Woman's viral sponge hack said to be money-saving alternative to dryer sheets
Cary Colón tells Fox News her family has been making a DIY dryer sheet alternative out of sponges for years
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Are large loads of laundry leading you to seek out money-saving solutions? Well, maybe DIY dryer sheets can help you cut down on costs.
All you need are sponges, fabric softener and water to create your own version of a dryer sheet, according to Cary Colón – who shared her family’s laundry hack in a viral TikTok video.
In her video, Colón demonstrated how you can make dryer sheet replacements by soaking soft sponges in fabric softer and water.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}GRANDMOTHER'S VIRAL DISHWASHER HACK CLAIMS TO SOLVE AN AGE-OLD PROBLEM
Cary Colón shared her family’s long-used laundry hack in a viral TikTok video, which shows dryer sheets can be replaced with sponges. (Cary Colón / Pairs Well with Whine)
Whenever Colón makes her dryer sponges, she cuts the household item in half and throws them in a flip-tight container. She then pours in an equal amount of fabric softener and water and mixes the liquid before sealing the container.
On laundry days, Colón squeezes out the excess liquid and throws two sponge halves into the dryer with her clothes. At the end of the drying cycle, Colón collects the dried sponge halves and places them back in the container, so they can be used again at a later time.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I learned this from my grandmother when I was younger," Colón told Fox News. "I have been doing this for years."
She added, "It’s a great way to save on dryer sheets and not have to pick them all up or find them in random places."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Colón of Miami, Florida, originally posted the video to her Pairs Well with Whine account on Aug. 22, and it has gone on to reach more than 10.8 million viewers on the video-sharing app.
More than one million TikTok users have liked the clip while thousands of users have left comments about the laundry life hack.
Commenters have been divided about the hack with some praising it for being a money-saving and anti-waste method that works while others expressed concerns about fabric softener stains.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}VIRAL HOUSE CLEANING VIDEOS ARE SATISFYING BILLIONS ON TIKTOK
"As long as the softener is diluted with water and the sponge is fully squeezed it will not stain your clothing," Colón told Fox News.
Cary Colón prefers to make large batches of fabric softener soaked sponges as a way to replace commercial dryer sheets. She tells Fox News it's a money-saving hack that offers convenient storage. (Cary Colón / Pairs Well with Whine)
She went on to note that several commenters have revealed that they use the same technique without issue.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}To avoid any potential damage to clothes, Colón stresses that sponges with scrubby sides should be avoided.
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"Lastly, everyone asks, ‘Why so many sponges? Can’t you just use the same two?’" Colón said. "The answer is no. There’s a difference between a ‘dipped sponge’ and a soaked sponge. The dipped sponge is dry in the center and will just be coated with the mix. The soaked sponge has been sitting in the mix and will work like a dryer sheet."