Most of us have read the claims that our commercial dryer sheets and fabric softeners are full of toxins and cancer causing materials. So, how will we keep our clothes smelling fresh and baby soft? Here are a few tips to save you money and protect your health.
Using 1/4 cup vinegar in your laundry’s rinse cycle keeps clothes soft. You can set aside a vinegar jug just for laundry and add about 2 dozen drops of your favorite essential oil to the vinegar if you’d like (or as much EO as you feel necessary).
Dampen a wash cloth and place a few drops of EO on it (I enjoy lavender) and place it in the dryer with your wet load.
Mix equal parts Young Living hair conditioner and distilled water, store in spray bottle. Add your favorite EO as much EO (as much as you feel necessary) Mist a washcloth or sponge and toss in dryer with wet load.
I’ve had good success with this fabric softener and enjoy trying different fragrances just to keep things interesting. The scent is light once clothes have been dried and you can increase the amount of essential oils if the fragrance isn’t strong enough for you.
Ingredients:
1 cup baking soda
1 1/4 cups warm water
8 cups white vinegar
Essential Oils
Directions:
First mix the vinegar and water together then add the baking soda gradually, stirring the whole time. You will want to make sure to use a large pail to accommodate the fizzing activity from the baking soda and vinegar reaction.
Use a funnel to pour this mixture into a washed, gallon sized milk jug (plastic), add 1/3 teaspoon of your favorite essential oil, cap and seal then shake well.
To use: Shake each time before use, adding 1/2 to 1 cup at the start of the rinse cycle।
If you have a problem with static cling, try making these Wool Dryer Balls. They do the trick every time.
Directions:
1. Wool Yarn: Use 100% wool or a good felting yarn for best results.
2. Old Pantyhose: You can also use a sock
3. Cotton or Acrylic Yarn or String: Use to tie closed the hose (or sock). Don’t use wool yarn for this part–scraps are good for this too.
4. Scissors
5. Small Crochet Hook
6. Measuring Tape
Basic Steps:
1. First make the core by winding small balls of yarn (tight), then tie them off in a nylon stocking or sock. Wash the batch in preferably hot water and dry to felt them (keep the balls attached together in the stocking, you don’t need to cut them off to separate at this point). Wash and dry again if you want to felt them more.
2. Next cut the balls loose from the stocking, wind more yarn around the balls to the size you want, tie them off in a nylon stocking again and wash then dry to felt. Doing this in two steps keeps the inside of the balls tight and will hold together better than a ball done in one step.
3. Once they’re at least slightly felted, the balls are good to use. They will continue to felt and get harder as you use them.
Tips:
If the yarn is machine washable, don’t use it for this project.
Use a crochet hook to tuck in the ends of the yarn so the ball stays tight and doesn’t loosen up through use.
Wind the balls about 10-10.5 inches in circumference prior to felting, they will shrink as they felt.
When first making the balls and felting them, you can toss them in with loads of laundry to save water and time. Be aware there may be some dye bleeding though if it’s not colorfast yarn–throw them in with a load of towels in similar colors.
When ready to use, start with a couple balls in the dryer then work your way up to the amount of balls that give you the best results.
The wool balls may get pills on them with use, just give them a shave with a sweater shaver as needed (if you want–otherwise ignore!).
