The Clean Green House Blog: 5 Reasons Why You Should Replace Dryer Sheets with Wool Dryer Balls

I know, I know, it’s hard to read about our everyday items being bad for us. I’ve been breaking up with so many household cleaners lately, it’s madness. One of the products I’ve continued to use over the years, even in my quest to rid my house of toxic products, is dryer sheets. You’re probably thinking “Ahhh, I LOVE the smell of my dryer sheets! Don’t ya even tell me they’re bad for me!” Sorry, friend. Yep, they are indeed harmful to your health.

BUT <insert superhero music here> we have a solution! Not only is this going to leave your clothes static-free and smelling good but also it’s going to leave you with more cash in your wallet because it’s SO CHEAP compared to buying dryer sheets. Woohoo! But before I get into the nitty gritty of telling you how to make the switch, I’ll tell you my top 5 reasons why I replaced my dryer sheets with wool dryer balls.

1. Dryer sheets are toxic. They add harmful chemicals to your clothes and body. And if you have children, they sit in your lap and rest on you and they are getting those harmful chemicals into their little bodies, too.

2. Dryer sheets take years to breakdown in the landfill. I’ll admit, I used to not be so concerned about stuff like this however in my adult years, things like this bother me.

3. Dryer sheets can burn your dryer up quicker. They’re full of chemicals and waxes that build up over time and can make your dryer’s heating element burn out.

4. Wool Dryer balls are 100% environmentally friendly. Wool dryer balls contain NO chemicals and they’re good for 1000 loads.

5. Add your own favorite scents! Just because I don’t use dryer sheets anymore doesn’t mean I can’t have good smelling clothes. I love adding lemon and lavender essential oils to them for a fresh, clean scent.

Honestly, I could go on with a list of probably 10 more reasons why I made the switch but you get the idea.

Now, let’s get down to it. I’ll show you how quick and easy it is to make your own dryer blend that will have you making the switch in no time!

Here’s what you’ll need:

3-4 wool dryer balls (found here)
4 oz dropper bottle (found here) or just a spray bottle (found here)
Vinegar
Your favorite Essential Oil (we like both Lemon and Lavender for our laundry)

And before I go any further, I know what you’re thinking…. VINEGAR?!! I don’t want my clothes smelling like vinegar! I pinky promise your clothes won’t come out smelling like vinegar. Ok? Ok.

I’m currently using a 4 oz glass dropper bottle to store my blend but honestly a spray bottle might be even easier. Totally up to you on this one.

Lemon is my all time fave laundry scent because of the fresh and clean smell but you could do a number of different scents, even mixing a few. Maybe start with lemon and experiment from there.

You’ll want to fill your bottle 3/4ths of the way full then add 10 drops of essential oils. Yep, it’s that easy!

I use “cleaning vinegar” which is just vinegar that’s already been diluted with water. If you have regular vinegar, I would do a half and half mix of water and vinegar in your bottle.

I drop 3-4 drops on each dryer ball and throw in the dryer and let it work it’s magic. Use 3 balls for small-medium loads and 4 for large loads.

The balls will separate out the clothes and help air flow which dramatically reduces dry time.

I’ve been using wool dryer balls for the past 3 months and LOVE the results. No static, a noticeable decrease in the time it takes to dry clothes and I love the lemon scent! Best of all, I know I’m not putting harmful chemicals in my body or on my kids and as an added bonus, it’s CHEAPER which makes my husband happy. Try it out for yourself and let us know in the comments how it worked out for you.

We love using our Young Living essential oils to create cleaning products that are natural and chemical free. We are always finding new uses for our oils and use them daily! Want more info on how you can save 24% off Young Living’s retail price? This post breaks it down for you. Contact us if you have any questions. We love sharing essential oils with our readers because we have found so much success using them and hope you will too!