I’ve seen a lot of reusable dryer sheets on Pinterest and around the web. Every time I see them I think what a great idea it is.
Like a lot of things I think, “I should do that someday” and that’s as far as it goes.
However, in this instance I was inspired while shopping at the Goodwill a couple of weeks ago. I found a couple of pairs of men’s flannel pj pants and realized how great they would be for making my own dryer sheets!
The biggest plus?? The price, both had the green tag which meant they were only $1 each!! $2 dollars for a nice amount of flannel?? I’ll take that!
I try my best not to spend a ton of money on projects that are meant to save money. Obviously the perk of having reusable dryer sheets is the fact that they will last and last saving money. (They’re also non-toxic which in itself is good reason to make them!)
If you happen to have an old flannel shirt or other cotton clothes laying around you can make these for virtually nothing… which, my friends, is fantastic!
Here’s what you’ll need-
Fabric- about 2-3 sq. feet (Flannel, cotton, terry cloth… you want a natural, absorbent material)
White Vinegar (1 Cup)
Distilled water (1 Cup)
Essential Oils (optional) (Check out this post to find my favorite resources)
Pinking Shears
An air tight container for storage
This is a very simple project, a little cutting, a little pouring and you’re all set.
If you’re using an old flannel shirt or PJ’s the first part is to dismantle them You want to make it so that you have flat pieces to work with. (I used one leg of each pair of my pants, I’m saving the rest for more projects)
Once you’ve done that you can start cutting your sheets out. I was totally not paticular about this part… I didn’t measure or try to make them perfect… Cut them about 6×6 in. If you’re starting with a piece of fabric you can mark it and get nice perfect squares. If you’re upcycling you may end up with some different shapes to maximize your fabric.
You want to cut them with your pinking shears, this will minimize fraying. If you don’t have pinking shears you can sew a zig-zag stitch around the edge, or you can let them fray a little bit, they are after all, dryer sheets.
Once you have them all cut out fold them up and stick them in your container.
Now measure out your vinegar & water and mix them together, if you are adding essential oils now is the time to do it. Drop them into your vinegar and give it a stir. I used Lime, lemon and peppermint- about 10 drops of each. You can customize the scent if you want, make lavender ones for sheets and pillow cases, add a little tea tree to kill germs on your towels… whatever floats your boat, the scent possibilities are endless.
Pour your vinegar over you sheets and put the lid on.
That’s it! They’re ready to use. To use them squeeze out any excess (you want them pretty damp but not dripping) and pop one in the dryer. For larger loads I use 2. When they come out of the dryer with your clothes just fold them back up and stick them back in your container! As needed just add in more vinegar and essential oils!
The vinegar is a natural anti-static and the eo’s scent your clothes beautifully! And you’ll never have to buy dryer sheets again!
Looking for more reusable & upcycled ideas? Follow my Pinterest board!
Follow Krista [email protected]’s board Reuseable on Pinterest.
What a great, thrifty idea! Thanks for linking up at Bloggers Brags Weekly Pinterest Party this week. I’m pinning to our group board on Pinterest!
Really like this idea! Have pinned it to my frugal/ money saving ideas board. Thanks for sharing it 🙂
Love this! I love finding new ways to use oils. Great use of your thrift store shopping too! I can’t wait to make some. Thanks for sharing!
Love this idea! Thrifty and simple. Thanks for sharing.
I have actually tried this and it works amazing! Its such a thrifty way to cut cost in the laundry room!
I love this idea, because I hate store bought dryer sheets and the waxy film that they leave all over everything. I’d stopped using any fabric softener at all, but I think that I am going to give this a chance. Not a lot of money lost if it doesn’t work out for us. Thanks!
Great idea! I started making my own detergent to save money because with 3 boys and a foster daughter, we have a lot of laundry (usually courtesy of the boys 😉 and not the girl!) This sounds like a wonderful alternative to typical dryer sheets. Thanks so much for sharing! Pinning this for later!
-Sara
I’ve never seen a recipe with vinegar. I occasionally use white vinegar in the rinse to help prevent detergent build up. This is a great idea. I have a closet full of essential oils. I don’t like to use commercial dryer sheets because of the chemicals. Can’t wait to share this with my friends.
What a great idea. My daughter and I were just talking last night about working at reducing our use of disposable products. It will help the environment and our pocketbooks. Thank you for sharing and Have a Fabulous Day.
This is absolutely brilliant, Krista! I’m so glad that you shared this.
I pinned it so that I can make these soon. I already cut out fabric like this to use as tissue. I never knew I could make dryer sheets like this, though.
Thanks, again!
This is a great idea! 🙂 It looks nice also.
Thanks! After a couple of weeks of use they’re not so tidy in their jar anymore 🙂
I hope you love them! They are great! Thanks for pinning!
I’m going to try reusable swiffer pads next… and then maybe sandwich bags. I’m on a mission to try and cut down the disposable stuff too, it’s so expensive & wasteful!
It’s great to use different combination of the eo’s you can make what ever scent you want! And no chemicals!
Thanks for pinning! I have 3 boys too so I understand how much laundry they generate! I’ve been wanting to make my own detergent too but haven’t tried it yet- what recipe do you use?
These are a great alternative and definitely don’t leave that waxy residue! They really are nice and affordable too, you don’t even have to use the essential oils if you want to keep your first try super cheap!
Glad to hear that! It is a great $$ saver!
I love my oils and thrift stores… it’s awesome when they combine! Let me know how you like yours!
Thanks for pinning!
Very cool! I love that you found the pants on discount at the thrift, I will have to check ours!
Great idea and project!
Please drop by!
Blessings,
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
I love thrift shop finds! When it comes to fabric it’s so expensive I love to be able to find what I need wayyyyy cheaper!
I’ve seen someone else make these before but she used some kind of dish towels or cloths from the dollar store. I like your idea much better! Two less things to go to the landfill and thrift shopping is so much fun, anyway!
I’ll be pinning for later. . . .. whenever I get around to it. Stopping by from Frugal Friday.
Awesome idea! I’ve made my own detergent but never thought of dryer sheets.
What a creative idea, love this! I need to try this out! Thank you so much for sharing this on Making Memories Mondays! Hope to see you back Sun night 9PM EST! 🙂
Cathy
Interesting! I have never heard of this DIY! Thanks for linking up at the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop! We hope you join us again next week!
Does the vinegar leave a smell on the clothes?
I second the question of whether this leaves a vinegar smell on the clothes, and on your hands after you wring it out (having to go wash my hands afterwards is the main thing that gives me pause with this, as that’s using soap and water I otherwise wouldn’t).
This is genius! I’m pinning this for sure! I love to save money any way I can. Especially on things like dryer sheets!
What?! I didn’t know you could make reusable dryer sheets with just vinegar?! Cool!!! I don’t have any essential oils, and my little ones are sensitive to chemicals/fragrances. I’m wondering if I didn’t use any essential oils if the laundry would come out smelling like vinegar?
No it doesn’t, not that I’ve noticed anyway. I find that some clothes (like my teenagers stinky track stuff) come out smelling fresher than ever!
I’ve not noticed any vinegar smell, in fact I’ve noticed a nice deodorizing effect on particularly stinky stuff (like sweaty teenage boy clothes). As for getting it on your hands what I do is put the dryer sheet in first so that any residual vinegar on my hands gets “wiped” off on the clothes as I transfer them from the washer to the dryer. Hope that helps!
I know of a lot of people that skip the essential oils. I don’t notice any vinegar fragrance when I use them so I think it would work just fine!
What a great idea! I like ripping my softener sheets in half or thirds to make them go farther.
This is a great idea! I’ve tried adding tinfoil to my dry cycles and it didn’t help… I already have several cloth wipes I made so I’m going to try this. I went without dryer sheets for several months and recently broke down and bought another box. :/ I hope this works! Never tried a vinegar soaked cloth but I’ve heard of adding vinegar to the rinse cycle..
What an awesome idea! I bet the cost really adds up too! Definitely trying this one! 🙂 Thanks so much!
Great post and also a great idea. This post is a cost-friendly idea. Thanks for the idea.