I wash a lot of laundry.

 

A  lot.

 

My clothes, the dog’s stuff, towels that I use while cleaning homes, everything. The towels are probably the toughest because I have some that can’t go in the dryer and others that require certain attention. Terry cloth towels are tough, but they can get crazy static cling!

 

Once I decided to take the green plunge in my own house, dryer sheets were a big no-no. I started using balls of aluminum foil.

 

The problem was that they require a lot of aluminum foil to get the right size and they shrink in the dryer. (The girls would make fun of me as they started finding little aluminum balls in the clean towel piles.)

 

I needed something that would last, something I wouldn’t have to buy a ton of throughout the year, and something that would eliminate the static cling. And of course, the wonderful folks at Pinterest were ahead of me.

 

This is my easy-to-make, easy-to-use tip to saving you money in the laundry room!

 

Today we are going to show you how to make and use wool dryer balls.

 

These little guys are easy to make, they last for years, and they take static cling out of your clothes just as good as a dryer sheet. (of course they are natural and most dryer sheets are not). All you need is some Fishermen’s Wool.

 

Once you’ve got your felting Fishermen’s Wool, wind the wool around your fingers, and then pull off and wind around itself. Keep going in circles, winding and flipping the ball every now again. This should take about an hour, but you’ll never have to do it again.

 

Plus, here is your result, a 4 oz. wool dryer ball. Isn’t that rewarding?!

 

Almost finished! Tie the loose end of your wool dryer ball to another piece of yarn to prevent it from untangling because now comes the washing part.

 

The more dryer balls you have, the better it works. Six to eight is a good number. Put three balls in one nylon stocking, tying them off each individually. Then, put both sets of nylons in a pillowcase and tie the pillowcase shut.

 

 

Place in washing machine on HOT water. Wash whatever else you can with the pillowcase. Note: it may take more than one washing, but you really want to get the dryer balls felting.

 

LAST STEP! Gently remove the pillowcase and nylon from the wool dryer balls. Be careful because the wool fibers will work their way out of the nylon.

 

At this point, you can use a few drops of your favorite essential oil on the wool. The more dryer balls you have, the less static cling and they bounce around separating clothes which dries clothes faster.

 

How cute are these guys?!

 

I’ve only started using them, but they seem to work pretty well. Of course I’ll update you with my results after using them for a few weeks. Have you ever tried this trick? What are your laundry tips? Tell us at www.facebook.com/Miraclean.