Tipster Tuesday! ::: DIY Toxic-Free Dryer Balls

Make Your Own Natural Alternative to Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets

Substituting an all-natural, toxic-free fabric softener as an alternative to pricey, chemical-based brands is easy & affordable. Make your own 100% natural wool dryer balls that can last for many years, and best of all, can easily be scented with essential oils to leave your fabrics soft and smelling fabulous!


What You Need: 
100% Wool Yarn or other 100% Animal Yarn
Pantyhose (Upcycling: Reuse pantyhose with runs)
Essential Oils of your choosing


Directions:
Take the end of the yarn and wrap it around your middle and index finger 10 times. Remove it from the fingers and then wrap 2-3 times around the middle (it should look like a bow). This will be the start of your ball.

Keep tightly wrapping the yarn around the start, working toward making a round shape. Once your ball is roughly the size of a tennis ball, cut the yarn and tuck the ends into the sides of the ball. Repeat this process until you have created four or more balls of yarn.

Cut one leg off of the pantyhose. Place one ball into the bottom of the leg and tie a knot right above the ball with the pantyhose to secure it in place. Repeat until all the balls have been added and secured.

Once the balls are tightly secured in the pantyhose, put them in the washer (can be with a load of your dirty laundry) and wash on the hottest setting. This will allow the yarn to felt. Felting will make the yarn fuse together, resulting in a solid ball. Once it has been washed, dry it thoroughly in the
dryer at the highest heat setting.

After the balls are completely dry, remove them from the pantyhose and they’re ready for use!

Before drying your next load of laundry, add your favorite essential oil to
4-6 dryer balls, toss them in the dryer, and enjoy the soft, fluffy, wonderfully aromatic fruits of your labor.

Usage Tip: 2-3 drops of essential oil per ball should last a few loads. Add more drops if you would like a stronger scent. Contact me for oil ideas!

Other Laundry Tips:
Crumple up aluminum foil into a ball and and toss it in the dryer with the wet laundry to get rid of static cling.

Add a few drops of Lemon essential oil to your wash cycle to help remove grease & oil from fabrics.

Add 1/2 cup vinegar to your washer with each load for extra soft clothing. Don’t worry, your clothes will not smell like vinegar once dry. Give it a try!

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Show us your results! Take a photo of your homemade creations using essential oils products and post on here or on my Auntie J's fb page (https://www.facebook.com/AuntieJsApothecary), with the hashtag #athomEOs for a chance to be featured!