Wool Dryer Balls

I love good smelling, freshly washed and folded laundry.  Dryer sheets have a few downsides that I would like to avoid.

1. Constant use can lead to film building up on the lint screen, which can lead to a fire.  The odds are small, but still, it's a concern.  The film also reduces the dryer's efficiency.  Simply cleaning the lint screen with a soap and water removes the film, but I am of the mind it is better to prevent a mess than clean one up.

2. My son is allergic to most of the perfumes, chemicals, etc in stuff like dryer sheets.

3. They cost money.

4. They create trash that accumulates in my laundry area.

5. The fake scents are nice, but I really prefer more pure smells that have therapeutic benefits.

Keeping all of the above in mind, I was intrigued by the idea of wool dryer balls.  They are basically balls of wood yarn that you use in the dryer in place of dryer sheets.  You make them once and they last forever.  A couple of drops of your favorite essential oil will scent several loads of laundry.  They reduce static, soften your clothes, and reduce drying time.

I live in Hawaii, and apparently there isn't much of a market for 100% wool yarn in this climate.  So, I had my mother in Arizona send me some.  (I'm not sure how Arizona is more conducive to wool use than Hawaii, but nonetheless, she had no trouble finding some.) 

It's important to use 100% wool, the kind that says on the label, "DO NOT WASH".  If you have ever washed wool, you know what happens.  It shrinks, and it felts, meaning all the fibers sort of fray and then stick to each other.  If you use any soft of washable yarn, acrylic, cotton, a blend, this will not happen and your yarn ball will come undone in the laundry.

They are super easy to make.

1. Take a skein of 100% wool, non-washable, yarn and roll it into a ball about the size of a tennis ball.  Roll it tight.

2. Use a darning needle or a crochet hook to weave the loose end into the ball of yarn.  Wind it around in there good and make sure there is no tail of loose yarn sticking out of the ball.  You don't want these to unwind.

3. Take an old pair of pantyhose or tights and cut off one leg.  Put the balls of yard into the leg, tying it off between each ball.

4. Wash the yarn balls in the pantyhose leg in with your next load of laundry.  The hotter the better.

5. Dry them with the load.  Again, the hotter the better.

6. Repeat 4 & 5 a couple of times to make sure it gets good and felted.

7. Cut the yarn balls free from the pantyhose.

8. Put a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil on each ball.

9. Toss in the dryer and leave them there for use with each load.

10. Reapply a few drops of your favorite essential oil as the smell dissipates.

I am happy to answer any questions you have about which oils to use for this project or any other usage.  Email me at mylifewithclarity@gmail.com

Sugar Scrub Cubes

Taylor and I got crafty the other day and made these coconut lime, sugar scrub cubes.  It isn't hard.  If I can do it, anybody can do it.

I found a recipe for sugar scrub cubes on Pinterest and thought, "Hey those sound awesome!"  I then proceeded to search for all the recipes on Pinterest for such things (there are many), and then to read all the awesome DIY blogs about said projects.  Some said to use almond oil, others said coconut oil.  Some said any bar soap, others said only use Ivory.  Some said to use the microwave, others a double boiler.  So, after many hours of reading, having become a theoretical expert on the subject, I decided to give it a whirl in the real world.

I LOVE coconut!  It smells divine!  So, that's what I decided to use.  So many bloggers had trouble getting various bar soaps to melt that I decided to stick with the one sure fire bet - good old Ivory.  I love the combination of lime and coconut, so why not?  For the molds I used some half plastic, half silicone ice cube trays.  They are TERRIBLE for making ice, but they worked pretty well for this project.

One batch made enough cubes to fill four 4oz. jars.  I've been using them everyday and it makes my shower feel like a day at the spa!  My skin feels so soft!


Ingredients:

 

1. Coconut Oil (1/4 cup) - The real stuff that is a clear liquid at room temperature and a white solid when it gets cooler.  The stuff that you cook with, that tastes all tropical delicious, is what you want.  I bought mine at Costco and it was about $25 for 2 big jars of it.

Refrigerated (left) Room Temperature (right)

2. Bar Soap (1 bar 4oz) - I used Ivory.  It comes in 4 oz. bars, and one bar is the right amount for a batch of Sugar Scrub Cubes. 


3. Sugar (1 cup) - Plain old, ordinary, granulated, white sugar.

4. Lime Essential Oil (10 drops or more if you like) - I love the way coconut and lime blend together.  "You put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up!"  You could easily use any other essential oil that you like the smell of, or has a desired benefit for your skin.


Tools:
 1. Glass Bowl - This is going over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave to melt the soap and oil together. 

2. Whisk

3. Cheese Grater or Ninja - Everyone should have their own Ninja, for kitchen tasks and home protection. haha

4. Measuring Cups

5. Molds - Silicone molds are best. If you don't have any you can use a square or rectangular plastic container and then when it is solid, cut it into cubes.

6. Mixing Spoon

Method:
Step 1:  Shred up your bar of soap.  The thought of grating it up like a block of cheese did not sound exciting to me, so I thought maybe I could use my Ninja.  My Ninja is amazing, and can do just about anything, so why not?  I googled it and, yep - I wasn't the first person with this idea.  It worked wonderfully!
 

Step 2: Measure 1/4 cup of coconut oil (room temperature, liquid state) and pour it into a glass bowl with the shredded up bar of Ivory soap.  Heat over a pan of boiling water, whisking until soap is melted and mixture is mostly smooth.  (Alternate method: Heat 10 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring between each 10 seconds of heating.  Heat and stir until soap is melted and mixture is smooth.)

Step 3: Add 1 cup of granulated sugar and stir with a mixing spoon.

Step 4: Quickly press warm mixture into molds.

Step 5: Place in freezer for about 30 min until mixture has become solid.

Step 6: Remove from molds and cut into smaller cubes if desired.  Place in glass jar or plastic bag.


Usage:
Sugar scrub cubes can be used in the shower or at the sink.  Crumble one cube into wet hands.  Rub over hands, face and body to gently exfoliate and hydrate the skin. Rinse with clear water. 

I really like the way it cleans my face.  I don't use a lot of commercial skin care products due to sensitivity, and these work great! Email me if you want more info at mylifewithclarity@gmail.com