How to Scent Dryer Balls Using Essential Oils

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How to Scent Dryer Balls Using Essential Oils

Over the last year or so, Jenn and I have been on a quest to eliminate toxic products from our homes. Little did we know that even our dryer sheets were major culprits. Dryer sheets are loaded with synthetic fragrances and chemicals that can linger on your clothes and skin for days and even months. We know you may love that clean smell, but it’s not worth the health hazard that it brings.  An easy switch is to order wool dryer balls. Today we’ll share how to scent dryer balls using essential oils.

We get ours from Amazon (see here) and they are only $8.97 for a 6-pack and can last anywhere from 2-5 years!! These dryer balls are made from 100% New Zealand Wool.

Dryer sheet Chemicals

According to the health and wellness website Sixwise.com, some of the most harmful ingredients in dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener alike include:

• Benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer).
• Benzyl alcohol (an upper respiratory tract irritant).
• Ethanol (linked to central nervous system disorders).
• Limonene (a known carcinogen)
• Chloroform (a neurotoxin and carcinogen), among many others.

They look like overgrown tennis balls, made of 100% wool yarn, that over time becomes “felted,” making them especially durable and not at all prone to unraveling. The dryers balls keep wet laundry from clumping, therefore allowing more air circulation. This cuts down the need for more dryer time.

Static

Directly from Ecoigy website:

“Dryer balls separate clothes better than dryer sheets, allowing hot air to circulate more evenly and efficiently, which then reduces drying time,” she says. “Because the wool from the dryer balls is so absorbent, dryer balls can reduce drying time by 25 percent or more. Ultimately, over-drying can damage clothes as well as increase static. You can also use lower temperature settings with dryer balls, which also helps reduce damage to clothes.”

Here’s what we do to combat static. We spray our wool dryer balls with water (dunking them in container of water works as well), getting them quite wet. Our laundry dries faster than the wet wool dryer balls because they are so dense, elevating the humidity level in the dryer. This method works like a charm and does not harm the dryer balls in any way, and does not increase the drying time.

Add just a few drops of lemon essential oil to each of the wool dryer balls. Be sure the essential oil you use has a Therapeutic Grade standard, which preserves the integrity and potency of natural essential oils. Give the wool dryer balls time to absorb the oil deep into the fibers—a few hours is advisable. Better yet, toss them into the dryer for a few minutes for quicker oil drying. The more the oils are absorbed into the dryer balls before use the more slowly the fragrance will be dispersed in the dryer. You’ll begin to notice a subtle, non-toxic fragrance in your clean, soft laundry.

How many Dryer balls do I need

• Small load of laundry – 2 wool dryer balls
• Medium load of laundry – 4 wool dryer balls
• Large load of laundry – 6 wool dryer balls

Caution

There are a few articles online warning folks about the danger of dryer fires when using essential oils. Being fair, there are just as many articles warning of dryer fires when using dryer sheets.  We could not find a single news article relating to an essential oil dryer fire. Only you can decided what you are comfortable with – and as a general rule of thumb, don’t over-dry your garments.

Store scented dryer balls in a large glass container. It protects the essential oils and you will always have them at the ready.

We are so happy with this Ditch and Switch decision. Many other cleaning ideas and recipes are upcoming.

Have you made any cleaning changes in your home?

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