Easy DIY Dryer Sheets
A few years ago I started making my own laundry detergent, and shortly after I also made my own liquid fabric softener too. I stopped using the fabric softener because it used a store-bought conditioner as the main ingredient and I knew that I could find a way to soften my clothes more naturally. Most articles that I read suggested to use white vinegar in your rinse cycle to soften clothes, which did work but not as well as I would like.
Dryer sheets had always been my preferred way to soften clothes in the past, so I thought I might try to make my own. I started by cutting up an old shirt in stripes, just like regular dryer sheets, then I soaked them in vinegar and threw a few into the dryer with my wet clothes. This method worked great! But I had to toss in a lot of the sheets to get my clothes really soft. So, what next – bigger cloth stripes? More absorbent cloth stripes to hold more vinegar? Nope. I decided to use cut-up sponges! They hold the vinegar better, last longer and can be re-used over and over.
Here’s everything you need to make your own:
- sponges
- scissors
- white vinegar
- plastic container with a lid
- essential oils for scent (optional)
First, I bought a pack of plain sponges at Target and cut them in half lengthwise. I tried to find some at the Dollar Store, but all that I could find were the sponges with the scrubbing side.
Next, I stacked the sponges in my container and poured in my vinegar leaving some room at the top to prevent overflow. Then I added in about 10 drops of essential oils for fragrance. If you don’t want a scent or don’t have essential oil on hand, they are not necessary. Your clothes won’t smell like vinegar without the oils.
To use these dryer sheets, squeeze gently but don’t remove all the vinegar and then toss them in with your clothes. For a small load I use (1) half of sponge, medium load (2) halves, and for a large load (2-3) sponge halves. For heavy loads such as jeans or towels, I use (3-4) halves. Once your clothes are done drying just take out the dry sponges and place them back into the container, refill vinegar as needed.
This post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated for 2019.
