# DIY Dryer sheets or dryer balls?



## dixiedragon

So, now that I'm making my own laundry soap, I am thinking about dryer sheets. We have 6 dogs and 2 cats, so we have SERIOUS pet hair! That's the only reason I use the dryer sheets - it pulls off the pet hair the washer didn't get. Anybody make their own dryer sheets or dryer balls? Thoughts?

google tells me I can moisten fabric strips with some vinegar (and a little EO for scent) to soften and freshen clothes. Nice, but does it remove pet hair?


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## BrewerGeorge

Just saw on facebook that a friend of mine has begun making felted dryer balls from yarn scraps with some EO for scent.  I haven't tried them yet, but they look promising.  Whenever I was the dog bedding, I always get TONS of hair in the lint trap, but I haven't tried it without a dryer sheet, so I have no comparison.  I wonder if the bouncing action of the dryer balls would help dislodge the hair?


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## navigator9

Here is something you can try, that will only cost pennies. It's a tip I picked up on Pinterest, that actually works, for a change. Make a couple of balls of aluminum foil, about the size of a plum, maybe a little bigger. Throw them in the dryer next time you dry some clothes. It takes all the static out of your clothes. I have cats, and I wear a lot of fleece in winter, which is a cat hair magnet. I find that with the balls, the hair doesn't stick to the clothes in the dryer, but instead ends up in the lint trap. I don't know how it works, but it does, and you can use them over and over again.


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## amd

As a multiple cat and a new dog owner, I will share what I have tried. Plastic dryer balls work great for "wrapping up" longer human hair. Not so great on shorter pet hair. Also, very noisy in dryer. Wool dryer balls collect hair for a time, but do nothing for static cling. Sponge soaked in vinegar (squeezed to still be damp but not dripping) and a drop of eo: no affect on hair, but very effective for static cling. I did notice some fading on black/dark blue items maybe caused by the vinegar. I don't know if using material instead of a sponge would change the results with the vinegar.


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## Seawolfe

I usually use nothing in the dryer, and the fur from our fuzzy little overlords ends up in the lint trap and not on the clothes.

If I cared about static, Id use aluminium foil balls, or a rag with a little hair conditioner soaked into it - but 99% of our clothes are cotton and its just not an issue (plus we are practically feral about these things). When I need my comforters plumped up I toss in a couple of (clean) heavier rubber bone shaped dog toys in with them, or clean tennis balls. Sometimes I just throw clean but hairy blankets in on the no heat / air fluff cycle for a bit.


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## dibbles

I have made (and use) felted dryer balls - 100% wool. I find that they work quite well, and I don't have a problem with static except on fleece items. I will have to give the foil balls a try when I have fleece in the dryer - thanks for the tip.

ETA: I have a black lab, and as we all know, labs SHED!


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## TBandCW

Dryer balls in the dryer and vinegar in the softener dispenser in the washer does the trick for me!


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## dillsandwitch

I used the scrunched up ball of foil trick last night in the dryer after giving the dog coats a wash. I'm getting ready to donate them and for obvious reasons I cant donate them covered in dog hair. Worked like a treat. They still smell a little doggy but another wash should clear that up. But yay not covered in dog hair anymore.   

Now do you think I can clone my dog from his leftover bits of hair? Nah not really but I sure do miss him.


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