use foil in your dryer…

 

Holiday Tip #3 comes from Marketing Assistant Audrey Hartland and can
be used in the dryer, but also in your suitcase when you’re packing
for your next trip.  She writes.

When I come home from a long trip, I’m usually so exhausted that I
drop my suitcase right on my bedroom floor. It remains in the corner
for a few days, growing increasingly more daunting as each day goes
by. Once I finally muster up the courage to dig through the mound,
sort into piles, and do my laundry, I inevitably find that I am out of
dryer sheets.

So here’s what I did last weekend after returning from a trip to Ohio
to see my family for Thanksgiving.

Rather than face the harsh winter cold to buy dryer sheets. I went
online and read about a dryer sheet alternative.  Turns out, you can
use aluminum foil.  Just make a ball out of it and throw it in with
your load of laundry in the dryer.

I have to admit, it was a bit scary to do for the first time. I’ve
always been taught to keep metal out of the microwave, and was wary of
putting a small ball of foil in with my favorite shirts, for fear of
them bursting into flames. But, I found that it works surprisingly
well and is not only safe for your clothing, but it also has a lot of
other benefits.

Here are a few tips and additional benefits of aluminum foil dryer
balls:

- Heavy-duty aluminum foil works best

- Make your foil balls about 3” to 4” big, and each week add a fresh
sheet of aluminum to the outside of the ball to ensure its
effectiveness

- They help reduce static

- The foil balls become heavier over time (since you’re adding sheets
over time), this helps fluff up the clothes and reduce wrinkles

- They’re green! They don’t contain as many harsh chemicals as some
dryer sheets and
fabric softeners do, so they’re better for the environment

- They’re a great replacement for dryer sheets if you are allergic to
any of the chemicals found in dryer sheets

After I told Lori about this tip, she packed a piece of aluminum foil
in her suitcase this past weekend to see if it works outside the
dryer.  Sure enough, when she arrived at her destination and went to
take her jacket off, it was full of static.  She took out her aluminum
foil, rubbed the jacket down and left the ball inside the jacket
sleeve.  When she returned, no static.

Happy Travels!