Since starting One Good Thing By Jillee in 2011, I have posted a LOT of homemade laundry solutions and recipes! Some of them have evolved over time, and some I have phased out in favor of more efficient solutions. But there are a couple of laundry solutions that I haven’t changed at all, and that I still use to this day! One laundry solution in particular that has demonstrated serious staying power is my homemade dryer sheets.
Not only do these homemade dryer sheets make your clothes smell nice, but they also leave them soft and free of static cling. Oh, and they cost PENNIES to make!
Rather than buying a box of store-bought dryer sheets every few weeks, you can make these ones with a just little bit of cheap fabric softener. Each dryer sheet is reusable too, so you can get a couple dozen uses out of each one. Once you see how effective and inexpensive these are, you’ll be kicking yourself that you didn’t try them sooner! :-)
Here’s how you can make your own DIY dryer sheets at home.
See how easy it is to make these homemade dryer sheets in the video at the end of this post!
Homemade Dryer Sheets
You’ll need:
- Several rags or washcloths
- A few cups of fabric softener
- Bowl
- Glass jar or other container
Directions:
Start by gathering several dish rags or washcloths. There’s no need to buy new ones—just use any old ones you have lying around. Or you can cut up an old towel, pair of sweats, or a t-shirt into washcloth-sized squares and use those!
Next, grab some fabric softener! I happened to have just enough Gain fabric softener in a bottle that had been hiding in the back of my laundry cupboard. I have literally had this bottle for over a year because I hardly ever use it. (You can also use homemade fabric softener if you don’t have any of the store-bought stuff on hand!)
Place your rags into a large bowl, then pour fabric softener over the top. Don’t worry about measuring it out, because you’re just trying to saturate all the rags. (And if you end up using too much, you can always pour what you don’t use back into the bottle!)
Squeeze each cloth a bit to remove some of the excess fabric softener. You want it to be thoroughly saturated, but not dripping.
Allow the saturated cloths to air-dry. I like to do this on a sunny day so I can take them outside to dry in the sun. You can hang them on a clothesline, over a fence, or over the back of a chair. Whatever works! (Usually, it takes a few hours for them to dry here in arid Utah. So if you live in a more humid climate, it may take a day or two for the rags to dry completely.)
After your homemade dryer sheets have dried completely, transfer them to a nice container for storage. I use this pretty basket container because it looks nice on the counter of my laundry room and it makes them easily accessible! A glass jar would work nicely too.
Using Your Homemade Dryer Sheets
Add one dryer sheet to each load of clothes. The fabric softener in the cloth will transfer evenly to your clothes while they dry, leaving them soft and static-free!
More Ideas You'll Love
I’ve also found that you can use each repeatedly before you need to “refresh” it with more fabric softener. I’ve found I can get about 2 dozen uses out of each sheet before I need to dip and dry them again!
If you’re interested in exploring more money-saving laundry solutions, check out my e-book The Homemade Laundry Guide! You can buy it in my shop, or download it for free if you’re an OGT Plus member!
How do you know when to ‘refresh’ the dryer sheet? (Without doing a load that comes out staticy and not soft.)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jilly, as of yesterday 12-28-22 I am proud to say that I am a ogt plus member! But how do I access thiS? I still have the old program with all of the commercials etc. I would appreciate your help with this thanks. Kathy Thompson
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love this dryer cloth idea! Here’s what I’m going to do: I only do four loads of laundry a week (we’re empty nesters ;<) and one of them is towels. Since I won’t use a dryer cloth with the towels I only need to use one dryer cloth for three loads each week. You predicted that each cloth lasts for 24 loads. So my one cloth could last two months. So I’m going to make ONE Jillee Dryer Cloth and resoak it every two months. Good idea, right? Many thanks, Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.do they keep skirting boards clean like the shop bought ones?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have read that you can use dryer sheets to clean your blinds. Do you think I could use the home made version and still clean my blinds with them?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Fabric softener is toxic. A chemical cocktail of fragrances to think we have ‘clean’ clothes
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for this heads up. I think I’m going to switch to vinegar like these other ladies.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wonder if you could use wool dryer balls instead of the rags, or would it ruin them? I have a lot of wool balls, I don’t like the chemicals in store bought softeners and dryer sheets, ie formaldehyde. We still have some static with using the wool balls.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m sure it would work wonderfully with dryer balls!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Socks are also good to use, just cut them down the middle.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You could also get some wool fibers and needle felt into a ball. No need for chemicals.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea. I may have to try this with the Suave rosemary and mint conditioner. I have to be careful because a lot of the scented stuff irritates my skin. Such a pain to deal with.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If clothes were still damp or almost dry, would your clothes still be safe from any marks left from the homemade dryer sheet and the sheet sat on top of your clothes or in between clothes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve never noticed any stains or discoloration from this method :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another method of making dryer sheets is to use good old white vinegar. My DH cannot handle the scent of dryer sheets or fab softener so I use white vinegar in place of both. I put it in a softener ball in the washer then use pcs of cotton fabric that have been sitting in vinegar as my dryer sheets. I have a small container that I poured the vinegar into and put my reusable sheets in it after each use. When placing washing in the dryer I pull a couple of these out, squeeze them good and add them to the dryer. When unloading the dryer I put those sheets back into the vinegar tub and use them for the next load. Your clothes do not smell like vinegar, they are static and cling free. If I could buy vinegar by the barrel rather than in 1 gal jugs I would.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Costco has larger bottles of white vinegar!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you think there’s a place where we could buy it by the jugs? I would too!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love your solution using white vinegar only as dryer sheets. YOU ROCK ………………..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.thats so cool. great idea and simple just how I like.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wonder if u can dip used fabric sheets that have gone through the dryer already?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t see why not!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love all the ideas!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I made your recipe for fabric softener and LOVE the results. I use Suave rosemary and mint conditioner, so using it for my laundry was a natural. I will use an old sheet that I ripped into rags (I paint a lot so need tons of rags) and put these in a container as you said. The effect is wonderful – soft towels and clothes, no static, and CHEAP! Thanks so much.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Perfect! I’m so glad you like that recipe!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.there’s another way using sponges.Cut them in half and mix 1 part water with 1 part fabric softener(about a cup each).Put the mixture in a plastic rectangular bowl.Add the sponges, Just squeeze out some of the liquid before using. I’ve been doing this for a few years now.When you run low just add the water and fabric softener and start over. Much easier!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Is there any chance that the fabric softener would leave stains on clothing? I’m picturing it heating up in the dryer, then resting on top of a blouse. ?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve never had that problem!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wonder what is the financial advantage of this solution. You either pay for the ready-made sheets or for the labor-intensive liquid softener.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Or make your own homemade softener with her recipe above in this post. It is amazing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One sheet is supposed to last a while.
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