DIY Aluminum Foil Dryer Balls & Vinegar as Fabric Softener

About a month ago my Mom came across a pin on Pinterest showing dryer balls made from aluminum foil. She emailed it to me and I read all about it. I was definitely skeptical to say the least. For several years now I’ve made our own detergent (and I love it), but I was still buying dryer sheets to use. My skin is so sensitive that I finally fell in like with the Downy Free dryer sheets, which they no longer make. So we went without for fear that any other brand would not be okay with my skin. That made for some verystatic-y clothing. And our towels were the worst! There’s nothing worse than drying off after a nice shower only to stick or get shocked by your towel!

Eventually I broke down and tried a different dryer sheet that did not bode well with my skin. Ugh…I was tired of itching all day after I washed clothes so I eventually quit using those too. Back to square one. Then my Mom mentioned reading about aluminum dryer balls, so I decided to look them up. It looked promising, so I tried them with high hopes. Here is what I found:

1. They are SUPER easy and CHEAP to make.
2. It is really fun to listen to them crackle the first time they are in the dryer!! (Yes, I’m a nerd.)
3. They come out all shiny and smooth after the first drying cycle, which made me smile even more like a nerd!
4. They worked REALLY well with my cloth diapers!!!! Removed the static without worrying about harming absorbancy of my inserts.
5. They really do remove the static from your laundry!!!!

So how do you make these nifty Aluminum Foil Dryer Balls?

First, you’ll need some Aluminum Foil. Heavy Duty is what I had, so I went with it.

Next, you’ll need to tear off about a washer/dryer’s width. NOTE: Don’t get it too small or the ball will not last long – trust me, I know. You want it to be about 3”-4” in diameter.

Then, I folded all four corners to the middle to begin the “balling” process. I did this to insure all the sharp edges were inside so they wouldn’t catch on the clothes.

Continue rolling up into a ball. Notice how one side will not be fully closed. That’s okay!!

Simply toss them in with your wet clothes and dry as you normally would. I use two of them per load of laundry.

After only one cycle, they are starting to smooth out!!! This means they are working!!!!

Here are my dryer balls after only two cycles in the dryer. See how smooth and pretty they are?! (It doesn’t take much to excite me people!)

That’s all there is to it! You can easily make several to rotate through your laundry cycles or simply use them until they start to come apart. My first test runs were MUCH smaller than the 3-4” recommendation and lasted about a month. Not bad. Hopefully these new larger ones will last about 2-3 months. I have read that others have lasted 6+ months. Now, I don’t know how many loads per day or week they wash, so it will likely vary. Just FYI…I wash 2-3 loads per day on average.

So, what’s all this talk about Vinegar as a fabric softener? As I mentioned earlier, my skin is extremely sensitive to chemicals and scents – rashes, hives, constant itching, crawling skin and several doses of Benadryl to make it better. It’s not a pretty sight by any means. Several years ago when I began making our own detergent I had a friend talk about her use of vinegar as a fabric softener. I thought…well, I’m not allergic to vinegar so why not! It has been a wonderful addition to my washing loads.

Here are some answers to commonly asked questions:

1. How much do you use? I use about 1/8 cup in the wash when I first load it with a ¼ cup of detergent. Then, I put in about 1/8-1/4 cup in an old Downy ball to come out later in the wash.
2. Does it smell? NO!!! It doesn’t leave an odor on our clothes or towels. Once it’s gone through the rinse cycle, you can’t smell it anymore!
3. Does it work? I believe it really does! I’ve noticed the most difference in our towels. They stay softer longer rather than getting that old, brittle feeling. The fabric stays nice and fluffy!!

Do you make your own detergent? Do you have a favorite fabric softener? Tell me about it in the comments!!!

Blessings,

Sharing with these great homemaking link-ups: The Chicken-Chick, The Better Mom, Raising Arrows, Growing Home, Time-Warp Wife, The Prairie Homestead, Women Living Well, Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts for Home Blog Hop, Graced Simplicity, Passionate and Creative Homemaking