Leave a Comment / Lavender / By Katie

Dryer Balls?

I have to tell you a funny story. Years ago my sister’s family was staying with us and forgot a sock filled with two balls. For some reason I thought she said they were for the dryer so I threw them in with my next batch of laundry.

Oh man was it loud! It was like rocks in the dryer. After 15 minutes I couldn’t take it anymore and took them out. When I gave them, I told her I didn’t think dryer balls would be so loud! She laughed and said they were homemade muscle rollers NOT dryer balls!

Reasons to Use

• Saves Waste (compared to 1x use dryer sheets to throw away)

• Saves on Energy Costs (clothes dry faster)

• Cheaper over time (lasts a lot longer than dryer sheets & just essential oil on balls)

• All natural, nontoxic

Supplies Needed

• 4 oz Spray Bottle

• Vinegar

• Witch Hazel

• Distilled or Filtered Water

• Essential OIls

• 4-6 Wool Dryer Balls

Making your own dryer balls is an easy and cheap way to add scents to your laundry. There are a lot of great combinations of essential oils that leave your clothes smelling fresh and clean. You can find a list below of some recommended combinations. My favorite is lavender, lemon, bergamot and geranium. Dryer balls also help dry your clothes faster saving on your cost of energy. 

Vinegar is added to neutralize odors and helps eliminate static. The vinegar smell will disappear when the clothes are dry.

COMING SOON——You can find a kit that includes a spray bottle, witch hazel and high quality essential oil at Leelanau Lavender

Quick & Easy Dryer Spray Steps

Step One

Add 2 tablespoons of witch hazel to your spray bottle. Spray bottle must be acceptable for essential oils, like glass, stainless steel, & PET plastic

Step Two

Add your essential oils depending on formulas below. If you are just using one then 20-25 drops is a good amount. Witch hazel helps dissolve the oil in the water by binding with it.

Step Three

Fill with half vinegar and half distilled or filtered water. Cap it and shake to mix. You can experiment with adding more or less vinegar but this is a good starting point. I typically add more vinegar and will even spray my towels directly with the spray before drying.

Step FOUR

Spray liberally onto each wool ball before tossing in dryer with clothes. See below for more tips.

Best Essential Oil Laundry ball combinations

You can stick to one essential oil at a time or make a combination of your favorites. You should add a total of 20-25 drops of whatever combination you choose.

If you don’t already have your favorite essential oils, I suggest starting with a starter set of the top 4. These have more uses and benefits than just laundry so it is a good set to start with.

• Lemon

• Lavender

• Peppermint

• Tea Tree

If you want to start with just one, Lavender is the most popular for laundry. You can purchase our 100% Lavender Essential Oil here_

You can use the oils listed above to make combinations for the dryer spray, but I would also add Bergamot and Eucalyptus to make some of these lovely combinations.

Some good combinations are_

• 7 drops of each- lavender, bergamot & lemon

• 9 drops eucalyptus, 9 drops lemon, & 6 drops peppermint

• 6 drops eucalyptus, 5 drops lavender, 6 drops lemon, & 4 drops tea tree

• 8 drops lemon, 6 drops lavender & 6 drops eucalyptus

• 9 drops eucalyptus, 6 drops lavender, 6 drops tea tree & 3 drops peppermint

You can find these combinations and many more at www.oneessentialcommunity.com

TIPS and tricks to using Dryer Balls.

Soak dryer balls in water, then wring out excess before adding spray. Best for dry climates.

Attach safety pin to 1-2 dryer balls to help with reduce static cling.

Spray the dryer balls several times before adding to dryer with wet clothes already inside.

For smaller loads you only need 2 balls, average loads 4 balls, and large loads, 6 balls.