Commercial dryer sheets can contain harsh chemicals. Instead, create your own eco-friendly dryer sheets by sprinkling a few drops of your favorite essential oils on a paper towel. Toss it into the dryer with your clothes for a natural, pleasant scent. Plus, it's a great way to reduce your environmental impact.
Distilled White Vinegar Rinse
Adding one cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse cycle can give your clothes and linens the softness you desire without using dryer sheets. The mild acetic acid in the vinegar cuts through any detergent residue left in the fibers that makes the fabric feel scratchy.
In the dryer, the stearic acid melts from the heat, coating the clothes to make them soft and reduce static. Instead use Aluminum Foil: This is a classic trick that really works. Simply tear off a sheet of aluminum foil, ball it up and toss it into the dryer with your clothes. Voila!
Yes, unless you have previously used that same wad of paper towel to dust the top of the fridge, wipe crumbs off the floor, or clean the toilet.
Most paper towels are microwave-safe. In fact, you can use a paper towel to cover some foods so they don't spit during cooking or reheating. If you do use a paper towel while microwaving, it's best to use shorter intervals so you can check both the food and the paper more frequently.
Over the course of continued use, a damp towel can harbor bacteria, sanitizer solutions and be a breeding ground for foodborne illness culprits. All it would take is for one contaminated plate for your entire warewashing inventory to become a food poisoning nightmare.
Make Homemade Dryer Sheets
Skip the store-bought dryer sheets and add a few drops of your favorite perfume or essential oil onto a paper towel. Toss it into the dryer with your clothes to achieve similar results to commercial dryer sheets, but for a fraction of the cost and with a signature scent.
"Dryer sheets are not required for proper care of laundry but are largely a matter of personal preference," says Joun. "If you find static to be an issue or your clothes coming out rougher than you want them to be, dryer sheets can be helpful to rectify those issues."
Your Mail Carrier Left That Dryer Sheet
But the reason they left a dryer sheet in your mailbox is pretty simple: to deter wasps and yellow jackets! If you've ever had the displeasure of experiencing a sting from one of these guys, you know it can really ruin your day.
Do you really need dryer sheets or alternatives? Zapata says you probably don't if you're drying your clothes correctly. “Static is going to be caused by friction, so if you're over-drying your clothes, you're going to get extra friction between your already-dried clothes.”
ETA: Dryer balls or unscented sheets + a linen spray. That might be the best of both worlds.
As mentioned, dryer sheets can lead to residue buildup in the interior and vents of your dryer over time, which may pose issues like: Reduced airflow and ventilation. Overheating. Longer drying times.
The aluminum foil ball is better than fabric softener. It's better than dryer sheets. You toss this in the dryer. And for the next 30 to 60 trips to the dryer, this is going to absorb static better than anything you've ever used.
Aluminum foil
Roll a piece of foil up to make it about the size of a baseball and toss it in the dryer with your wet clothes! It doesn't only soften clothes but it's also reusable for multiple loads!
Here are some of the best alternatives: Baking soda is one of the most popular dryer sheet substitutions. Sprinkle a thin layer evenly over the wet clothes before drying. Baking soda's alkaline properties lift fabric fibers to enhance softness and decrease static electricity.
Wool dryer balls are made of all-natural products, last longer than dryer sheets, and are compostable when they're no longer being used in your laundry routine. They cut down on the amount of electricity you'll be using and don't contain harmful additives or single-use packaging.
No, you shouldn't dry sheets and towels at the same time. Even if you want to throw them in the wash together, they'll finish drying at different times, and you'll be left with wet towels and dry sheets. Towels can also make sheets take longer to dry or prevent them from thoroughly drying.
It's also the recommended product by The Mayo Clinic and CDC for limiting the spread of germs in healthcare settings, and according to the World Health Organization, paper towels should be used to dry hands and turn off the faucet after washing. Paper towels are essential.
Cellulose and sugar both form relatively strong bonds with water molecules (HOH). When you get a paper towel wet, the water molecules rush in and cling to the cellulose fibres. That's the start of how paper towels are great at absorbing water.
As the wet and dry items mix, “the dry towel absorbs some of the moisture from the wet clothes, reducing overall humidity in the dryer and allowing the clothes to dry faster,” Shimek says. Polich says it's a “very helpful trick if you're in a pinch,” but the amount of time saved depends on your specific dryer.
Can you dry dishes with a paper towel? No, you cannot dry dishes with a paper towel. Paper towels are not absorbent enough to dry dishes effectively, and they can also leave behind lint.
Air-Drying
Wait, don't reach for that dishtowel just yet. It turns out that air-drying dishes on a dish rack is generally a more sanitary method than using a dishtowel. To make more space for air-drying, consider a two-tier dish rack or one that fits over your kitchen sink.