Dryer sheets were one of the first things we got rid of when we were trying to replace harmful chemicals in our home. As we were refining our more natural laundry routine, we found that we missed that final burst of fresh-smelling goodness when we removed a freshly dried load from our dryer. These Homemade Dryer Sheets will give you great smelling laundry every time, without the store-bought boxes of chemicals.
This DIY Dryer Sheet recipe is a perfect addition to our laundry routine:
- Wash with Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Add something special for musty laundry
- Pour in Natural DIY Fabric Softener
- Save money with dryer balls
- Freshen clothes with Homemade Dryer Sheets
Now I just need a machine to fold and hang everything!
And you might not love the smell of vinegar, and yes, the vinegar in this recipe will smell strong in the container. But I hope you’ll give this a try. It’s a great, natural deodorizer.
Lemongrass essential oil is also famous for helping get rid of unwanted odors. Combining the vinegar with the Lavender and Lemongrass, you’ll be able to have that final touch of deodorizing and infusing with amazing scents all at the same time.
You might be wondering why there are 24 sheets in this recipe when you only do one load of laundry at a time. It’s because these sheets can be used in a ton of different ways around the house!
Check out 12 Uses for Homemade Dryer Sheets:
- Place one at the bottom of your garbage can to neutralize odor.
- Throw on in the diaper pail to help control the smell.
- Run a damp dryer sheet over your sofa or carpet to pick up pet hair. (Check for colorfastness first, of course!)
- Place a homemade dryer sheet in your trunk. It will smell fresher!
- Run a dryer sheet over your ceiling fan for a quick dusting pick-me-up that smells amazing!
- Throw a handful of damp dryer sheets in your child’s gym shoes, ice skates, or equipment bag.
- In a pinch, you can swipe one of these dryer sheets over your kitchen faucet to get rid of water spots.
- Use a dryer sheet to clean around your lint trap on your dryer!
- Place a dryer sheet in your swim or beach bag to keep musty odors away from damp clothes.
- Put a dryer sheet in your filing cabinet at work to freshen your work area without a diffuser.
- Put a dryer sheet in your tent when you pack it up for the winter so it will be fresh and ready next summer.
- Tuck a dryer sheet in your umbrella rack to fend off smelly, musty odors.
If you use one of these great ideas, just make sure to wash the dryer sheet before replacing it in the vinegar solution to use again and again.
Tips for reducing static in the dryer:
- Reduce your drying time by 10 – 15 minutes. This can keep your clothes from getting overly dry.
- Separate cotton from man-made fabrics. The mixture of textiles can cause static in your dryer.
- Dry your clothes for 10 minutes in the dryer and then finish them with an air dry. I do this and my clothes definitely don’t get worn out as fast…and yes, no static! Click here to see the drying rack I’ve been using. It’s very easy to set up and take down.
New to essential oils? Learn more about how we use them and why you should use them as well.
Homemade Dryer Sheets
Ingredients
- washed and colorfast knit fabric (use knit because it won’t unravel – old t-shirts are GREAT for this)
- cute glass jar with lid
- 10 drops Lavender essential oil
- 10 drops Lemongrass essential oil
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
Directions
- Cut your knit fabric into 24 4-inch squares. I like my fabric to be pretty since it makes doing laundry less boring, right? Make sure it’s a pre-washed fabric that won’t bleed onto the clothes in the wash.
- Place the fabric into the cute glass container. Again, laundry stinks. Pretty makes it bearable.
- Drop the Lavender and Lemongrass essential oils onto the fabric.
- Pour in the vinegar. Swirl to coat all the squares. The fabric could be pretty damp. You can cut the recipe in half if you like.
- To use: Take out one square of fabric and throw it in your dryer with a load. When the load is dry, set the dry fabric aside or just throw it back in the container since it’s clean. If you use the wipes for the other cool ideas in this post, you’ll want to wash and dry them before placing them back into the glass container.
Wynnie says
Do you have a recipe to get rid of ants, roaches and spiders?
Jenn says
We do not at this time, but I’ve seen people using Peppermint for a lot of insects or you can adapt our Outdoor Annoyance Spray to meet your needs: https://www.recipeswithessentialoils.com/homemade-outdoor-spray/
Jennifer Sookdeo says
I have tried this and my clothes have cam out smelling like vinger, I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Beth K says
Did you try reducing the amount of vinegar in the next load? I’d love to hear if you find an amount that works in your wash.
Leanne says
How long can you store the dryer sheets for? Do you need to use them in a certain number of days? Thanks
Beth K says
I used them as long as they’re damp.
Kim says
What material did you use for your dryer sheets?
Beth K says
You can use an old tshirt. 100% cotton jersey knit would work great and a super easy/free project when you recycle. 🙂
Dawn says
Do you wring out the dryer sheet before adding it to the dryer?
Beth K says
I put it in damp. Might squeeze any excess back into the container if there is any.
Kathy says
So how big do you cut the fabric squares?
Diana M says
Hi Kathy! We cut the fabric into 4-5 inch squares.