After making my own laundry detergent and fabric softener at home, I was on a quest for homemade dryer sheets. I was thinking it was impossible, then I started researching. I tried a couple of different methods, but this seems to work best.
Items needed:
- Fabric (of any kind) – I used washcloths, cut into fourths
- Fabric Softener – homemade or store bought
- Water
- Container for storage
Directions:
Put the fabric pieces into your desired container. I put these in first, so that I don’t overflow the container. Then I fill the container with ¾ fabric softener and ¼ water. Then stir or shake it up depending on your type of container.
When you are ready to dry a load of laundry, just grab a square, wring it out, and throw it in the dryer. When the load is dry, just toss the square back into the container. No need to wash them.
I use store bought fabric softener for this because I like the smell better than my homemade version. The bonus is that I cut the amount with the water and I squeeze the excess back into the container, so I actually use very little for each load. I used to use 2 dryer sheets in every load to get a stronger scent, so 1 bottle of liquid fabric softener for this DIY method lasts much longer than 1 box of dryer sheets.
Amelia November 20, 2012 at 7:00 am
If you search “felted wool dryer balls” you can find several article on this topic. The felted wool balls are another alternative to dryer sheets and they also claim to speed drying time. I confess I haven’t made them myself but they are on my meaning-to-get-around-to-it list!
Morgan November 20, 2012 at 9:45 am
Looked into that, but didn’t have the material on hand.
Andrea November 20, 2012 at 9:16 am
I do the same thing but with sponges and I use a TON more water! My ratio is probably opposite of yours and my clothes still smell great!
Morgan November 20, 2012 at 9:46 am
I love that!