I promised this week would be all about laundry! If you haven't read about how to make your own DIY liquid laundry detergent, check out the post here: DIY Liquid Laundry Detergent
Today we will delve into some alternatives to fabric softener and dryer sheets!
Commercial fabric softeners and dryer sheets leave clothes soft, scented and static free. They also leave behind a chemical residue that can irritate sensitive skin and cause headaches among other things.
I prefer a natural option to both. While there are many choices out there, I certainly have my favorites.
For fabric softener, I just use 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar. Vinegar removes soap residue, softens and brightens clothing and linens. Clothes never smell like vinegar after they are dry. Personally, I can't smell it when they are fresh out of the washer. So that should not be a deterrent in the use of vinegar as your softener. I just pour the vinegar right into my washer's softener dispenser. If your washer doesn't have a dispenser, you can put it in a downy ball which will dispense during the rinse cycle.
Instead of dryer sheets, I use 100% pure wool felted yarn dryer balls. I purchased 2 skeins of 100% pure wool yarn and rolled them into six balls the size of small oranges. I tucked the end of the yarn in and around several times using a yarn needle to be sure that that it was firmly secured.
The next step is to place the balls in an old sock, knot the sock at the top and wash with a load of clothes. Remove the balls and dry. At this point you can add a drop or two of essential oil for scent. I left our unscented.
They are now ready to replace your dryer sheets. For a large load of clothes I use all six balls. Just toss them in the dryer with your load and they will help clothes come out soft, fluffy and static free!
Natural, Healthy, Chemical-Free Laundry!
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