The Easy Tip You Should Know To Save Money On Dryer Sheets

In tough economic times, every penny counts. If you are looking for ways to save money but executing a complete overhaul of your household budget is unrealistic, consider the more manageable task of examining your family's spending habits and identifying minor ways to make cuts. Stay motivated by starting small and keeping it simple. Look at living without arguably unnecessary expenses like dryer sheets. Not an option? No problem. If you can't go cold turkey on the laundry luxury, an easy tip to save money on dryer sheets is to cut them in half and use them more than once.

The humble dryer sheet is an unpretentious piece of polyester coated with a blend of lubricants, fabric softeners, and fragrances designed to eliminate static and wrinkles while helping your laundry feel soft and smell fresh. Looking at the simple sheets, you'd never consider how their cost can add up quickly. Depending on where you live, a name-brand box of 240 dryer sheets costs about $8 to $10. To calculate how long one box will last, determine how many dryer sheets you should use in each load. Most dryer sheet manufacturers recommend using one sheet for small to medium loads and two to three for larger loads. That means if you run a load of laundry daily and conservatively follow the company's suggestion, you're looking at spending roughly $20 on dryer sheets per year.

When it comes to saving money on dryer sheets, consider using a half sheet per load rather than a full one. One of the ways to accomplish this is to slice an unopened box of dryer sheets in half with a serrated knife. You'll be left with two halves, one of which can be used immediately, while the other can be placed in a drawer or cabinet until needed. If you prefer a precisely sliced sheet, use a traditional paper cutter. Simply remove moderate-sized stacks of dryer sheets from the box, place them on the guillotine device, chop them, and then place the halves back into their original box. Another option is to cut the dryer sheets by hand using a sharp pair of scissors.

The idea behind cutting dryer sheets in half can be replicated by recycling. Essentially, you are doubling the number of uses you get per sheet. However, reusing dryer sheets can be tricky unless you have a solid technique to keep track of your repurposing efforts. One method is to start with a new dryer sheet. Once the load is done, fish out the used sheet and tear it along one of the edges. The single rip indicates that the sheet has been used once. Next, place it on the top of the dryer and use it again during the next load. At the end of that load, dispose of the sheet and start the process over.

In the same way, minor expenses like dryer sheets can add up over time, and adopting easy yet frugal practices can also amount to significant savings in the long run. You can double the value of a single box by halving dryer sheets or reusing a full sheet. To quadruple your savings, recycle a half sheet twice. Doing so will help you save up to $14 per year on dryer sheets. Still, it's worth mentioning that most dryer sheet manufacturers strongly discourage using the same dryer sheet more than once as most of the fabric conditioner depletes after one cycle. However, to save money, certain sacrifices must be made. By reusing dryer sheets, you may not be receiving the optimal benefits of the product. Still, replacing your old washing machine with a new high-efficiency model is a far less labor-saving method than saving on your water bill.

Switch to wool dryer balls if you can live without laundry sheets but can't survive dealing with staticky clothes. The sturdy spheres prevent laundry from sticking together, but they are also eco-friendly and designed to efficiently absorb moisture to reduce overall drying times. Moreover, a pack of four balls typically costs around $8 to $10 and last about 1,000 loads.