Homemade Reusable Dryer Sheets
Reusable homemade dryer sheets are a great way to save money and keep your clothes clean and fresh! This DIY tutorial shares a vinegar-free way to make these at home!
This post was originally written by Brenna from Life After Laundry. It has been updated since the original posting in 2013.
As a mom and craft addict, I am constantly trying to find ways to save our family money.
One of those ways is with homemade reusable dryer sheets. I have actually tested out several options for saving money on fabric softener, but this is by far the best and cheapest of them all.
DIY Dryer Sheets
FAQs
Typically they will last between 10 and 20 loads, depending on the size of the load.
Absolutely! As soon as these lose their freshness, just start all over again. Easy Peasy.
I always like Snuggle, but you can honestly use whatever kind you like. You can always just grab a container form the Dollar Tree for $1!
I do find that they help with that.
How to Make Homemade Dryer Sheets
Materials:
- Your favorite fabric softener
- A couple of hand towels or washcloths. I just use old ones that need to be replaced. Again – if you don’t have any, the Dollar Tree is a great place to head to.
To Make:
If you are using hand towels, cut into fourths. You can zigzag stitch the edges to keep them from fraying, but honestly…not totally necessary!
If you are using washcloths, no need to do any cutting.
Get out a large bowl and pour one capful of fabric softener into the bowl.
Place your dishcloth into the bowl and thoroughly saturate it with fabric softener. Wring out the excess.
Hang your cloths up to dry completely. If the weather is nice outside (day and night) you can hang them outside for quicker drying.
Each sheet will last you about 10 times – though up to 20. When the scent starts to fade just repeat the process with the same cloth. Easy enough, right!
Ideally, you will make a bunch at a time and you can store them in a little container.
Homemade Dryer Sheets
Materials
- Your favorite fabric softener
- A couple of hand towels or washcloths. I just use old ones that need to be replaced. Again – if you don’t have any, the Dollar Tree is a great place to head to.
Instructions
If you are using hand towels, cut into fourths. You can zigzag stitch the edges to keep them from fraying, but honestly…not totally necessary!
If you are using washcloths, no need to do any cutting.
Get out a large bowl and pour one capful of fabric softener into the bowl.
Place your dishcloth into the bowl and thoroughly saturate it with fabric softener. Wring out the excess.
Hang your cloths up to dry completely. If the weather is nice outside (day and night) you can hang them outside for quicker drying.
Other Tutorials You May Enjoy:
They say dryer sheets but you said put them in the washer 🧐 which one is it?
Oops! Human error. Dryer.
Katie,
I do laundry every other day and I’m excited to try this. I already use dryer sheets, so why not try this and save money. They are drying now.
I hope it worked well for you!
Do you use these in the dryer or washer?
Dryer 🙂
Easier, cheaper, less work: Just take a piece of the laundry that you’re going to throw in the dryer, tip the fabric softener bottle onto it for a second and toss it in with the rest of the clothes. It works.
I will have to try that!
I’ve never understood the point of dryer sheets. If your laundry isn’t “fresh and clean” without adding yet more chemicals into the mix, using dryer sheets is like dousing yourself with cheap perfume instead of taking a bath. Yuck.
To each their own!
Dryer sheets were designed to prevent static cling. Although I use fabric softener in my wash, the silky items still tend to cling. With a dryer sheet, this doesn’t happen.
We use a ball of foil in the dryer and it remedies the static problem.
I am trying these today. Already have them hanging outside to dry.
I am always on the look out for ways to save money. I got some Downy Free for $1 a bottle recently and want to see if this works for me.
Thanks
Tina
Oh I hope it works!
If your looking for a green recipe for fabric softener that would be vinegar as Tanya stated.Vinegar has long been used for that purpose.
If your looking for green with a crisp scent to it, add orange peels to your vinegar, or perhaps lemon combo! Make that your cloth dip?
Just a suggestion.
Nana B??
Thanks for chiming in! Great tips!
I think this is a good idea, but I’m concerned with the lack of green aspect to it. Fabric softeners contain a lot of chemicals. I’d be cool if there was an all natural recipe to go along with it.
Hi Abby – I totally get that! I just did a quick search and found this recipe for fabric softener:
https://household-tips.thefuntimesguide.com/2011/10/natural_fabric_softener.php
This isn’t homemade, but it looks okay:
https://www.mrsmeyers.com/basil-fabric-softener/?cid=SEM_G__off-us-spr14&gclid=Cj0KEQiA2b20BRDj4buduIG-y9EBEiQAhgMGFZpsSY92-ZioZnlpV0mluECPThGVA1NdM-ZgNT_IALkaApga8P8HAQ
Good luck! If I have a chance, I’ll do some experimenting to come up with my own homemade version 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
I’m allergic to the scented sheets so i have to buy the hypo-allergic kind. Any tips or brands of liquid ones that are scent free?
I’m sorry! I don’t know of a lot of different brands. I know Downy has a scent free brand, as does ALL (I believe it’s called All Free and Clear)
I have never used dryer sheets. I always use the clothes line to dry my clothes. In the dead of winter I dry them on racks in the laundry. I do own a dryer but rarely use it. People would probably save a lot more money by not using their clothes dryer so much. I really enjoy your site. 🙂
I have a friend who dries clothes on the clothes line, and I admit, it’s rather tempting. Definitely something I want to do in the future! I’m so glad you enjoy my site 🙂 Have a great day!
i’ve been doing this for years, i like a special scent for blankets and sheets so i
individualize my favorites to meet my needs!
while reading your blog i thought it might be nice to do this with baby fabric softener
just for baby items im going to make a baby gift with baby washcloths soaked in baby approved softener, when dry i will use baby safety pins to attach them to a baby hanger looks so cute i need to learn how to place my picture on your site
kathy
That’s a great idea for a gift!
Love this idea, but aren’t you using more fabric softener this way? I was wondering if you had a recipe for that as well? Thanks for sharing!
I don’t but I can definitely try and come up with a fabric softener recipe if you’d like!
Would baby facecloths work? I have a tonne of them!
I bet they would!
Interesting – never seen this before. i wash a bunch of terry cloths with my laundry and then just spray them with diluted fabric softener solution before chucking them in the dryer with my laundry. Saves having to wait for ages for them to dry, but I wonder whether getting multiple uses out of them would be worth it…
I’m going to try the fabric sheets. They would be great to put one in the linen closet or drawer.
Thanks
What do you do to conserve on softner if you hang your cloth outside?
I’m actually not 100% sure. Let me ask my friend who wrote this post!
Use white distilled vinegar in your washing machine’s fabric softner dispenser. It works wonderfully and does not leave the clothes smelling like vinegar. Just add the same amount you would of fabric softner to start then you can add more if you want. I love doing this because they smell so fresh and vinegar is so much cheaper! Good Luck.
Great tip! Thanks for chiming in 🙂
Wow what a great idea! This would be a great way to use up old towels that may look a bit tatty but still have some sections that are ok.
Oh that is a good idea! I definitely have some of those towels at my disposal 🙂
And they for sure stop static even in harsh dry winters?
I talked to the girl who did this post, and she wasn’t totally sure. She lives in North Carolina and they don’t have harsh winters…If you try it, be sure to let me know!
Can you do this with homemade fabric softener?
I don’t see why not!
I have a couple questions – What size of a “cap full”? How long do you soak it for? To me, in the soaking picture, the cloth looks pretty wet – it’s just a cap full of fabric softener? No water right? Thanks!! 🙂
Hi! So I talked to Brenna (author of this post) and she said she wasn’t sure of the exact amount — it was just the cap on the fabric softener, and just made sure it was totally covered, and then just wrung it out to dry.
I have been doing this for years and one usually lasts for weeks! Such a money saver, and is much more dryer filter friendly than the sheets that you buy.
I have a question will this make your clothing not have static?
I just talked to Brenna (the gal who did this post) and she said that she had no problems with static!
Awesome thank you. I will be doing this soon!!!
I read online to use a balled up piece of foil in the dryer to help with static!! Works great!! I still use dryer sheets (but I will be trying this soon) for the smell and softness but the foil does awesome for the static!!
Great tip, Kristina! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve read that too about the foil ball….my concern though would be the foil scratching the interior of my dryer! any thoughts on this?
Wrap it in a sock
Dryer sheets are not good for the dryer.The wax in them builds up on the lint screen of the dryer causing it to function ineffectively in the long run.
And to stretch this great idea a little further: After soaking, hang them to dry in your laundry room
for a natural air fresherner– the room will smell great ’til they’re dry! Then, just dampen, and rehang.
Great idea! I’ll have to try that.
Great Post! very easy to use! Great Fabric Softeners, Buy Online!
Really useful post – have pinned it Alice @ Mums Make Lists
This is a great idea. I love saving money and reusing items.
I love this! My boyfriend is like obsessed with dryer sheets. This would be much more budget friendly.