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 allow us to have great smelling laundry without the store-bought boxes of chemicals.

This recipe is a perfect addition to our laundry routine:

1. Wash with Liquid Laundry Detergent
2. Add something special for musty laundry
3. Pour in Natural DIY Fabric Softener
4. Save money with dryer balls
5. 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:

1. Place one at the bottom of your garbage can to neutralize odor.
2. Throw on in the diaper pail to help control the smell.
3. Run a damp dryer sheet over your sofa or carpet to pick up pet hair. (Check for colorfastness first, of course!)
4. Place a homemade dryer sheet in your trunk.  It will smell fresher!
5. Run a dryer sheet over your ceiling fan for a quick dusting pick-me-up that smells amazing!
6. Throw a handful of damp dryer sheets in your child’s gym shoes, ice skates, or equipment bag.
7. In a pinch, you can swipe one of these dryer sheets over your kitchen faucet to get rid of water spots.
8. Use a dryer sheet to clean around your lint trap on your dryer!
9. Place a dryer sheet in your swim or beach bag to keep musty odors away from damp clothes.
10. Put a dryer sheet in your filing cabinet at work to freshen your work area without a diffuser.
11. Put a dryer sheet in your tent when you pack it up for the winter so it will be fresh and ready next summer.
12. 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:

1. Reduce your drying time by 10 – 15 minutes. This can keep your clothes from getting overly dry.
2. Separate cotton from man-made fabrics. The mixture of textiles can cause static in your dryer.
3. 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. 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.

More essential oil recipes you might enjoy:

• Kitchen Cleaning Wipes
• Makeup Brush Cleaner
• Tile Floor Cleaner
• 5 Ways to Replace Chemicals in Your Cleaners