Here’s a simple, non-overwhelming way to switch to a natural lifestyle. These gradual but important changes will help you embrace natural living over time. I’m so grateful to MightyNest for sponsoring this post.
Do you want to adopt a more natural lifestyle, but feel it’s too expensive + overwhelming to get started? I have a solution for you today that will address both problems!
Five years ago, when Eric and I became more interested in reusable, natural alternatives for our home, we didn’t have much extra money to invest in buying new products. So we made the switches gradually, over the course of a few years. We spent a little money here and there on reusable snack bags, non-plastic water bottles, glass storage containers, and the like. This slow and steady approach ending up being a perfect fit, because we were able to fully assimilate each change and learn about the benefits before implementing the next thing.
It wasn’t available at the time, but the MightyFix subscription service takes this same simple, budget-friendly approach to “greening” your home. MightyNest recently contacted me about sharing their MightyFix service with you, and I’m excited to tell you about how they can help you to bring natural living into your everyday life! (They also have a special offer for you, so read on…)
First, some quick facts about MightyNest
MightyNest is an online general store for all things healthy and sustainable. They carry reusable, waste-reducing products for the kitchen and around the house, safe products for baby, essential oils and supplements, natural cleaning supplies, body care, quality toys, and much, much more! Every item in the store is free of known toxins (like BPA, PVC, phthalates, chemical flame retardants, parabens and other harsh chemicals).
MightyNest also gives back by donating up to 15% of every purchase you make to your local school! The small team behind MightyNest is committed not just to helping people find the best natural products, but learning how to use them, too! Their blog includes recipes, how-tos, and guides for using various products.
How MightyFix Simplifies Natural Living
MightyFix is a way to try many of the products at MightyNest without getting overwhelmed or breaking your budget. For $11/month, MightyFix subscribers are mailed one item each month to help them switch to more natural, simple living. Each month is a surprise, but you can expect things like a glass water bottle, reusable lunch gear, natural sunscreen, beeswrap (a really cool alternative to plastic wrap!), etc.
They always send something that would normally cost more than $11, so you’re always getting a discount. In addition, your order ships for free, and anything you want to add to it from the MightyNest store also ships for free if you are a Fix member! Since you’re not going to find most of these products in your local Wal-Mart, this free shipping is a HUGE perk! (If you don’t live in the contiguous United States, see shipping details here.)
Add this $11 MightyFix subscription to your monthly budget, or you can pay for a whole year up front and get two months free! If MightyFix no longer fits your goals, you can cancel at any time.
Want to give MightyFix a try? Here’s a discount!
If you want to be intentional about bringing more healthy, reusable products into your home, you can get your first MightyFix for just $3! Your first fix will include a set of 3 wool dryer balls (made of premium New Zealand wool!), which normally cost $16.99 + $5.95 shipping.
Toss these wool balls in your dryer to help cut down on drying time (which saves you money on utility bills!), reduce static cling, and soften your clothes (so you can say goodbye to dryer sheets forever!) You can also add a couple of drops of essential oils to the dryer balls if you want to give your clothes a light scent.
I’ve been using my own wool dryer balls for about a month, and I love them! We used to use plastic dryer balls, but they’re really noisy when they knock about in the dryer, and the plastic is beginning to break down and look grimy. These wool dryer balls will last for years and years!
To get this special offer, use the code ROOTEDDRYERFIX when you check out. You can also click through this link and the code will already be applied in your checkout cart. (Please note, this special offer is just for NEW subscribers to MightyFix!)
If you want to make the switch to natural living (plus have a little surprise to look forward to in the mail each month!) MightyFix is a simple, fun way to do just that!
Zoomed out: I thought you might enjoy this behind-the-scenes of my son helping me take pictures for this post(: I love that blogging lets me work at home and spend plenty of time with this little guy! I’m so grateful to MightyNest for sponsoring this post. And for you–for letting me share companies with you that I can recommend 100%!
What a fabulous blog! I feel like I’ve found a like-minded Mom and I’m looking forward to reading your blog on a regular basis!! Keep up the great work and enjoy that bundle of Boy!!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad to have you here!
Hi Elsie! I love your advice to take it slow and steady when you’re changing to a more natural lifestyle. And I definitely want to second your vote for MightyFix! I just started last month – got the Bees Wrap samples, which I love. And I was so happy to get the dryer balls because I had literally just decided to buy some – they were in my Amazon shopping cart – when they came in the mail. Perfect timing! I like them a lot. They do speed up the drying time. Once the weather gets colder and the air is dryer, I’ll see how they are for reducing static.
So, yes – anybody thinking about signing up for MightyFix – do it now. You won’t regret it!
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience with MightyFix!(:
Are the items sent in the monthly subscription full size items or sample sizes?
The Mightyfix is always full size and never a sample size. Thanks for asking!
Go to Hobby Lobby, buy a few things of solid wool yarn and make your own wool balls. I made mine about 5 years ago & keep 6-8 in my dryer. Costs less, satisfaction of making yourself….win, win. Then make your own laundry powder. I make a large batch in about 30 minutes for less than the cost of one container of liquid detergent. Use vinegar and essential oils to clean kitchen, bathrooms & floors. Before you realize it, you will have eliminated many toxic chemicals from your home. It’s addictive, next you will want to make your own soaps and body/ hair products and all of the essential oils you collect are excellent for aromatherapy, headaches, aches & pains & the sniffles.
Hobby Lobby is a terrible company. And wool yarn is expensive and commercially made by often wasteful companies. Good idea in theory, but have to consider many factors.
I know that MightyNest is super careful about where they source their products from!
Why do you say Hobby Lobby is a terrible company? I got my wool dryer balls from T.J. Maxx on sale for about $5. I also made my own for a friend and the guy who came to fix their dryer said they were the best thing to use.
I love Hobby Lobby and speaking negatively about them is immature. Let’s act like adults.
What is wrong with Hobby Lobby?
I totally agree with you.I’ve never walked into their store. Like Walmart, most of their things are made out of country in cheap factories. Also no benefits and low wages workers. I feel better about my shopping if I support made in America and companies that treat employees good.
I am not sure where you came up with the low wages – no benefits theory and Hobby Lobby, it is an untrue statement.
No. I’ve worked there. Horrible company. Treat employees poorly and most of there stuff is from China.
I think these put downs about Hobby Lobby are kind of funny. You won’t buy from Hobby Lobby because there products come from other countries……..the wool balls are New Zealand wool! Ha! People need to stop with the put downs. This is about changing to a clean lifestyle not putting down companies. Thank you Elsie for your information!
Ah, thank you, E! My thoughts exactly(: And you’re welcome!
It’s totally untrue. They have a wonderful starting wage..plus give bonuses at Christmas that increase every year you work there. And they do also have benefits for full time employees.
That is nice to hear!
I haven’t been in a Hobby Lobby in a little while, but they could very well have some American made stuff! I would want to see for myself. I’ve heard that they do treat employees well, even in a bad economy. It might depend on the individual store and manager, too.
Totally agree!
We often buy at Hobby Lobby and have been pleased with our purchases.
Yes, we always clean with vinegar and EOs! So simple and effective! I’ll admit, sometimes I like the ease and simplicity of buying something ready-made instead of making it myself. For me, wool dryer balls would fall into that category!
Not everyone has all the time in the world. That and I will agree that Hobby Lobby is horrid?
Hobby Lobby owners use the money they make from their company to fund efforts against the Gay and Lesbian communities. That would be why I don’t shop at their stores. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/07/hobby-lobby-anti-gay-discrimination/
How do you make your own laundry powder? Would love to make my own just not sure where to start.
I make my own. It’s a liquid but it’s cheap, easy and works great.
3 TBLS super washing soda
3 TBLS borax
2 TBLS Blue Dawn dish soap
Mix with 2 cups hot water to dissolve powders.
Pour into a one gallon jug and slowly fill to the top with cool water.
Use 1/2 cup per load. Also safe for energy efficient HE washers.
Dawn dish detergent has blue dye..
Actually the other day when I was in Walmart to get some Dawn I saw they had clear Dawn as well as green colored Dawn.
What is super washing soda? Is it powered clothes deyergent?
A couple of things here…washing soda=baking soda, the dyes in dawn actually create a bluing effect for white clothes ( making them look whiter)and dawn breaks down oils (body secretions are oily).
Thanks for the bluing tip. Mama used to put in bluing when were children.
Tina, super washing soda is kind of like baking soda, but even more hardworking, from what I’ve read. It’s not in itself a powdered laundry detergent, but many people use it as an ingredient to DIY detergent, or add it to a load as a water softener.
Nope.
where did u get ur how to make all these things?
I’m allergic to wool so I’ve been afraid to try wool dryer balls. Would love to know if anyone else with this allergy has tried them and what their results were.
I don’t know about the wool balls as I use TENNIS BALLS and they work great!!
I’ve heard of doing that, as well! But I do love that the wool dryer balls aren’t factory made.
Tennis balls work in theory, but they have toxic rubber on the inside. I would try and find another alternative.
I am also allergic to wool, and have used wool dryer balls for years. The wool doesn’t pill off significantly, so unless you have an extreme contact allergy (like one microfiber will cause a rash) you will be fine.
have you tried alpaca dryer balls? I have some and they are great because they are hypoallergenic.
I wonder if anyone makes dryer balls out of alpaca fiber as a similar alternative?
I bought some at a craft fair years ago & they worked fabulously for quite some time (couple years probably)
Yes, one of my clients has alpacas and sends their wool off. 50 pounds last time,compared hey got a lot of dryer balls and other stuff.
tempted to try this, except I don’t have a dryer!
Oh, that does put a damper on it! (<--Is there a pun in there?) I think the MightyFix is still worthwhile, for all of the other things you get to try throughout the year. If I didn't have access to a dryer, I would probably give the dryer balls to a sibling or friend.
Mary,
You could gift the dryer balls to a friend. MightyFix will even wrap it for you.
I love that some of the money goes back to schools. How can I get my son’s school added to the list for my purchases?
Good question! Near the top of the page on the MightyNest website, there’s orange text that reads “Earn up to 15% of your order for your school.” Click the “Find Your School” right next to that, and you can enter your school’s zipcode in the box that pops up. If you’re having trouble locating your school, with the site, email MightyNest at [email protected].
I love the idea of the dryer balls but when I tried the plastic ones and they bounced around just a couple of times they out dents in the stainless steel drum inside my dryer. It was awful and ruined the first few times using them. NOT GOOD!!!!!! So can you tell me how these would be any different since I’m sure they have the same weight behind them the plastic did I would presume they would also make dents?????
Actually I don’t think they’ll make dents at all, since they’re not nearly as heavy as plastic dryer balls (and they’re not spiky). They would be like a rolled-up sock thumping against the dryer wall–non damaging.
I’ve had my wool dryer balls for years! I had the plastic ones and they always made a racket, but the wool ones I don’t even hear. They are much softer and should be wool through and through. Tennis balls usually have a rubber indise so you could get toxic vapors from those I’d guess same as the plastic.
I would LOVE to try this, but I can’t afford to 🙁 Any incentive program where people could earn a free one by helping to advertise or something?? Or a free give away? 🙂
I don’t know! That would be nice! Email the team at MightyNest and ask…they are super friendly. https://mightynest.com/contact-us
That’s some powerful balls. You’d think a dryer would withstand more than that. Our daughter dries tennis shoes and uses balls in her dryer; no dents. I know you’d be upset, bless you! The wool balls hardly make any noise bouncing through our clothes. I can’t imagine them doing any damage. On the other hand I have used Norwex plastic balls and they weren’t loud either.
Wool dryer balls are made from processed wool that hasn’t been spun into yarn. It is felted into the balls, so will never dent a machine. Wool absorbs a huge amount of moisture so decreases drying time but the anti static claim is a it dubious. I work with raw wool and it gets staticky like hair does. i throw a natural dryer sheet in with my clothes and dryer balls to keep static down. Great idea!
Thanks for this info!
Thanks for the info. That makes sense. What about the claim of softening clothes. Do the dryer balls do that? Or do they only quicken drying time?
Where do you get the natural drying sheets?
I am so excited to find your blog! I learned about MightyFix through MightyNest, but she linked to your blog post for a description. I was just in a discussion on an essential oils site about dryer balls. Someone had received a bad batch – or just a bad product. So many people out there are trying to profit by offering inferior products. I’m so grateful to have found a reliable source to purchase green items from.
Thank you!
That’s awesome! Thank you for your kind comment, Janey! MightyNest has high standards, and I’m so grateful for that.
I’ve been using the wool balls (from another source) for a couple of months now and they are awesome! Just a gentle thumping noise. They really do cut down on drying time and so see to help in the fabric softener department. Only time I’ve seen that I need to add a dryer sheet too, is when I have like fleece pj pants or something that gets real staticky normally. Otherwise, I’ve been foregoing the softener sheets without a problem! Glad to see this! Everyone is getting a set of these for Christmas!!
Oh, Christmas gifts! That’s a good idea!
I’m considering signing up and wonder if I am able to order an extra set of the wool balls with my initial sign up?
Thanks and I’m so glad I read through to discover the subscription is soooooo reasonable! $10?! Crazy good!
From what I’ve read, you can order as much additional product as you like with the first order. It will be regular price, but no shipping charges.
Thanks Janey! 🙂
Hoping someone from the company pops in to answer as well, but I can always get to that part of the sign up and find out I suppose. 🙂
Hi, Donna!
Thanks for your great question! It’s true – you can order anything else from MightyNest and it will also ship for free. The set of dryer balls is here: https://mightynest.com/shop/green-cleaning/laundry/3-pack-wool-dryer-balls
There is only 1 MightyFix per household.
thanks!
I know, it’s a great deal!
I like the idea of this, but I’m disappointed they couldn’t use American wool dryer balls. If it’s about natural living, let’s start with less fossil fuels being expended to get the original product to the US. In the process we also support those potentially living right next door to us.
You might’ve already seen this on MightyNest’s website, but they do employ work-at-home moms in the U.S. to package the dryer balls!
I’ve been using the wool dryer balls for years and love them. A neat little trick I learned is to take an old sock and fasten 5 or 6 large safety pins to it, then just leave it in your dryer with the dryer balls…it will help to cut down on static.
Good to know! I’ll try that!
Hi, I already have wool dryer balls!
If I don’t use a promotional code during my transaction, will I still get them in my first shipment? Or it will be a different product?
Thanks!
Katrina, I sent you an email!
Glad you shared! My family and I are trying to make things simple. It’s not always easy to think of every way to cut back. Great ideas here. If anyone needs to build a simple, inexpensive yet attractive fence, I just posted about that on my blog.
I’d sign up right now if shipping were free to Alaska!! Great idea!!
So I don’t have young kids, but it seems like a ton of the items on the site are for them – do you know if the products each month are from the whole site? Also, a lot of the categories are empty right now… do you know if they are shipping only from what’s available on the website or if those are just “extras” but your monthly items will be from lots of sources?
LaKay, the MightyFix option ONLY ships products that any household could use–nothing that’s only useful to families with kids. I’m not sure about the answer to your other question, but let me ask my friend at MightyNest and I’ll get back to you!
Also: You’re never getting “leftovers” in your Fix, and it’s not dependent on what’s available on the website. They ship the Fix items from a special reserve inventory!
I would like to do the monthly, but I want it to go to my kids’ family instead of myself. Can I do that?
Your solutions would be much more natural and kind and friendly if you’d leave off animal products. Animals deserve to live their own lives, free from our use, abuse, molestation, and killing. People incorrectly think that wool is OK, because it’s “just the hair” and the animals are not harmed. Well, the truth is that sheep are kept in captivity, castrated and tail-docked without anesthesia, and stomped on, thrown about, cut, and scraped (often horribly so) in the sheering process, and tossed aside to recover on their own. They are treated like inanimate objects in a manufacturing process. There is nothing “natural” about this. No prices is low enough to justify this kind of behavior by humans. Please research and consider the welfare of animals before promoting or buying products such as these.
It is horrible that some people treat animals that way. I am a Christian, and I believe that evil and sin run deep in every sector of our world. Sin is impossible to get away from, no matter where you look. We should definitely try to be conscientious about where we get our products and what companies we support, but unfortunately, there is a lot of sin and messed up humans involved in synthetic production, too. I am so grateful that companies like MightyNest are making an effort to be responsible, and as consumers, we need to do our part, too! But we are never, ever going to completely get away from sin and misuse of our world until Jesus comes back.
I have known responsible people to shear their own and sell what they don’t use for themselves. I suppose it is possible to access a place that incorporates treating animals humanely. It might take some research but I can’t believe they are not out there.
Can you skip a shipment, or exchange if we already have an item?
No, I don’t think so. Because the MightyFix feature is already such a good deal, they’re not able to allow much wiggle room. If I got an item I already had, I’d probably save it for a hostess gift the next time I was visiting friends!
No one mentioned essential oils– I add drops of lavender essential oil to my wool dryer balls. Makes them smell great!
How many drops?
I put 10 drops of Lavender essential oil in a small amount of Witch hazel and put it into a 4 ounce spray bottle, filled with distilled water. I spray each ball with 6 sprays per drier load. Works for me!
I noticed the bee paper among their product listing. I’m allergic to other bee products so would prefer not to get those. Is it possible to avoid problem areas like that?
No, you can’t switch or decline what comes in the shipment. If it was me, I would probably just give away any products I couldn’t use. Maybe for a hostess gift when you stay with friends?
What happens if one month what you receive is not what you want or can use? I am clearing our home of the unused and unwanted. Do we have a choice to receive or decline the monthly offering?
No, you can’t switch or decline what comes in the shipment. Because the MightyFix feature is already such a good deal, they’re not able to allow much wiggle room. If I got an item I already had/didn’t want, I’d probably save it for a hostess gift the next time I was visiting friends!
I must be doing something wrong, I’m trying to order the $3.00 set of dryer balls and despite putting in code ROOTEDDRYERFIX, they come up at full price…HELP!
Cindy, can you give customer service a call? Their number is 847-905-0567. They are very friendly and will get it sorted out for you!
My husband bought these a few months ago. I used them once. They destroyed one of my favorite shirts. The fuzziness snags on the soft fibers of softer shirts and makes them look like old sweaters that have pilled. No thanks.
I’m sorry that happened): I have not experienced that, but other than T-shirts, I don’t put many of my shirts through the dryer.
Folks there are many websites selling quality NZ wool dryer balls for $9 & free shipping without being locked into getting paying for a box of stuff we dont need every month. Just do a Google search.
P.S. And they come in a box of 6 not 3.
I encourage you to buy American. We have lots of sheep in the U.S., and there are many of us who make dryer balls using our own farm raised wool.