How to Fight Static in Your Clothes

If you use store bought dryer sheets which eliminate static by coating clean laundry with a film, you will notice an increase in static when changing to a natural laundry alternative.  How can you fight static naturally and without chemicals?  Try these tips!

1) Separate your synthetic fiber clothes from your natural fiber clothes.

To reduce static, try hang drying your synthetic (artificial) fiber clothes.  Examples of synthetic fibers are polyester and acrylic.  If you are unable to hang dry these synthetic fiber clothes, try separating them from natural fiber fabrics like cotton before drying.  Usually synthetic fiber clothes need less time in the dryer than natural fibers.

Be careful not to over dry as over drying can create static cling.  Try adding a damp/almost wet wash cloth to your synthetic loads when tumble drying and the added moisture will help to distribute existing moisture and keep the clothes from over drying.  Alternatively, you can add a damp/almost wet with white vinegar cloth and it will have the same effect.

2) Use wool dryer balls and use less time to dry your clothes in the dryer.


With using wool dryer balls in your laundry, you can decrease your drying time.  The wool dryer balls absorb moisture and work to circulate and fluff your clothes as they dry.  If you use a timed dry setting, you will have to decrease your drying time.  When clothes are dried for less time in the dryer, they have less time to rub together and create less static electricity.

3) Use vinegar instead of fabric softener.

Try replacing your store bought fabric softener with vinegar.  Not only will you save yourself a ton of money as vinegar much less expensive than fabric softener, you will also see a reduction in static.  Don’t worry about the smell, the vinegar smell will be washed out by the time the washing machine cycle is complete.


I especially recommend using vinegar instead of fabric softener for bath towels, kitchen towels and dish cloths.  The vinegar will work to soften your towels without all the chemicals of store bought fabric softener.  If you choose to use fabric softener on your towels, it will leave behind a film.   This fabric softener film will make the fibers of your towels less absorbent, which is the exact opposite effect you want to happen.


Want to scent your laundry before hang drying it?  Try adding essential oil to vinegar in your fabric softener compartment.  For an energizing scent, try pink grapefruit essential oil.  If you would like a relaxing scent, try adding lavender essential oil.

Sandra

What Are Wool Dryer Balls?

In short, wool dryer balls are made of felted wool and work by absorbing moisture and providing better air circulation by rotating the clothes in your dryer.


Wool dryer balls reduce the amount of time and electricity used to dry your laundry.  Simply place your clean laundry in the dryer, add the wool dryer balls and dry as normal.  If you use the timed dry setting, you will need to reduce your drying time as the clothes will dry faster.  I recommend at least 4 dryer balls for a normal sized load of laundry, but the more the better!  I usually use between 4-6 dryer balls for loads of laundry in my house.  My wool dryer balls will last in between 1 to 2 years.  I just recently retired my first set after using them for 2 years!

Wool dryer balls work well for all types laundry.  Try them with bath towels, cloth baby diapers, sheets and linens.  You will no longer need to use chemical filled dryer sheets or fabric softener.  If you have sensitive skin, try using wool dryer balls and cut out harmful chemicals from your laundry routine.

If you want your clean laundry to have a scent, simply place a few drops of essential oil onto your wool dryer balls.  I usually use 2-3 drops per dryer ball.  I like to use essential oils that have a dropper cap, as this makes it easier to apply the oil to the dryer ball.


To scent wool dryer balls, I simply place the dryer ball touching the top of the opened essential oil bottle and tip them upside down together.  Then I tip them back together right side up, and remove the essential oil bottle from touching the dryer ball.  This way is less messy as the oil goes straight into to the dryer ball and does not run off.  I repeat this process in different areas of each dryer ball until each ball receives about 3 drops of essential oil.  Leave the dryer balls overnight to let the essential oils set, or wait at least one hour before using after you have re-scented them.


Some of my favorite scents for laundry are lavender, pink grapefruit and lemon essential oils.  Experiment and find a scent you like or try mixing a few and create your own scent!

Sandra