DIY Reusable Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets

In order to save money, I try to find DIY ideas for household products.  I’m not a big fan of doing laundry, to put it lightly, even after figuring ways to do laundry faster.  Because I want to save some money on laundry, I make my own DIY Reusable Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets. If you are interested in other DIY household products, this is tip #10 from 18 Household Products You Can Make at Home.

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Since having breast cancer, I try to limit the number of harsh chemicals in our house.  If I can, then I make my own cleaning products. Therefore, I thought I'd figure out how to make my own reusable fabric softener dryer sheets.

The purpose of these DIY reusable fabric softener dryer sheets is to not only save some money but also cut back on harsh chemicals in your house.  An added benefit, you get to recycle some of your old towels and t-shirts.

Unfortunately, store-bought fabric softeners work by leaving a layer of chemicals on laundry items. Because Vinegar acts as a natural fabric softener, you can rest easy knowing you are adding fewer chemicals to your clothes and saving money as well.  The great thing about using vinegar as a natural fabric softener in the homemade dryer sheets is that the vinegar smell goes away, but the fresh-smelling essential oil scents stay.

Items you need to make your DIY Reusable Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets

Here is what you'll need to gather to make these fabric softener sheets.

• Towels and/or t-shirts
• White Vinegar
• Essential Oils (of your choice)
• Water
• Mason Jar

How to Make Your Own Dryer Sheets

First, grab your rags, vinegar, essential oils, water, and a mason jar and then let's get started.

Step 1

To begin, cut your towels, t-shirts, rags or whatever fabric you are using into pieces about the size of regular dryer sheets.

Step 2

Then, in the mason jar, mix 3/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, a few drops of your essential oils.  I prefer to use lavender oils, but you can also use orange, lemon, mint, or a combination of oils.  After that, shake well.

Step 3

Next, fill the mason jar with the fabric pieces.  Shake well again.

Step 4

Finally, let the fabric soak in the liquid for at least a few hours to be sure the fabric is fully saturated.

Step 5

Try out your new DIY reusable fabric softener dryer sheets.  Toss one in the dryer, just like you would a regular dryer sheet.

Note - You might need to tweak the amounts of each ingredient depending on the size of your jars and scent preference.  Start out with only a few drops of essential oils, but know you can always add more to suit your scent preference.

After each use, depending on the amount of liquid you have left in your mason jar, you can add the fabric back into the mason jar.  Or, you can keep the dry used fabric sheets in a separate mason jar for later.  That way, you will have them handy when you need to make more fabric dryer sheets.

In order to have easy access, keep your new homemade dryer sheets near your dryer or laundry detergent.

If you like using vinegar or other less toxic ingredients for cleaning, then here are some other posts you may enjoy.