10 Options to Replace Standard Dryer Sheets

While there’s nothing like the fresh clean scent from a dryer sheets, experts say they also may be hazardous to your clothes. Here are 10 alternatives if you decide to try something else:

1. Line Dry: Dry your clothes naturally on indoor or outdoor drying racks.
2. Remove While Slightly Damp: Dry clothes at a lower temperature and remove them from the dryer before they’re completely dry. This remaining moisture helps prevent static cling.
3. Shake, Shake, Shake: Once out of the dryer, giving your clothes a good shake helps remove any remaining static.
4. Separate the Synthetics: Launder natural and synthetic fabrics separately, as synthetics (nylon, rayon, etc.) are responsible for most of the static. A dryer full of natural fiber garments is less likely to come out all staticky—particularly if not overdried. Synthetics often air dry quickly.
5. Aluminum Foil: Several sources report that placing a wad of aluminum foil in the dryer with your clothes helps eliminate static.
6. Baking Soda: Baking soda works as a fabric softener by softening the water (changing its pH). Try adding one-quarter to one-half cup baking soda to your wash cycle.
7. White Vinegar: Vinegar can also work as a fabric softener, especially if you have mineral rich “hard” water. Try adding one-half cup to the wash or rinse cycle. In the rinse cycle, vinegar will additionally reduce static cling.
8. Vinegar and Essential Oils Spray: Fill a spray bottle with one cup of white vinegar and 1.5 teaspoons essential oil, such as eucalyptus. Shake well and then apply 10 to 15 squirts to your wet clothes before starting the dryer. The vinegar smell will be gone when the clothes are dry. Eucalyptus oil, geranium, citrus, lavender, mint, and pine are other options.
9. Homemade Dryer Sheets: It’s not difficult to make your own eco-friendly, cost-effective dryer sheets out of old dish towels, bed linens, t-shirts or other cotton fabrics. Visit View From the Fridge or Wellness Mama for instructions. There are also reusable, eco-friendly, static-eliminating dryer sheets on the market today.
10. Dryer Balls: Dryer balls made from natural fibers (typically wool) are a super cool option. They wick out moisture and create air space between your clothes as they tumble around, reducing drying time and lowering the electrical charge that accumulates when fabrics rub against each other, thereby reducing static cling. Just like with homemade dryer sheets, you can dab them with a few small drops of essential oil. Let the oil fully soak into the dryer balls for ten to 20 minutes before using them.