Why You Should Stop Using Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets are toxic. Which means you're paying for a product that could make you sick. Have you ever looked at a box of dryer sheets and seen images of flowers or laundry hanging from a line, along with claims of freshness, fabric softening, static reduction and wrinkle fighting power? What you won’t see is a list of the chemicals added to the sheets. The current United States Consumer Product Safety Commission does not require dryer sheet manufacturers to list actual ingredients. Including the chemicals used in fragrance blends.
Facts about dryer sheets:
Silent Spring Institute researchers found dryer sheets contained some of the highest concentrations of harmful fragrance chemicals. Compounds like acetyl hexamethyl tetralin, isobornyl acetate and phenethyl alcohol also turned up.
In a study Anne Steinemann, PhD looked at the chemicals coming out of dryer vents. Seven hazardous air pollutants and 25 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were found. Acetaldehyde is used in fake fragrance blends and it’s “potentially carcinogenic to humans”. It adversely impacts the kidneys, nervous and respiratory systems and it’s a free-for-all when it comes to home use.
Studies found that acetaldehyde emissions from five leading scented detergent and dryer sheet brands “constitute about 6% of automobiles’ acetaldehyde emissions.”
44% of scented laundry products that were tested, had at least one carcinogenic hazardous air pollutant. Some of these include acetaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde. Synthetic scents in laundry products can cause migraines, asthma attacks, eye and throat irritation and contact dermatitis.
In 2009, nearly 10% of the general U.S. population reported irritation from scents coming out of dryer vents. By 2016, that number increased to more than 12%.
Better Alternatives to Store-Bought Dryer Sheets:
Dryer sheets didn't exist until 1969. Conrad J. Gaiser created them and then he sold the patent to Procter & Gamble, which created Bounce dryer sheets. Therefore, we can live without dryer sheets.
However these are safer alternatives:
Replace dryer sheets with wool dryer balls. It also cuts down on drying time. You can add a few drops of organic, therapeutic-grade essential oils to the wool dryer balls for a light, natural fragrance. Make sure you let the dryer balls sit overnight after you put essential oils on them so they don’t stain your clothes. You can save 10% on dryer balls using code STEPHRYAN here. I love Simply Earth essential oils.
TrulyFree has a reusable, refillable, sustainable and completely non-toxic dryer angel.
If you plan to order any of these, I would so appreciate it if you could shop directly through the links above. I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support my mission while still being able to best serve you and my family.
Disclaimer: this information is for educational purposes only. Consultation with a licensed health care practitioner is recommended for anyone suffering from a health ailment.