Have you made the switch to dryer balls instead of dryer sheets? I did awhile back and haven’t looked back. Dryer sheets are full of chemicals, the fragrance is often too strong for me and I always seemed to run out of them at the most inconvenient times.
I decided to try dryer balls and have been so happy with them. You just toss them in with your regular loads and they dry clothing faster, they soften clothing and you don’t have to be bothered with fabric softener or dryer sheets.
To properly use dryer balls, you want about 6 for a regular size load of laundry. They function by retaining the heat of the dryer and actively separating garments so air moves more freely, thus drying things faster. When I have really large loads of laundry, the dryer balls don’t work as effectively because there isn’t as much space in the dryer (for example with large loads of towels or bedding). I find if I separate large loads into two smaller loads to dry, things actually dry faster as the dryer balls have the space to do their job.
My dryer balls tend to last a really long time. I do about a million loads of laundry a week and I seem to need to replace these about twice a year. I usually wait until they start unraveling or pilling and if I notice my laundry getting a bit of static cling, I usually just replace the dryer balls.
If you miss the fragrance of a dryer sheet or fabric softener, you can add a few drops of essential oils to your dryer balls. I don’t get a lot of fragrance when I do this, just a very subtle hint. I thought I’d list out some of my favorite essential oils to use in the laundry for those that might want to give this a shot:
Light, Fresh and Uplifting (perfect for towels and everyday clothing):
Lemon
Orange
Bergamot
Grapefruit
Spearmint
Citrus Fresh
Deep Cleaning or Sanitizing (try these during cold & flu season):
Lemon
Purification
Tea Tree
Peppermint
Calming (a hint of scent on bedding):
Lavender
Lemongrass
Stress Away
Ylang Ylang
I recommend using a pure essential oil such as DoTerra or Young Living brand and I just add a few drops directly onto the dryer balls as I am loading the laundry into the wash. The scent sits on the dryer balls for a short time and then you can just toss them into the dryer when you are ready.
I have found some essential oils stain the dryer balls directly but I have never seen any issues with essential oils staining or ruining my clothing. You might want to do a little test dry though before experimenting with any oils you might have at home just in case.
You can find a reasonably priced 12 pack of dryer balls by clicking here
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