Use This Instead of Dryer Sheets (and It’s in Your Pantry)

Dryer sheets are convenient, but they come with a cost – both on your budget and in the buildup they leave behind.

A hand pouring white vinegar into a front-loading washer’s fabric softener compartment, with a laundry basket in the background.

🧺 Use This Instead of Dryer Sheets (and It’s in Your Pantry)

If you’re looking for a frugal, natural alternative that still gets clothes soft and fresh, the answer might already be in your pantry.

A Frugal Swap That Works Without the Chemicals

This easy laundry swap is part of Clever Ways to Reuse What You Already Have and can help stretch your grocery budget even further.

It also ties in perfectly with ideas from 10 Uses for Sugar and 12 Everyday Uses for Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, two other frugal multipurpose staples.

🧴 The Swap: White Vinegar

Plain white vinegar is one of the best dryer sheet substitutes. It softens clothes, reduces static, and leaves no lingering scent. It also won’t gunk up your lint trap or coat fabrics the way traditional sheets can.

Just add 1/4 to 1/2 cup to your washer’s fabric softener compartment. That’s it. Clothes come out soft, fresh, and residue-free.

Vinegar is also easy to stock up on. You can grab it by the gallon in bulk here, or keep a smaller spray version on hand for other laundry needs.

🧼 4 More Ways to Use Vinegar in the Laundry Room

🧺 1. Remove residue from towels
Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to a hot cycle (no detergent) to strip buildup and refresh absorbency.

👚 2. Soften scratchy sheets
Toss a bit into the wash cycle to keep sheets soft without coating fibers.

👕 3. Neutralize odors
Great for gym clothes, pet bedding, or kitchen rags that hold on to smells.

🧼 4. Reduce lint and static
A vinegar rinse helps fabric shed less and stay cling-free without artificial fragrance.

For tough odors or mildew-prone items, pair vinegar with baking soda for an extra boost.

Flat lay of wool dryer balls, a labeled bottle of white vinegar, and folded laundry cloths on a wood surface with soft lighting.

🧽 Try Wool Dryer Balls with Essential Oil

Another solid option is wool dryer balls. They soften clothes naturally, help reduce drying time, and you can add a few drops of lavender essential oil to make laundry smell fresh without synthetic scents.

Dryer balls can be reused for months and work well with the Clean Living Starter Pack, especially if you’re simplifying your cleaning supplies and want a clear, low-waste routine.

🧻 Reuse What You Already Own

Cut-up t-shirts or socks from T-Shirts, Towels & Socks: Don’t Toss These Yet make excellent DIY dryer sheets. Just soak in diluted vinegar, wring out, and toss in the dryer. Reusable, washable, and easy to refresh with a new scent.

If you’re looking for a simple guide for what else can be reused before you trash it, download the 25 Things to Reuse Before Tossing cheat sheet. It’s free and fits right in with your laundry or cleaning plan.

Vinegar may not smell pretty in the bottle, but it leaves your laundry clean, soft, and static-free—and it might just replace that box of dryer sheets for good.