What would you say if I told you that you NEVER have to buy expensive dryer sheets again? Keep on reading…
True or False: The only way to get soft, non-static, and delicious smelling laundry is to use dryer sheets.
FALSE.
Although dryer sheets can help with the above mentioned laundry issues, it is only because they are infused with chemicals and artificial fragrances that allow them to do their job. Plus, the sheets are wasteful, not eco-friendly, and expensive.
Get rid of dryer sheets forever and replace them with homemade dryer balls! Dryer Balls do everything dryer sheets do (plus more!), are easy to make, and are easy on the wallet. You only have to make these balls once and they will last a lifetime. Plus, they help to circulate the warm air in your dryer, which means dryer clothes in less time (hello money savings). Plus, they fluff your clothes too!
Cost Breakdown:
100% Wool Yarn: $4.19
Old Pantyhose: $.00
3 drops Purify: $.22
Note: 100% Wool Yarn is normally $6.99 per spool at your local craft store. However, they always have 40% off coupons so make sure to use those when buying this. One spool will make approximately 1.5 balls (depending on what size you make them), so you will need to buy 4 spools to get my recommended six softball-size dryer balls.
Total: $4.41 for 1 1/2 balls
$17.64 for 6 balls
Ingredient Breakdown:
100% Wool Yarn: The most important part of making these dryer balls is to ONLY use 100% wool yarn (or other 100% animal yarn). Wool yarn contains natural fibers that, when put into hot water, fuse together. That is what allows for the ball to become one solid object as opposed to a bunch of loose strings.
Old Pantyhose: We all have at least one pair of old, ugly, and too small pantyhose deep in our dresser drawers. Now is a time for them to finally be of use! Pantyhose allows the dryer balls to keep their shape and to not unravel during the washing and drying cycle.
Purify Cleansing Blend: Purify is an exclusive combination of essential oils that purify and eradicate odors in a natural, safe way. This uplifting blend combines citrus and pine essential oils that leave an airy, fresh scent on surfaces and in the air.
How to Make Dryer Balls:
Ingredients:
100% Wool Yarn (or other animal yarn)
Old Pantyhose
Purify Cleansing Blend
Directions:
1. Wrap the yarn around around your middle and index finger 8-10 times before removing. Continue wrapping the yarn tightly around each other until you have a ball roughly the size of a softball.
2. Cut the yarn and tuck the loose end into the ball.
3. Cut a leg off of your pantyhose and place the ball at the bottom (toe area) of the pantyhose. Tie a knot securing it in place.
4. Repeat until you are out of yarn.
5. To felt the dryer balls, they must be washed and dried on the hottest setting. If your water does not get hot enough, boil some water and place the balls in a bowl and fill with boiling water. Let them soak for 5-10 minutes before putting them in the dryer. Also, it may take a few cycles in the dryer before the balls are completely dry. Be patient! You don’t want to rush the process and have the dryer balls not fully felt together.
6. Once the balls are thoroughly felted and dried, remove from panty hose. They may stick a little but should easily pull away. Now you can use them!
7. I just keep my dryer balls in the dryer at all times. Before I start a load of laundry in the dryer, I just put 3-5 drops of Purify (or any other oil that I am in the mood for) directly on the dryer balls and turn the dryer on as usual. Just a heads up that they can get noisy in the dryer from banging around, but it is totally worth it.
Do you think this would work with cotton or bamboo yarn? Or would they not be able to “felt” in the same way…
No, I don’t think cotton or bamboo would do the same thing, they don’t felt like wool does.
Hi! Can I use coloured yarn? I have leftover wool yarn from many years ago, and since I bought it I became vegan and I don’t want to buy any more wool yarn… Is it safe to use that, or would the colour leak or stain?
Would using essential oils on the dryer balls transfer to the clothing being dried at the time? I’m worried about clothes getting oil stains.
I worried about that too at first, but tried it and it didn’t come out and ruin my clothes, so maybe try it first if you are worried on some towels. 🙂
USING ESSENTIAL OILS IN THE DRYER IS A KNOWN FIRE HAZARD. ?All EOs have flash points, at which they ignite. I LOVE my dryer balls and am so thankful to find this tutorial on making my own:) you’ve saved me tons of money on replacing them. But please omit using the EOs, so no one loses their home.
Could you use something else?? Instead of the Essential oils? Maybe dried herbs like lavender? Maybe?
Hmm. That’s strange because Young Living has instructions for making these very balls with adding EOs.
There are a lot of essential oils with a significantly higher flash point than a drier can heat up to. Do a quick Google search before adding, but it can be done safely with EO (: cedar for instance is 200 degrees while a drier goes to 125.
I followed the instructions but everything is coming out of the dryer full of static. Any suggestions?
Add a metal safety pin to each ball
Just found this site and I can’t wait to make my own!! Thank you for sharing this information and helping me go greener! I’m making a whole bunch now to give as Christmas presents! No more chemical dryer sheets!
Love dryer balls. My grandmother (and I’m 60+) would make them from left over wool yarn from sweaters, hats, mittens she made for my 5 siblings and myself. I remember when she got her first dryer….no such thing as dryer sheets! I still have 3 of her old dryer balls! She would felt the ball and then embroider a design on it and run through the felting process again. Noisy? Yep, you’ll get used to it and it’s better than a buzzer on your dryer….when it’s quiet; clothes are done! You will find one occasionally in a sleeve or the fitted corner of a sheet. Still worth it. I haven’t bought softener in, at least, 40 years. Did try dryer sheets (for curiosity) and found they leave a residue on the lint filter of the dryer. That residue blocked the air flow….bad on all levels. My choice…3 balls light/delicate loads and up to 6-7 balls for a load of towels or bathroom rugs. Jmho.
Do you have to put all six balls in the dryer at once?
Start with at least three, but you can use all 6 at once too for faster drying.
I wonder if this process eliminates whatever causes a wool allergy. I’ve never been able to wear wool or have wool rugs as I become terribly itchy. Would this deposit wool fibers on all my clothes? Anyone else have an allergy and used these with success?
People rarely have allergies to wool. Occasionally people are allergic to lanolin which is an oil found on natural wool. More often than not people having reactions are usually reacting to chemically processed wool chemicals. Being choosy about the quality of wool you are wearing, and using in dryer balls, will go far in enhancing your wool experience. Merino, cashmere, alpaca, and llama, from a small wool producer like the Yampa Valley Fiberworks, who also sell excellent dryer balls, can greatly enhance your wool experience.
I just discovered soap nuts (which you can also add essential oils to) so I can’t wait to make dryer balls to go along with them! I do tons of laundry so this will cut down on cost dramatically. Fyi you can buy soap nuts at Mountain Rose Herbs along with the muslin bags for them. Together these would also make great cheap gifts.
I LOVE my dryer balls! I no longer use liquid fabric softener or dryer sheets because of the chemicals. A 1/4 – 1/2 cup of white vinegar in the soak cycle and a 1/4 cup in the fabric softener dispenser leaves our laundry sweet and fresh-smelling, even if I forget a load in the washer overnight.
Like you, I leave the wool dryer balls in the dryer, but once in a while I’ll find one inside a sleeve!
Thanks for the DIY tips- I may make several sets for Christmas for family and friends.
But what about static cling. That’s the only reason I use dryer sheets.
Dryer balls reduce static cling as well! I have been using dryer balls for months. The only time I have static cling (and very little of it) is when I over dry my clothes such as leaving them in the dryer going (for way too long) so they will not wrinkle and until I can get them out.
If you crumple up a ball of aluminum foil and throw it in the dryer with your wet clothes it will eliminate static cling. It works!