Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Naturally Reduce Static in Your Laundry

Wool dryer balls are a natural and eco-friendly alternative to costly dryer sheets and fabric softener.  Commercial dryer sheets and fabric softeners often use harsh chemicals and coat your laundry which transfer to the clothes in your dryer.  These harsh chemicals eventually end up in contact with your skin as you wear your clothes.

I use wool dryer balls to reduce the static in my laundry. Wool dryer balls save time and money on your electricity bill by shortening the drying time.  The wool dryer balls work by wicking moisture away from your clothes and gently tumbling, circulating, and softening the clothes in your dryer.

Visit my Etsy shop to check out my selection of wool dryer balls: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SimpleisPrettyShop

Wool Dryer Balls Reduce Static in Laundry

Here are a couple of helpful tips I've learned to reduce static in laundry naturally:

The most common cause of static is from over drying laundry.  If you use wool dryer balls in your dryer, you will notice your drying time can be reduced by as much as 30 - 40% in some loads of laundry.  You will need to adjust your drying times on your dryer to make sure your laundry is not over drying otherwise it will start to create static.  Also, try drying on a low heat setting so clothes dry more evenly.

Vinegar to Reduce Static in Laundry
Another solution to reduce static is to add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle dispenser.  Vinegar will also work to soften your laundry.  Another added advantage of adding vinegar to your rinse cycle is the vinegar works to clean your washer and prevent odors and mildew.

Synthetic materials and fabrics also contribute to static.  Try to separate these synthetic materials out of your laundry before drying.  Try hang drying your synthetic fabrics instead.

Another static fighter option is to put a ball of aluminium foil in the dryer with the wool dryer balls and laundry.  The aluminium foil ball will work to discharge the electricity that is built up.  The tin foil ball shrinks and hardens as it tumbles in the dryer which can be very noisy.  Be sure to keep away the aluminium foil balls away from children and pets as they pose a potential choking hazard.

If you are still having difficulty with static once you have your clothes on, try applying lotion to your skin where the clothes are sticking to you.  The lotion creates a barrier which will block the static.

What are your static solutions?

As Always,
Sandra

Updated:  Make your own wool dryer balls, check out my tutorial... Click here.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Dining Room Updates

Here are a couple of updates we did to our dining room.  I no longer use the serving tray I painted with chalkboard paint as a meal planner.  I find it easier to plan our meals by writing them on my printable weekly to do list instead. We now use the tray on our table to corral the salt and pepper shakers and napkins.

Table Center piece
Since the bottom of the tray is painted a black chalkboard color, it lets the white containers on the tray stand out and helps to anchor them in the space.

Table Center piece Tray
I also hung up the hanging planters I had in my old kitchen.

Hanging Planters in Dining Room

Hanging Planters

Dining Room Table
Just a couple small things, but they make a noticeable difference.

As Always,
Sandra