How to Use Wool Dryer Balls with Essential Oils
Learn how to use wool dryer balls with essential oils for great-smelling laundry. You’ll find ten laundry scent recipes for wool dryer ball droppers here.
Wool dryer balls have quickly gained popularity in the last few years. It took me months to find a set when I first heard about them.
But, now I see them everywhere, and they’ve become a common topic amongst wives. Many of us share reasons why we ditched dryer sheets and started using wool dryer balls with essential oils instead!
Obviously the first pertains to fragrance. I love it when things smell good. Don’t we all? But not when it’s made of 95 percent chemicals cited on the EPA’s hazardous waste list. Yep, I’ve read that more than 25 VOCs are emitted from dryer vents when using dryer sheets.
So, what would you say if I told you your laundry can still smell fabulous when you STOP buying dryer sheets? And you could save money and time doing the laundry…
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How do wool dryer balls really work?
In the dryer, clothes tend to stick together, causing static. Wool dryer balls stop static from forming by bouncing between items and layers of laundry in the dryer.
And instead of using chemicals to soften your laundry like dryer sheets, wool dryer balls do it without the use of chemicals! You see, the gentle pummeling from the dryer balls softens clothes, reduces wrinkles, and cuts down on static. Oh Yeah!
Plus, all that rolling between your clothes and towels helps keep them from balling up. So, you can say goodbye to a tight mass of damp clothes in the middle of the dyer and shorten the time it takes to dry a regular load of laundry.
All the while, you save money. Shorter drying time means less energy cost and unlike dryer sheets, wool dryer balls aren’t intended for one-time use.
How long do wool dryer balls last? A set will last you four years with regular use. Heck, I think mine are in their fifth year.
What about the scent, you ask,
Awe, yes, that’s where using wool dryer balls with essential oils comes into play!
Related To: Best Essential Oils for Cleaning
How to Use Wool Dryer Balls with Essential Oils
It’s easy to make your laundry smell good with essential oils. With a dryer ball essential oil recipe, you can have great-smelling laundry that’s environmentally friendly, too.
And I’m sure you’ll love the fact that essential oils do it all without leaving a residue on your clothes compared to dryer sheets.
How much essential oil do you put on wool dryer balls?
All it takes is 2 to 3 drops of essential oils to add a fresh scent to clothes and linens. But, wait there’s a better way!
How to Make an Essential Oil Wool Dryer Ball Dropper:
I’ve found it’s most convenient to make a wool dryer ball dropper.
That way, I don’t have to go looking for my essential oils scattered around the house or worry something won’t smell good on our clothes.
I fill a dropper bottle once every few months with a new dryer ball essential oil recipe and keep it on the shelf right above our dryer.
Here’s how I do it –
- Fill a dropper bottle with up to 50 drops of essential oil in total. See the 10 wool dryer ball essential oil recipes below.
- Place the dropper on the bottle to close and shake to blend the oils together.
- Fill the dryer with your wet wash. How much essential oil do you put in wool dryer balls? Add 2 to 3 drops from your dropper bottle onto each wool dryer ball.
- Toss the balls on top of the wash and run a normal drying cycle.
How often do you put essential oils on dryer balls?
I add essential oils to our dryer balls every 3 to 5 loads of laundry. Which for us equates to twice a week.
10 Essential Oil Wool Dryer Ball Dropper Recipes
In case you scrolled here first – essential oil dropper bottles are the easiest way to add a great-smelling scent to your laundry. You only need to add 2 to 3 drops to each wool ball.
As I shared before, when creating essential oil blends for candles, there are 100 drops of essential oil in a 5 ml bottle.
Each wool dryer ball recipe calls for up to 50 drops of essential oil in total. So, you don’t need much to make a wool dryer ball dropper. However, you may want to double or triple the blends to fill a bottle you have.
Sun Dried Recipe:
Enjoy the warm, fresh aroma of clothes sun-dried on the line outdoors. This blend of vanilla, juniper, and lemongrass infuses your laundry with a clean, sunny fragrance that’s equal parts uplifting and refreshing.
15 drops vanilla
15 drops juniper
15 drops lemongrass
Instant Refresh Recipe:
Need an instant boost to deodorize your linens or laundry? This bright blend of geranium, tangerine, and eucalyptus delivers a crisp, energizing scent, perfect for revitalizing your linens and clothes with a burst of freshness.
20 drops geranium
15 drops tangerine
15 drops eucalyptus
Tip: Use this blend with these instructions to make a linen spray!
Softly Spiced Recipe:
Warm up your laundry with a spicy and uplifting blend of cinnamon, orange, and rosemary essential oil. This cozy combination gives a comforting, softly spiced aroma to your wash, that smells like home.
25 drops cinnamon
10 drops orange
10 drops rosemary
Bright Linens Recipe:
Bring out the scent of freshly washed linens with a soothing blend of lavender, eucalyptus, and Purification. Perfect for towels, sheets, and bedding, this combination leaves a calming, crisp fragrance that lasts.
20 drops lavender
15 drops eucalyptus
10 drops purification
Laundry Boost:
Give your clothes a boost with the deep, earthy aroma of vetiver and vanilla. This grounding blend adds a cozy, long-lasting scent that feels like a warm hug every time you reach for a fresh outfit.
20 drops vetiver
20 drops vanilla
Anthro Volcano Recipe:
Inspired by the iconic fragrance, this blend of grapefruit, tangerine, blue spruce, and geranium creates a unique, vibrant scent. It’s fresh, lively, and perfect for adding a touch of luxury to your laundry.
15 drops grapefruit
15 drops tangerine
10 drops blue spruce
10 drops geranium
Cozy Flannel Recipe:
Wrap yourself in the comforting scent of bergamot, orange, and Stress Away. Perfect for chilly nights, this laundry blend leaves your clothes smelling like your favorite cozy flannel!
20 drops bergamot
20 drops orange
10 drops stress away
Laundry Day Recipe:
Embrace the classic, fresh scents of lemon, lavender, pine, and eucalyptus to make every laundry day feel refreshing. Trust me, this clean and invigorating blend keeps your clothes smelling crisp and rejuvenated.
15 drops lemon
15 drops lavender
5 drops pine
15 drops eucalyptus
Snuggly Blanket Recipe:
For the ultimate soothing scent, use this blend of copaiba and lavender. It’s soft, relaxing, and perfect for snuggling up with freshly laundered blankets or pajamas.
20 drops copaiba
30 drops lavender
Bonus: Put this blend to work in a homemade essential oil pillow spray!
Fresh Linens Recipe:
Bring the feeling of fresh, airy linens to your laundry with eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, and tea tree. This blend adds a clean, refreshing aroma, ideal for anyone who loves the smell of freshly washed sheets.
25 drops eucalyptus
15 drops lavender
5 drops lemon
5 drops tea tree
Print all of these 10 dryer ball essential oil recipes on one printable from our Oily Chic Library. Hang it in your laundry room to create new blends and make a wool dryer ball dropper.
If you’re still using dryer sheets, it’s time to get rid of them FOREVER! Replace those one-time-use synthetic sheets with long-lasting wool dryer balls and essential oils.
Test out the dryer ball essential oil recipes above or create your own custom blend. I know I enjoy using essential oils in many ways at home. To learn more about how to use essential oils, check out my other DIYs.
MORE ESSENTIAL OIL DIYS:
Do you add any other liquid to this? I see in the dropper has 2 different colors… clear and yellow. I assume the yellow is the oils but what is the clear?
Chamomile, blue tansy, and valor all have a blue color. You do not need to add anything else but essential oils.
Are dryer balls with essential oils on them safe to use from the beginning of the dryer cycle, or should I add the oils near the end of the drying cycle? The reason I am concerned is because (even on medium), dryers necessarily get pretty hot. I’ve continued to use dryer balls, but discontinued using essential oils on them since someone mentioned this to me – and I miss the scents!
Yes, Barbara. I understand dryers get hot, but adding 2 to 3 drops to a wool dryer ball isn’t any less than safe than adding a dryer sheet loaded with fragrance oils. I think the misconception is others thinking, we’re adding 25 drops of oil right inside the dryer. Nope, never. Can you imagine the cost? I’ve been using this method for years and during that time I’ve had 3 different dryers, thanks to moving, and never had an issue.
Thank you! Now my clothes can have a safe scent!
How many dryer balls do you use
I use three dryer balls