Ditch the Dryer Sheets: Spray-Fresh DIY Fabric Softener

crunched by Crunchy Betty on April 10, 2011
filed under Household

Homemade fabric softener/freshener - you can make yours prettier than mine. It's okay.

In this super-fast connected incredibly high-tech day and age, we all know that dryer sheets are bad, right?

I mean, really bad. For you, for your kids, and for the environment.

But they make for soft, cuddly-teddy smelling, mushy clothes.

Except they have dozens of cancer-causing chemicals in them. Chemicals that touch your skin and get inhaled through your nose and probably set up tents on your buttocks and throw wild, skin-trashing parties.

I haven’t bought dryer sheets in years, nor have I used fabric softener. In fact, I do everything under the sun to stay away from synthetic fragrance as much as possible these days.

Why? Here’s an article from Natural News about some of the untoward effects of synthetic fragrance. And here’s one from Scientific American about why and how you should avoid dryer sheets/fabric softener. Sorry, wild laundry chemicals. Party’s over.

Anymore, synthetic fragrance just bugs me. Hurts my head. Assaults my nose. Makes me nauseous. Increases my tendencies to hypochondria.

I’m at war, though.

War with Skip. Sort of. By war, I mean, I do laundry the way I want to do it, and he passive-aggressively sits stoically when I say it’s better this way. He misses the super-soft smellyÂ mess we all grew up with.

Soapnuts, though, were a different story. He loved them; they made the laundry super soft, and we never had a problem with static. I’m about to order more from Mountain Rose Herbs this week, but until then, I still want soft clothes.

And sometimes, even with the soap nuts, the clothes didn’t smell 100% fresh. It’s part and parcel with doing the greasy, oily laundry of a man who works in a kitchen, this unfresh smell.

Homemade Laundry Detergent with Washing Soda Needs Help

So, before soap nuts (and after until I get more), I was washing my laundry with this recipe for homemade laundry detergent.

Basically, it’s 2 cups of finely grated soap (like Ivory, Zote, or Fels Naptha), 1 cup washing soda, and 1 cup borax all mixed together and stirred until clumps are broken up.

My laundry’s super clean with this concoction, but it’s not very soft if I don’t use something to help it along.

(I’d like to pause for a moment to point out another obvious: The best way to dry your clothes – for yourself, your family, and the environment – is line drying. Until a week ago, I had no line-drying option. I may rethink that this summer.)

Okay, where were we?

So I had this jar full of old, cut-up pieces of cotton pillowcase that I’d leave soaking in vinegar and an essential oil. I’d just throw one or two of them in the dryer with the wet clothes and pretend they were reusable dryer sheets.

Then they got lost. Or stuck in the sock drawer. Or they ran away to a better home. I have no idea.

Either way, when we were moving last week, I realized I hadn’t used them in months. Because they were hard to keep track of. Not a good solution for the disorganized.

Like me.

As I was spraying out the oven last week, the freakin’ da Vinci stroke of genius hit me. Why not put the vinegar in the spray bottle? And spray the wet laundry? WHY NOT?

So I did.

Simple, Nontoxic Fabric Softener/Freshener

I’ve done 5 loads of laundry since then, and our clothes have never smelled … nothinger. I LOVE it. They just smell like clean clothes.

They’re really soft, and only once have I noticed any amount of static cling on any of them. And that was a pair of CuddleDuds. I shook ‘em out, and the static was gone.

Is it perfect? I guess that depends on your definition. Our clothes don’t have that slight “soft” residue feeling that commercial dryer sheets give; and there’s no real smell to them. I’d like to improve on it a little, just because I’d love to have clothes that smelled like lemons or something.

But I have yet to EVER do laundry with any amount of essential oil and have the smell “stick around” after a tumble through the dryer. Even a sock full of dried lavender buds with lavender essential oil drizzled on it didn’t work.

But, I added eucalyptus essential oil to this mixture, and I honestly think that – while our clothes don’t smell like eucalyptus – it adds a fantastic amount of freshness to the dried clothing. No more oily/greasy smells left on the work jeans.

Here are the ingredients you need. The MYRIAD OVERWHELMING INCREDIBLY NUMEROUS INGREDIENTS:

OMG - look at all the ingredients!

Easy Homemade Fabric Softener

2 c. white vinegar
3 tsp eucalyptus essential oil
spray bottle

Combine oil and vinegar in the spray bottle and shake well. Shake well before using. Spray 10-15 squirts of the mixture into the dryer (on wet clothes) before drying. Dry clothes completely to avoid any leftover vinegar smell.

One Note: More is not better here. The first load I did, I went crazy and sprayed over 30 squirts into the machine. The heavier clothes still carried a bit of vinegar smell when I was done.

More Things to Do With Eucalyptus Oil

It’s become clear that eucalyptus oil is on my list of 5 must-have essential oils. It’s disinfecting, antimicrobial, deodorizing and really uplifting in the scent department. While I think you could get the softening effects of vinegar without it, I do think the freshness it lends to this fabric softener idea is essential. For me, anyway.

If this isn’t enough to convince you to buy some eucalyptus oil, here are a couple more reasons to do so.

You can also add it to bathroom cleaners, kitchen cleaners, a pot of boiling water to help lift your spirits (or relieve sinus pressure).

I could do this for hours.

Anyway, I did some research for you guys and found some of the better deals on eucalyptus oil. It seems like it may have gone up a tiny bit in price recently, as I bought a 16-oz bottle two months ago (on sale) for around $14.

NOW Foods is selling it on Amazon (on SALE right now) for $16.78 for 16 oz. This is the best price I could find. Plus, it ships Prime (if you have it). (Edit: I guess it’s no longer on sale – less than 12 hours after I wrote this. It’s back up to over $21. Sorry!)

Alternatively, you could buy it from iHerb.com using code OZE706 to get $5 off your first order – the price right now on the 16 oz is $21.40. While it’s not as inexpensive, when you use that code, you also support CrunchyBetty (I get a tiny kickback when the code is used).

Or, if you really want to support CrunchyBetty, you could pick up organic eucalyptus oil right now from Mountain Rose Herbs (use the affiliate link here if you order). They only sell organic there, which I would buy if I had the money to do so. But I go through a fair amount of eucalyptus oil, and it’s just not as feasible. Right now, anyway.

Maybe when I’m rich.

And I’ll have my own reality TV show. The Crunchy and the Famous.

I digress.

What do you people think of all this?

Have any of your own laundry tips to share?

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http://themommybowl.com Deanna

I’m doing the soap nuts thing, but I have to admit, I’ve yet to kick the dryer sheet habit. But this looks easy enough to do. Must kick the habit!
http://www.ginabaynham.com Gina

I bought a bottle of eucalyptus oil today before reading this post. I bought it to get the sticky residue of foam pads off my daughters bedroom walls. Eucalyptus oil just melts away sticky residue of any description off anything. Great when you have kids that stick stickers on everything that stays still! Now that I have a great big new bottle I will have to think about using it in my laundry. As for the tumble drier sheets I too have often put a damp rag with a few splashes of lavender into the drier and it makes everything smell great. Even if it doesn’t leave a strong smell on the clothes. Tea tree is a great fresh antiseptic smell too.
http://www.openeyehealth.com Michelle

I also haven’t bought dryer sheets in ages! I am using a similar homemade detergent right now (except with unscented castile soap and lavender oil) and I will definitely have to try out this softener!
http://vanessasmith.webs.com/ Vanessa

You should apply for show on the DIY channel. I’d watch you religiously.

Anywho, living with the grand’rents currently renders me unable to implement all of these awesome, organic changes to my lifestyle, though I am SO dying to. Every time I get all excited about something I see on The Crunch… I’m immediately shot down by the higher beings of the household, who seem to think organic/homemade = caveman/unhygienic. I made the mocha face mask once, and was made fun of for a week, so I didn’t do that again. I was on ‘No Poo for a good month before my grandfather got mad at me for being “dirty” and demand that I wash my hair with shampoo, or I would never be allowed to leave the house again.

I’ve tried to explain it to them, but they just don’t seem to understand. I think it’s because they were part of that generation where all of these “modern” conveniences were introduced to. To them, soaps and shampoos and dryer sheets are modern miracles, and they don’t understand why anyone would want to go back to “before”.

Anywho, we did do some line drying for a couple of years before we got a dryer… maybe I could talk them back into doing that, and I’ll make this softener. Maybe. *crosses fingers*

~Ness
- kimelah
  
  Um… do you NEED to tell them what you’re doing? Why not just keep quiet about it? Buy a cheap bottle of shampoo and leave that in the shower so they THINK you’re shampooing “properly”. Do your own laundry and bring your bottle of vinegar with you into the laundry room. Or better yet, do your laundry in a laundromat, away from spying, prying, judging eyes.
  I used to live with someone (step father) who was very critical of every little wee thing I did. He’d mock me relentlessly. But I did it anyway. I couldn’t let him bring me down. I was very quiet about it, though. Tried so hard not to bring any attention to myself. Typical wallflower.
  “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
  - http://vanessasmith.webs.com/ Vanessa
    
    Well, see, that’s the thing: I kind of DO have to tell them, since they’re the ones supplying the money for it. How else am I going to explain something like a box of borax, or bottles of essential oil? My grandmother doesn’t mind the household so much, but the self cleaning things she’s not too fond of. We actually got into a huge argument about it today. Hopefully, I’ll be moved out by next year, so I suppose I can tough it out for a while more.
    
    ~Ness
    - kimelah
      
      Oh, I see. Yeah, that’s a big problem.
      Wait, your grandmother does NOT have a problem with homemade household products, but she DOES have a problem with personal products?
      Is she open to reading some material? Maybe print a few pages out from some site or other? If she’s logical, use some science sites.
      If nothing flies, at least you know it’ll only be another year or so, then you’ll be free to implement your decisions.
      I feel for you.
      - Ellen
        
        Does your grandmother pay your rent and groceries?
- Ariana
  
  I did the “no-’poo” method for washing my hair for about 6weeks once… Unfortunately, it seems that my hair became very dull. It wasn’t greasy (as I have very very dry, curly hair), but it had no luster at all… The damaged ends seemed to have been “repaired”, if you can believe that! I then switched to a homemade “shampoo” that helped to clarify my hair, made it feel clean, restored the shine, and left it manageable–all by using ingredients that are already in my kitchen :
  
  1 oz olive oil
  1 egg
  1 T lemon juice
  1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  
  Mix in blender until well combined. Use like regular shampoo. Discard leftovers ( I have long hair, so there usually aren’t any for me!).
  
  Maybe this will help you out, and avoid having to justify these “unnecessary purchases”? Just a thought.
http://www.makeitbakeitbuyitfakeit.blogspot.com Stephanie

I haven’t used dryer sheets for 10 yrs. now and after trying liquid softener once or twice, decided it just wasn’t worth the bother or the expense. I hung nearly all our laundry on the line and afterward would throw hubby’s clothes and our bath towels in the dryer to tumble without heat to soften them up. Where we live now, there’s no room for a regular clothesline but I’m hoping to get one of the umbrella-style ones.

I’m switching to homemade laundry detergent next week so I think I’ll give this softener trick a try as well (coincidently, I just bought a new bottle of euc. oil last night (though lavender may get tried for this too).
http://adventureswiththreegirls.com Jessica Anne

I’m definitely going to try this. I still rarely use any laundry detergent (although I will be getting some soap nuts after my box runs out for my towels), but I would like if they were a little fresher. They don’t smell or anything now, I just wish they were fresher. And I have some eucalyptus oil as I tried it for the bathroom situation. I should thank you for saving my marriage, I was about to tell the hubby he couldn’t live here anymore. :) Now I just need to get a bunch of spray bottles.
http://lisepunch.blogspot.com/ LisaLIse

I’ve never used a dryer sheet in my life… don’t have a dryer.. I don’t even think they sell dryer sheets in DK. I like your thinking though and salute your efforts!
http://www.peaceloveandmuesli.com Kristin @ Peace, Love and Muesli

I am sadly addicted to dryer sheets. I have tried many options and not one has helped me kick my bad habit. I have dryer balls (which is a terrible name) but they only work for sheets and towels, clothes end up with terrible static.
In the warm weather I hang as much as I can on the line, I add vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser to prevent crunchiness.
I will give your trick a try. In my defense I rip the sheet in half and only use 1/2 per dry.
kimelah

I LOVE vinegar as a “fabric softener”, only I put it in the fabric softener dispenser in my washing machine. When I put the clothes into the dryer (I know, I know) I can smell the vinegar, but when they come out dry, there isn’t a hint of vinegar. The only way I can describe the smell is… outside. It smells like outside.
I never thought of adding any EOs to the vinegar… Now I’m wondering if I could just pour half a bottle of EO into my giant (4L) bottle of vinegar…?
Kaye

I feel like I can ask this question here without judgement.

Do dryer sheets really… do anything?

I’ve always secretly believed they didn’t. I’m allergic to the chemical fragrances on them (I can’t even walk down that aisle at the store), and have never used dryer sheets or fabric softener when doing laundry. My clothes are plenty soft, and smell like clean fabric, and don’t ever get static-y… so I’ve never felt like I was missing anything. Now I feel like there’s some sort of magical something that’s supposed to be happening to my clothes in the dryer, which my clothes have been missing out on.
- kimelah
  
  I would say: you don’t realize how much more softer your clothes could feel. But, on the other hand, that oh-so-lovely softness comes at a price of your clothes slowly getting thinner and thinner from the chemicals. That lint trap? That’s parts of your clothes!
  Aside from an artificial softness, you’re not missing much.
  I used to be able to walk down that aisle, but when I became more conscious of just how “fragrancy” it was… maybe it’s a placebo effect, but my head starts to hurt.
  - Kaye
    
    But the thing is: I’ve come into plenty of contact with other people’s clothing. I mean, I hug people and hold their sweaters while they shop and… all those other daily-human-contact things, and I’ve never felt any sort of difference between my clothes and anybody else’s. Shouldn’t theirs feel softer than mine? That’s the bit that’s always puzzled me. Is it like a temporary softness that wears off after you fold your clothes and put them away? My fiance used fabric softener before we lived together, but didn’t seem to notice the difference when they suddenly disappeared out of the laundry equation…I’m actually pretty sure he still hasn’t noticed. Fabric softener is one of those little societal quirks I just can’t understand, like when people put jelly on their chicken.
    - Crunchy Betty
      
      Wait. What? Who puts jelly on their chicken? I need to understand this, because it’s weird. What kind of jelly? Grape? Blackberry-serrano? Does it matter? Just chicken, and whatever jelly happens to be in your refrigerator?
      
      Okay, so, to answer your original question: I can tell a difference. Especially with towels. Towels definitely have more of a soft residue feeling when you use fabric softener sheets. And, of course, everything smells a LOT more (icky).
      
      Also, Skip has a thermal shirt that’s kinda stiff and itchy (weird for a thermal, right?). That’s the one he complains about the most in regard to me not using fabric softener.
      
      I’m not 100% sure what all the ingredients in dryer sheets are, but it wouldn’t surprise me to find out there’s some kind of oil or “conditioner” of some sort that provides the softening. But, like I said, it also feels like a residue to me. Hard to feel, but it’s there.
      - Ariana
        
        There is definitely a residue when you use dryer sheets. If you do not believe this, just take the lint screen out of your dryer and place it under the running faucet in your sink…. The water does not go thru these seemingly huge holes in the screen quite as easily as you would think. Hmmmm…. That is bc there is a residue left behind by those “wonderful” dryer sheets. A good scrubbing will get that residue off of your lint screen, but the clothing/towels/bed linens that were in that same dryer with those sheets are still holding all that residue–right against your skin and the skin of everyone in your family. Just some FYI. I try to find homemade/natural alternatives wherever I can. I have even been replacing my traditional beauty products with them (talk about a lifestyle change!). I am now trying to approach everything from the viewpoint that if you can’t EAT it, you shouldn’t be applying it to your skin. That certainly minimizes the products in MY household. LOL
- http://groovy-mom.com Groovy Mom
  
  I do think they help with static, and they do scent your clothes. However… they coat your clothes with a film, too. I know this because I wear glasses and when I clean my glasses on clothing that has had softener or dryer sheets used on them, they have smears on them. :/
Julie

A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU CRUNCHY BETTY! You have single handedly destroyed the ignorant bliss I was living in just a month ago! Since accidentally stumbling onto your blog while searching for a homemade laundry detergent recipe. I no longer enjoy that tingling feeling I get from my shampoo,(I formerly thought this was the shampoo working, now I feel like it’s the chemicals entering my scalp), that fresh smell from my clean laundry now makes me feel like I’m giving my family a little more cancer everyday, and my husband now thinks I’ve gone totally insane! I was just a little in touch with the reality of “bad” things in the products we use, but thought I was doing right by my family by choosing a healthy diet full of all the good foods they needed, boy have you knocked me off a cliff! I am now trying to use up the remaining laundry, dish, and body soap I have left but am having a VERY hard time even using it……I knew better than this all along but was choosing to ignore the incessant nagging inside my brain to find a better way. I hate using shampoo and conditioner now, but I just don’t know if I can take the plunge into a no ‘poo world. My husband has threatened to leave me if I touch his soap/shampoo and try to replace them with …..well, I just can’t repeat what he said! So this time, minus the sarcasm, thank you Betty, my family may think I’m crazy, but at least they’ll be healthier! God bless you lady! :)
- Julie
  
  This post cracked me up. I’m Julie as well, and have an almost word-for-word identical experience (down to the timing, the husband, the urge to get rid of stuff, the new way of looking at things like suds and that “clean” feeling or smell). I’m finding that the way to keep the changes fun and not overwhelming is by doing one thing at a time. I have ditched my Scubbing Bubbles, but am okay with Colgate for now :-)
http://www.theeducatedlife.com Clara

I haven’t used dryer sheets in a few years – I’ve been using dryer balls, but I’m not 100% happy with them. I will definitely be trying this recipe. Need to get some more spray bottles, I have too many homemade cleaners taking up my spray bottles! :)
Ladeedah

Has anyone tried the felted wool balls for using in the dryer? I haven’t gotten around to buying a few old wool sweaters at the thrift store to shrink (felt). I had always thrown tennis balls in the dryer when drying or freshening down jackets or my down comforter. The theory is the balls bounce around and fluff up the feathers to help dry while fluffing it back up. It works but tennis balls smell funny. And since I don’t play tennis, I had to buy a can of them.
I understand the tightly wrapped felted wool strips made into balls do the same thing bouncing around with regular everyday clothes and that the wool (being a sheep’s hair) takes the static out of your clothes, or absorbs the static. Who has tried this??
Jen

I didn’t know that dryer sheets were so bad. What other seemingly harmless things are in my cupboards???

I have a huge box of them from Costco. Do I toss them now or use them up? Feels wasteful, but I didn’t know they were sooooooo full of really bad chemicals. =(
- Carisgarden
  
  I know your comment was a year ago but check out the documentary Chemerical if you haven’t already…..interesting to watch.
http://themotherklucker.wordpress.com/ Jenny

I don’t use dryer sheets because they soften my clothes so much as because they help get rid of static. So what does everyone do to combat static? The kids’ clothes get especially static-y if I don’t use dryer sheets, so what else can I do?
- Crunchy Betty
  
  Actually, the vinegar helps with static immensely. Some people use it in the final rinse, and I’ve used it in one of those fabric softener ball things a couple of times, but I’ve never had much luck with that in terms of avoiding static. For some reason, though, spraying it directly in or using the reuseable sheets soaked in vinegar has worked perfectly. Occasionally, there’ll be a bit of static, but it’s not nearly as bad as when I use nothing.
  
  I gotta say, though, washing with soap nuts really prevented static better than anything I’ve tried – including the days of yore with dryer sheets.
http://themotherklucker.wordpress.com/ Jenny

Okay, well I’ve been looking for an excuse to try soap nuts, and now you’ve really got me convinced! DH already thinks I’m a loon for making my own laundry soap, I can only imagine what he’ll say about soap nuts!

Tomorrow is laundry day (sadly), so I’ll definitely try just spraying the clothes in the dryer. Do I have to use Eucalyptus oil, or will and essential oil work? I don’t have eucalyptus, and even if I did, I don’t especially like the smell!
- Crunchy Betty
  
  Nope. You don’t have to use the eucalyptus oil at all. It just makes things smell a little fresher, IMO. But, that just may all be in my head, too. Heh.
  
  Frankly, any essential oil would “work,” as it were. I just don’t smell ANYTHING on the clothes when they’re done drying – regardless of the oil I use. It actually may be a bit of a waste of oil. BUT, other people have reported being able to smell them on their clothes when they’re done. So I might just have some weird dryer that neutralizes essential oil/herbal smells. Or … something.
Liz

I’ve been using your fabric softener recipe…but I can still smell a hint of vinegar when I take my clothes out of the dryer. My husband really hates the smell…is there anything I can do to prevent this?
Sharon Green

I live in australia and we don’t use the dryer as much as seems to be normal elsewhere (electricity too expensive). I have a camp clothes line as well as a normal one and use this in the garage when it is raining, just leave the door open! I stopped using fabric softener ages ago. I buy white vinegar and pour 1/3 vinegar into a 2 litre bottle and fill with water to the top. Then I add 20 mls of water soluble Lavender Oil. Let it stand for 48 hours before using. I add 1/4 cup of this to the fabric softener dispenser of my front loader. Clothes that are dried on the line, come in smelling outdoor fresh with no static. Towels are no rougher than when I used to use fabric softener and dried on the line. I use an old trick my grandmother showed me, cause she didn’t use fabric softener. When you bring in the dry towels scrub the material against itself all over. This fluffs the pile.
Mona Ciowie

Dear Crunchy Betty, just stumbled onto your website by looking for alternative fabric softener. THANK YOU, just the ticket.I shall try all of it and recommend this to everyone who nis willing to listen, I shall lead by example. no more harsh chemicals in my laundry. Nature rules. Kindest regards and a heartfelt thank you. sincerely Mona :)
elicia

Hello!
Again, awesome post, I wish I had more left over spray bottles! I also use dryer balls, and dont have much issue with static, maybe the static-y clothes just get hung to dry?
It might be in another post (I should look before, not after asking) but what are your other top 5 esential oils? I always just get what smells nice, but this way I am missing their effectiveness.
Thanks a bunch for your awesome webpage!
elicia
Kim

Just switched to homemade detergent and was wondering what to do about fabric softener, so I was excited to try the vinegar/oil method. So far, I’ve spent most of the day on this and am incredibly frustrated. My washing machine does not have a fabric softener dispenser and I can’t spend the day sitting nearby waiting for it to get to the rinse cycle. The location of the machine in our rental makes it so that I can’t hear it anywhere in the house other than the laundry closet. So, I tried the spray bottle. First load reeked of vinegar when dry so I started over. This time, they had a nice hint of lavender and no vinegar, but the static was ridiculous. So I tried the pieces of cotton soaked in vinegar/lavender (made last night). This load of towels has no smell of anything, lavender or otherwise, but they are really rough, not soft at all.

Everything I read says to add the vinegar to the washing machine dispenser. Since I don’t have one of those, does anyone have any tips on what to do? In the amount of time I would normally have finished all of my laundry, I have only one load of static and a bunch of rough towels.
- Crunchy Betty
  
  You could try putting vinegar in one of those fabric softener ball thingies. No matter what, I don’t think your laundry will ever be as soft as with fabric softener (because you’re not coating it with “stuff”), but you get used to it. I honestly believe it’s a perception thing, y’know? Like anything, once you get used to something a “certain way,” it just seems like it’s normal. So you get used to a different way, and before long, it’s just the way things are. And it ain’t no bigs. (FYI, I don’t add vinegar to my washing machine. Just spray it on the clothes in the dryer.)
Ariana

I have found the homemade laundry detergent to leave clothes rough (I mix mine as a liquid–more work intensive, but also seems to be more economical for me, and it disappates in the wash easily), so I too used to use the cut-up pieces of sheets/pillowcases in place of dryer sheets. And lo and behold, I was also having trouble keeping track of them… So… I made a liquid fabric softener–with a cup of baking soda(helps immensely with softness, static, AND freshness), 7 cups of white vinegar, a cup of water, and essential oil (usually lavender or mint, or BOTH). Just make sure you mix this in an OPEN CONTAINER and do not pour into your storage container until it has stopped fizzing! Believe me when I tell you that you should dissolve the baking soda into the cup of water and add it to a cup of vinegar SLOWLY before adding the other 6 cups of vinegar to the mix! It is fizz-tastic, and it softens everything. And just as you said, when the clothes dry completely, there is no vinegar-y smell to them. =)
- Jordan_wayne88
  
  How much of the essential oils & how much do you add to each load of clothes???
- Cheri
  
  Ariana, How do you apply the fabric softner to the clothes? Do you put in spray bottle and spray 12-15 sprays into dryer as well?
Margie

I’ve never used fabric softener, but used 1/3 of a dryer sheet per load until I tried dryer balls. Mine are rubbery plastic and covered in nubs. I guess the nubs do the fluffing… Have noticed more static, but the clothes don’t feel like they’ve gone through an oil slick. I want a clothes line but will have to wait for summer for that. Going to try the spray with peppermint and lavender. I’ve found that b.o is gone if I use about four drops per load, but hopefully spraying it in the dryer will work so I’m not using so much EO.
- Shannon Vary
  
  Margie, I had the same issue. My dryer balls have little hole in them and if there is static when I go to get the stuff from the dryer (or just when it has sat for ages ***rolls eyes and whistles***) I just fill one of my balls with a little bit of water and put the dryer back on for a few minutes.
  Good Luck!
Kori

I skimmed through all the comments and didn’t see anyone ask this…

Would the homemade laundry detergent and vinegar, etc be okay for HE washer/dryer?? I have an LG HE all-in-one washer/dryer. I SO want to do this but don’t want to ruin the machine.

Anyone know?
- Nicole
  
  I use them both in my machines!
Nicole Effle

Betty, I am loving the laundry soap! I am not real happy with the crazy static from the vinegar spray though. Any suggestions?
- Shannon Vary
  
  Nicole…make sure that you are not over drying your clothes….that was happening when I first started using the dryer balls. If you stuff is staticy maybe you could throw a clean damp rag/face cloth in with it for about 10-15 minutes. The moisture should help get rid of the static.
  HTH!
Shannon Vary

Great idea Betty. I used dryer balls instead of fabric sheets and when I line dry (usually just the summer months) I sometimes (if I remember to as I am not in the habit of using liquid fabric softener) I pour some vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. This really helps, especially with towels.

Keep the great tips coming!
- Shannon Vary
  
  P.S. Betty….your site is AMAZING!!!!!! Bookmarking this one for sure!
Julies

Thank you for this recipe! I made it and really like how the clothes smell fresh! Was wondering if you has tried peppermint oil?
Demongrl123

Not sure if anyone mentioned this yet but you can use vinegar and conditioner OR vinegar and whatever oil you like the scent of
Sgwizz

I do have a question – How much of the homemade laundry detergent do you use in each full load of clothes. Don’t want to over use the soap. Great tip! Took literally 15 minutes to whip up! Love this website Betty. We are all looking for ways to go natural and save big $$ in the process. Laundry products are ridiculous!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1435015213 Elaine Susan Vail

I think I’m going to try this, but I am curious about a couple of things. Why vinegar? For its cleansing properties? Does it make clothes softer at all, or is it all about freshness? Also, have you tried this concept with other essential oils, too, or just the eucalyptus? THANKS!
- SueW
  
  I recently tried this with plain white vinegar. Instead of putting it in a spray bottle I soaked an old (clean) washcloth with it and threw it in the dryer with my wet laundry. To my amazement, there was no static cling at all, it was somewhat soft and the laundry did not smell of vinegar, just fresh & clean like it had been hung outside on the clothesline. The first time I did this, I added essential oils to the vinegar soaked cloth to see what would happen. Well, the washcloth still smells like lemongrass but none of it transferred to the laundry. Oh well. I’m still very happy with the results with no static! That was a big hurdle for me to stop using dryer sheets. For years they seemed to be a necessary evil. No more!!
  Thank you.
Ravenstable

Wow. What a great idea. I’ve never used fabric softener or sheets, due to my children’s eczema issues. I’ve never had an alternative, either – the clothes get clean, and that’s been enough, as a 24/7 single mom with a full-time job. But this sounds really nice – I’m going to give it a try this weekend. Thanks.
Riki

I put the vinegar in a Downy ball!
http://www.facebook.com/kathleen.green.399 Kathleen Green

curious – the oil does not leave spots on clothes after drying??
the-lily-tree

adding essential oil to vinegar in your home made fab softener is a waste of good oils and money. vinegar neutralizes ALL odours, including your washing soap/powder and those precious essential oils. so if you want your washing items to smell of lavender etc, use a linen spray – place equal amounts of vodka (the alcohol helps the oil and water mix) and essential oil into a spray bottle, top with water and spray POST washing/drying. hth ;-)
SueW

I’ve been swapping out my household cleaning supplies one by one with all natural, homemade products, many that contain vinegar. They work very well and the vinegar is still nice and cheap to use. However, as far as laundry goes, can I swap out the white vinegar in this recipe and use say, apple cider vinegar instead? Or would I run the risk of causing stains since it has a yellowish hue? I just prefer the scent of the apple cider and wondered if anyone has tried this and did it work.
Love the site btw…awesome info and loads of personality.
Amy Fatzinger

I actually switched to apple cider vinegar as an alternative to fabric softener liquid, but just put it right in the “Downy Ball” like i used to with the liquid softener. Works like a charm and comes out in time for the rinse cycle, just like it was made to do. Verrrrrrry easy. And less IS more, unless you enjoy a faint pickle smell …
- Devilinroo
  
  I do the same thing, but with just white distilled vinegar. Works like a charm, surprised more people haven’t been doing it this way.
Thumbelina

When I’m drying bed linen, I sprinkle a few drops of vetiver EO on the wet sheets. And when I go to bed, I inhale deeply, and wiggle my toes with joy. :) Lasts the first few days after the wash.
Amanda Adkinson

I love dryer sheets….for that “bad, but oh so lovely smell” and the softness. But, I RARELY buy them because you can dry without them and stuff like toilet paper and toothbrushes are more important. lol. But, I do have some vinegar left, almost out as I’ve been cleaning with it. I will most certainly try this out!! I’m excited to get some softness without having to buy a box of sheets that go so quick! Wow…vinegar….where have you been all my life….EDIT…why haven’t I used you before now!?!
kelly

Method has a new “green” dryer spray, but i haven’t tried it yet. Pretty pricey for me, but it does smell gooood. I have used a ball of tin foil (the size of a golf ball) & it helps to cut down on the static really well. I too, would like to try the DIY wool dryer balls. The post i saw on pinterest suggested using EO for a light scent.
CherylinCO

I just stumbled onto this blog and am enjoying reading random old posts. :) Also noted that Leslie lives in my town. :) I make my own laundry detergent and haven’t used fabric softener in ages, but have nicely soft clothes with none-to-little static, and that’s at high altitude/low humidity (which always makes static worse). I thought I’d share what gives me nice results and nice scents (if I bother): homemade laundry “detergent”, 1 C white vinegar in the rinse cycle for a full load (softens), strips of aluminum foil in the dryer (seriously removes static!!), and a piece of an old “ShamWow” cloth, soaked in water and wrung out by hand, with a few drops of EO sprinkled on the wet cloth. Toss the cloth in the dryer with the clothes and gives nicely/faintly scented laundry. The aluminum strips will get less and less effective as they get older, so will have to replace when they start falling apart (they’ll ball up in the dryer, but still work).
Jess

I’ve just came across an alternative to dry sheets when it comes to static, not scent, and that is balled up aluminum foil. I haven’t heard of any negatives, but i haven’t really searched but the balled aluminum is reusable and, as long as its clean, recycleable!
http://www.facebook.com/missnihkii MissNihkii Roxx

Hey there! I usually just use baking soda and vinegar to wash, sometimes adding a all purpose essential oil solution my mom makes….and to dry I use crumpledmp tin foil. Great way to reuse tin foil if its CLEAN.