Thoughtful Thursday Dryer Sheets vs Dryer Balls

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Laundry is never ending and so is the expense. But if you want your clothes to feel soft, be static free and have a nice scent you need to add a new dryer sheet to every load of laundry and that’s costly.

The majority of dryer sheets are made from a thin polyester material that’s coated with a softening agent and lots of chemicals including fatty acids, fatty alcohols, alcohol ethoxylates, stearic acid plus harsh perfumes. None of which are healthy for your body and the waste isn’t healthy for the planet.

Luckily there’s an alternative to these sheets, dryer balls. The dryer balls work by bouncing around in the dryer, separating clothes and allowing air to circulate more efficiently. As a result they soften your clothes and reduce drying time, wrinkles and static cling. Plus there are no harsh chemicals.

I’ve used dryer balls for years and love them. I started with the plastic kind shown below on the right and they worked great. But eventually they broke down and had to be replaced with new ones that gave off a slight plastic odor which I wasn’t crazy about.

I thought there had to be a better way so I did a bit of research for a natural alternative and found wool dryer balls (shown above on the left). I followed an online tutorial at DIY Natural to make your own set which required roving wool and that can be hard to find in South Florida.

Fortunately, there are quite a few companies that make and sell dryer balls online. This is a link to the set I purchased a year ago on Amazon and they’re still going strong! The best part is you can add your own essential oils to wool dryer balls and freshen your laundry, naturally without harsh chemicals. Plus you’ll save loads of money and reduce waste. It’s a win-win!!

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Thoughtful Thursday

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Soap Nuts

Soap nuts, also known as Sapindus mukorossi are native to India and Nepal. They are not nuts, but actually a fruit, a berry to be specific. However, when you dry them, it forms a hard outer shell that looks like a nut. The shell contains saponin, a natural detergent. Saponin gets released when the shell absorbs water, it also softens your clothes. Soap nuts are a great alternative for people with allergies who need a chemical free detergent.

To use soap nuts you would need to put about 4-6 of them in a muslin bag and then toss it in your washing machine with your laundry. If you prefer a scent just add essential oils to the muslin bag before tossing them in. Soap nuts don’t create a lot of bubbles and can be used several times before they break down. They are very eco friendly and cost effective!

You can also use soap nuts to make facial washes, shampoos and natural soaps. I found quite a few site online that sell soap nuts. So I’m going to buy some and see how it goes.

 

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

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