wool dryer balls.

am i the only person in the world that gets tremendous joy from buying and testing out different cleaning products?  i know there’s got to be some other weirdos clean freaks out there, right?  last year when i decided to give up my fun in the laundry detergent aisle in exchange for homemade detergent, it was more about saving money than it was about being environmentally friendly.  i am still using the same batch i made almost a year and a half ago for about $30, and have close to 1/2 of it left.  i have come to appreciate the “friendly” relationship it has with the environment, and decided to buy a one way ticket to the land of earth friendly laundry products.  i am wholeheartedly in love with the scent of bounce’s spring renewal dryer sheets, but as it turns out commercial dryer sheets and fabric softener contain chemicals that are linked to causing central nervous disorders, depression, loss of muscular coordination, and a whole slew of other crazy symptoms.  yikes!  solution: wool dryer balls.  apparently you can buy chemical-free wool dryer balls online for about $20 per 3 or 4 pack, and it is usually recommended that you use 5 or 6.  well guess who is not paying $40 for 6 little balls…wool balls, that is?  you guessed it!  this girl!  so i did a little surfing on the interwebs and determined that i could make about 5 diy dryer balls for about $4.  saa-weet! if you are still reading after all of my rambling, i am finally going to get to the good stuff…

whatcha need:

100% wool yarn {i bought lion brand fisherman’s wool yarn at joann’s with a 40% off coupon.  holla.}

scissors

pantyhose, socks, or something along those lines

essential oil {optional}

whatcha do:

wrap the yarn around 3 or 4 of your fingers about 20 times.

 

slide the wrapped yarn off of your hand.  pinch it in the middle and wrap more yarn around the middle about 20 times.

fold the yarn in half to bring the 2 ends together.

 

go to town on continuing to wrap the yarn to form a ball.

 

 

wrap the yarn until your dryer ball {i feel like it is necessary to emphasis the word dryer} is about 4 inches in diameter.

 

you want your dryer balls to felt so the yarn won’t unravel when you use them.  place them in pantyhose or a dress sock and tie a knot between each one so they stay separated.  

 

run them through a couple cycles in the washer and dryer.  the hotter the water and the hotter the dryer heat, the better. 

 

you are good to go.  throw them in the dryer with your clothes.  the more you use, the better your results will be.

benefits to using wool dryer balls:

they are less expensive than commercial dryer sheets, and will last for years instead of having to be thrown away after just one use. 

they reduce drying time by almost half.

they are safe to use even if you have sensitive skin.

they can be used with cloth diapers.

they will soften your clothes and reduce static.

they do not contain any dangerous chemicals.

they can be scented with any essential oils of your choosing.

nailed it!

-jessi