we have saved at least $50 on electricity and sheets since we started using the balls (2 months ago)
- no more static electricity after drying our laundry, especially with wool clothing
- I rarely iron clothing anymore, the dryer balls take care of this as well
- and we don’t have any lint flying around
I don’t miss the dryer sheets, hubby and the kids love the fresh smelling clothes and I am not worried anymore about skin irritations. Making the step to a chemical-free and healthier home doesn’t have to be a huge investment or a giant change. It can happen in small steps over time – just like these simple wool balls.
Instructions:
- Use 100% wool yarn for this project, the felting only works with wool. I used 100% alpaca yarn for this project. To make one tennis size ball you will need about 110yd, but make sure you buy at least 3-6 hanks.
- Start with wrapping the yarn around 3 fingers a few times.
- Once you have a few wrapped slide them off your fingers and start wrapping across.
- Use your hank to create a yarn ball in the size of a tennis ball.
- Slide a crochet hook through your finished ball and pull the end inside and if possible through the ball.
- Make a few more balls, then slide them one by one into pantyhose. Tie a knot in between each ball and toss them with your dirty laundry. To avoid color bleeding, use soft colors.
- After they ran through a wash cycle, you toss them with the same laundry into your dryer.
- It takes the balls about 4-5 loads to felt, simply repeat the wash and dry cycle with your dirty laundry. Once they are felted you can take them out of the pantyhose, and add scent to them right before you use them in the dryer – I used Purification Essential Oil on mine.
I can’t even tell you how excited I am to try this idea! My daughter and I are very sensitive to scented soaps and such, and I’ve recently discovered the awesomeness of YL essential oils. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Glad you stopped by, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
I’ve just started using these for my laundry and already love them! My question is, about how often should I reapply the essential oil to the balls?
SO glad to hear you like using the balls, I add a few drops to a couple of balls each time I start a new drying cycle.
I want to try this but feel a little concerned about the oil transferring onto my clothing and staining… Do you wait after applying the oil to make sure it’s completely soaked in?
Hi Laura,
Thanks for giving the balls a try. Just wanted to let you know that ever since I have used the balls i haben had any stains not even on white clothes. The drops saturate into the balls and the steam releases only some of the oils though the heat.
Once you start using them, you’ll love it and never look back!