Amy, 

Can I put essential oils in the dryer to scent my sheets and clothes? How much oil should I use and what would I put it on? – H.

 Essential oils can be flammable in the right conditions so I would use caution adding them to a heated dryer. However, you could add them at the end of a dryer’s cycle when it has switched over to cool, or simply run just the cool air setting for a few minutes.

I like to add a few drops of my preferred essential oil to a slightly damp facecloth. You could also put a couple drops on a wool dryer ball that you plan to use exclusively for cool dryer settings.

For someone that is using a clothesline and simply wants to fluff the towels in the dryer for a few minutes either the cloth or dryer ball option would work.

Trying to disinfect clothes instead? Read Robert Tisserand’s helpful advice on Tea Tree essential oil and cloth diapers in the washing machine. This trick could be used for cleaning soiled linens after the stomach bug, overnight bedwetting, pet soiling, and the like.

What essential oils would be lovely in a non-heated dryer? Here’s a few suggestions:

  • True Lavender, Petitgrain, Sweet Marjoram – on bed linens of the insomniac in the family
  • Lemongrass – as a bug repellent on sheets in the summertime
  • Eucalyptus or Spike Lavender – to support upper respiratory health during cold/flu season

 Have you used essential oils in your laundry routine? We’d love to hear what readers have tried!