Did you know dryer sheets are full of yucky chemicals? Well, if you didn’t- they are.
You can just not put anything in your dryer, I do that more often than not during the summer. But during the winter, I want something to help with all that static! Wool dryer balls are the perfect dryer sheet alternative! You can add essential oils to them to add scent. They cut down on drying time, and there is no more need to buy dryer sheets saving you money!
Wool dryer balls are simple (and cheap) to make! All you need is panty hose and wool yarn.
One skein of yarn makes several dryer balls, and one skein at Walmart is about $6. If you don’t have a pair of old panty hose you can also grab a pair at Walmart for $1 or so.
To begin wrap the yarn around two fingers 15-20 times. Slip the yarn off your fingers and wrap around the middle 2-3 times. You will end up with something resembling a bow.
Keep tightly wrapping around and around, it will slowly start resembling a ball. Go until you reach your desired size, about the size of a tennis ball is ideal.
Snip the yarn and tuck the end back into the ball. Cut the leg part off your panty hose and place your yarn ball inside, tie a knot right about the ball. Repeat until you have the desired number of dryer balls.
Wash the hose with the dryer balls on a hot cycle. Using hot encourages the wool to fuse together. You can throw in a load of towels so you aren’t wasting water. Washing a couple times is key to get it heated.
Now dry on the highest heat setting in your dryer. Remove from the hose once completely dry, cutting may be required.
And now you are ready to tackle some laundry! Add a few drops of essential oils and 3-4 dryer balls to each load. Or just one if you are like me and your kids run off with them often leaving just one where it should be.
