Are Dryer Sheets Bad?
Laundry is an inevitable reality of life. Between the sorting, the washing, the drying (air dry or dryer), and then the folding/hanging – it’s a process. One of the things that has simplified this process for us, however, has been finding the right products – effective cleaning products that are non-toxic. One of things that immediately was banned in our house, however, were dryer sheets. If you’re wondering if dryer sheets are bad, then you’re in the right place.
Dryer sheets are touted to soften clothes, reduce static, and “remove” unwanted smells. There’s a growing concern, however, about their safety (for you) and their environmental impact. So, let’s talk about it – are dryer sheets bad?
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Are Dryer Sheets Bad?
Dryer sheets not only interact with fabrics, but also with your skin and the appliances in your home. While you might think of them as convenient and maybe even mandatory for clean clothing, there are many trade-offs that are often overlooked. Like many ‘conveniences,’ there are negative health and environmental realities that might make you rethink buying another box.
What Are Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets seem innocuous enough. They’re just thin “fabric” sheets coated with softening agents and fragrance. They’re designed to reduce static, soften fabrics, and add scent.
What are Dryer Sheets Made Of
- fabric base -usually a synthetic material (i.e. plastic/petroleum)
- quaternary ammonium compounds – antibacterial chemicals
- synthetic fragrances – undisclosed, unnatural, and often unsafe*
- lubricating agents
*read more about the trouble with synthetic fragrances in this post on skin care ingredients to avoid.
What do Dryer Sheet Do
Reduce Static Cling
The lubricating agents layer fatty acids on fibers thereby preventing charge with negative ions.
Soften Fabrics
The lubricating agents layer fatty acids on fibers in your clothes to make them feel softer, which then rub off onto your skin – your body’s largest organ.
Add Fragrance
The ‘smell’ is usually the biggest appeal to users. Most people associate a scent with having ‘clean clothes,’ so using a dryer sheet is seen as making your clothes “clean.”
Are Dryer Sheets Toxic
In the world of skincare, makeup, personal care items, and cleaning items, there’s a lot of gray area when people think of “safe.” I find that it’s important to note the “toxic” is not a legally or medically defined term. When it comes to describing something as toxic, it’s important to understand that in the US, the FDA restricts the use of very few items in these categories (think fewer than 20 whereas the European Union bans over 1500). Sadly, even “fragrance” (considered proprietary) is still legal everywhere. Synthetic fragrances can cause a number of skin and lung irritations, can cause allergic reactions, and can lead to reproductive issues.
Furthermore, items identified as ‘non-toxic’ don’t tend to think about environmental impacts. For example, the synthetic fragrances, materials, and “agents” will eventually get washed down into the water supply the next times they’re washed thereby making it unsafe for animals and humans to consume until it’s treated! Nor does it include the water consumption and pollution in creating and delivering these items.
Why are Dryer Sheets Bad
Leaves residue buildup on clothing over time
Residues from the scents, the softening agents, and the anti-static ingredients aren’t all washed off with every wash cycle, so they build up over time, leading to all of the following issues.
Reduces absorbency of towels and moisture-wicking fabrics
Those ‘lubricating agents’ basically prevent many materials from doing what you want them to do!
Can coat dryer sensors and reduce efficiency
None of us need less efficiency in our lives. This is one of those smaller items to add to the list of how to make your home more sustainable.
May contribute to skin/health irritation in sensitive individuals
The fragrances and synthetic materials left on clothing fibers can actually be irritating to many people’s skin. It’s why you should use many standard luandry detergents with babies and kids.
Fragrances can also cause watery eyes, scratchy throats, congestion, etc. These responses are often identified as allergies to external causes, but many can also be inked to or exacerbated by the fragrances in our personal care and cleaning products!
What To Use Instead Of Dryer Sheets
This took us a while to get here, but I genuinely feel that most of us aren’t inclined to opt for non-toxic or less toxic items until we truly understand why our status quo really isn’t the best option. So here is a list of alternatives to dryer sheets, depending on your various needs for them!
Wool Dryer Balls
Most static is caused by clothes getting too hot and “too dry,” so if you have static issues, try lower temps and/or less time on your drying cycles. Next, try adding wool dryer balls to your dryer. We have six that stay in our dryer all the time. Not only do they help reduce static, but they decrease drying time by ‘airing’ out the clothes to allow them dry faster!
Natural Clothing Softeners
We don’t generally have an issue with unsoft clothing, but the go-to on this is to add vinegar to your wash cycle as the fabric softener, which helps soften and eliminate odors.
Dry Your Clothes Completely
If your clothing seem to have a damp smell, then they aren’t being dried enough. Energy-efficient dryers are sometimes ‘too efficient,’ so check them when the cycle finishes and add a bit more time if needed. I also like to take the dry clothes out of the dryer and lay them out (in a general pile – nothing fancy) to allow for any remaining dry time needed!
This will give you that clean, fresh scent and if you have a scent in your laundry detergent, you should still be able to smell it!
Fragrance-Free or Natural Fragrance Cleaning Products
I use unscented items almost exclusively, but there are plenty of naturally scented (and disclosed I should add) cleaning items. See my list of eco-friendly clean home products!
We use this unscented laundry detergent, this stain spray, and this oxygen booster!
