Daily Tip: Skip the Dryer Sheets

Amy Stodghill — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:09:22 +0000

Dryer sheets and fabric softeners are used to reduce static cling, soften fabrics and make our laundry smell good. But when you throw these products into the washer or dryer you’re coating your clothes with chemicals like benzyl acetate, camphor, limonene, and chloroform. Before you do your next load, try a few alternatives and you might find you can do your laundry without the toxins.

Instead of using dryer sheets or fabric softeners you can:

Add white vinegar to the wash cycle or baking soda to the rinse cycle (but if you use vinegar, don’t also use bleach as this can be a toxic combo).
Opt out of the dryer and hang dry your garments on clothes lines or drying racks. Or dry your clothes until they are lightly damp, then hang to dry.
Make your own or purchase lavender sachets to throw in the dryer.
Buy eco-friendly laundry detergents, fabric softeners and dyer sheets, such as Seventh Generation.

And a note from Lighter Footstep’s Chris Baskind - don’t use dryer sheets on your pets.

Amy says: I hang dry a lot of my clothes simply because I don’t want them shrinking in the dryer. But for the stuff I do tumble dry, I haven’t been able to give up the dryer sheets so I’ve opted for the eco-friendly version.

More information on dryer sheets and fabric softeners:

Care2 Living - No More Static Cling

News Target.com - Warning: many dryer sheets contain cancer causing chemicals

Global Healing Center - The Toxic Danger of Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets

Grist - Ask Umbra

More laundry tips from GO:

Daily Tip: Clean the Lint Trap on Your Dryer and Save Energy!

Daily Tip: The Solar Dryer - Free

Lighter Footstep: Why You Shouldn’t Use Dryer Sheets to Control Pet Hair

Green Options » dryer sheets

Daily Tip: Skip the Dryer Sheets