Cut Those Dryer Sheets in Half

[james.hendrickson]

Cut your dryer sheets in 1/2, people. You won't be able to tell a difference. Still smells great and reduces static cling.

[disneysteve]

We’ve done this for years. Probably started from The Tightwad Gazette.

[ua_guy]

James, I had to laugh. Timely thread. This is a signature topic of this board, and it has come up multiple times in the 10+ years I've been reading the forums. I was doing laundry this weekend, and as I threw in a dryer sheet, I couldn't help but crack a wry smile, remembering I heard it here first: Cut them in half. I still don't. But I can appreciate people who do. I have many of my own -isms, being frugal both where it matters, and where it doesn't really matter too much.

On the subject of laundry, my biggest two over the years have been cutting back detergent (I used to fill the cup to 4 or 5 every time), and using the load-setting on the washer to use less water for smaller loads. Then we used those tide pods for a while, and it took a while until I could trust that one was enough. It is. We're back to powder detergent in a cardboard box because I didn't like that the Tide pods come in a plastic container.

I do re-use dryer sheets, for bigger loads I'll throw in an extra sheet (partially used) along with a new one. But never half

[disneysteve]

The reality is that many “single serve” products are bigger than they need to be to do the job. I’m sure that’s by design as a way to make more money. Finding the smallest amount/size that works is a good frugal tip in general.

[kork13]

We simply stopped using dryer sheets years ago. We don't care about having perfumed clothes, and DW got some plastic & wool dryer balls that always stay in the dryer & supposedly reduce static (I'm skeptical). But the biggest thing is to just not over-dry your clothes, especially the polyester & other synthetic fabrics that generally get very staticky.

While a staticky shirt or socks can be annoying, I really don't see the big problem. Just deal with it. Besides, most fabric softeners/dryer sheets simply coat your fabric fibers with chemical junk that makes your towels less absorbent & abrades the fabric faster. So it's cheaper to not use those products for both the direct cost of buying them, and the long-term cost of replacing your clothes & such more often.

[james.hendrickson]

Honestly, I'm doing the same with toothpaste. I try to use a little bit less than in the ads.

[kork13]

Honestly, I'm doing the same with toothpaste. I try to use a little bit less than in the ads.

Well, I guess I'm just the doubting Thomas/conspiracy theorist of marketing... But toothpaste is another one that gets way overused & over marketed.

The only actual, legitimate medical benefit to toothpaste is as a fluoride delivery mechanism. The physical abrasion by your toothbrush bristles is what cleans your teeth -- very few toothpastes have enough silicate in them to result in significantly cleaner teeth. The rest of toothpaste marketing is flavoring & bubbles, both of which use added ingredients to give people the feeling/belief of having cleaner teeth.... But that's all placebo.

So all you really need is an adequate amount of fluoride in whatever you use, and the rest is just to make you feel good about yourself.

(Man, I doubt that I could ever make it in sales & marketing type jobs... I'm way too practical & honest... Lol)

[disneysteve]

We don't care about having perfumed clothes

I will never understand why people go out of their way to do something to make their clothes stink after they wash them. We wash our clothes (and our bodies) so they won't smell. We buy unscented soap, detergent, dryer sheets, and other cleaning products as much as possible. "Clean" doesn't have a smell.

We were at the eye doctor a couple of weeks ago. At one point, I used the hand sanitizer on the counter. I didn't notice right away but as soon as I got in the car, I smelled perfume. It took me a minute to realize it was my hands that stunk. I scrubbed them as soon as I got home but I still smelled it in the car for a few days just from my hands having been on the steering wheel for a few minutes on the way home.

[bjl584]

I guess you can technically reuse coffee grounds and tea bags too.
I don't, but whatever floats your boat.

[srblanco7]

We simply stopped using dryer sheets years ago. We don't care about having perfumed clothes, and DW got some plastic & wool dryer balls that always stay in the dryer & supposedly reduce static (I'm skeptical). But the biggest thing is to just not over-dry your clothes, especially the polyester & other synthetic fabrics that generally get very staticky.

While a staticky shirt or socks can be annoying, I really don't see the big problem. Just deal with it. Besides, most fabric softeners/dryer sheets simply coat your fabric fibers with chemical junk that makes your towels less absorbent & abrades the fabric faster. So it's cheaper to not use those products for both the direct cost of buying them, and the long-term cost of replacing your clothes & such more often.

I keep trying to get DW to stop using dryer sheets for the reason you note - the waxy coating it leaves behind reduces the effectiveness of moisture-wicking fabrics. One of the many, many "arguments" I've lost .

[crazyliblady]

We don't even use dryer sheets in my house. We use dryer balls instead. They are much better for the environment because they are reusable and overall cheaper. I don't even want the dryer sheet smell, as chemical fragrances cause me breathing issues.