How is it that we have come to rely so heavily on putting a sheet of heavily scented paper in our dryer every time we do the laundry? I did a little research and discovered that scented dryer sheets were an invention of the 1970's as a way to deliver fabric softeners more effectively. Today, we know that scented laundry products contain toxic chemicals and even known carcinogens. Don't you wish we had left the dryer sheets behind with the pet rocks and the purple shag carpeting?
Fortunately, there are safer ways to scent, soften & reduce static in your laundry if you so desire:
Scent:
- Toss a lavender sachet into your dryer. You can easily make your own or buy them on Etsy but I admit to buying them from Trader Joe's occasionally.
- Put a few drops of your favorite essential oil on a reusable cloth in the dryer.
Soften:
- Add 1/2 cup of baking soda in with your detergent in the wash cycle. Baking soda is a natural water softener.
- Vinegar is also popular for softening laundry. About 1/2 cup in the fabric softener container should do the trick.
- Soak a cotton cloth in your favorite eco-friendly fabric softener. Squeeze out any excess liquid and toss in the dryer.
Static:
- Dry synthetic fabrics separately from natural fibers as synthetics tend to create more static cling.
- Throw a dryer ball or a tennis ball into the dryer to help eliminate static. I love these handmade, wool dryer balls from Etsy!*
- Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Don't worry, your favorite shirt won't smell like a pickle - the vinegar smell dissipates in the wash!
Do you use dryer sheets or have you come up with an alternative that works for you?
*Brooke from matchstickgirl on Etsy just emailed me and offered a 10% discount on her dryer balls - just use code mindfulmomma at checkout! I'm buying some, how about you?
Notes: This post is linked over at Healthy Child, Healthy World and Your Green Resource .
I just totally stopped using dryer sheets and I don't miss them at all. Not sure why I ever used them.
Posted by: Dawn | September 13, 2011 at 08:35 PM
I don't use dryer sheets. I actually prefer that my clean laundry have no smell. I also don't have much trouble with static, probably because we wear few synthetic fabrics. I don't worry too much about softness either, I guess. I wash with Biokleen detergent, and haven't felt the need to add any baking soda or vinegar or anything else.
Posted by: Betsy (Eco-novice) | September 14, 2011 at 12:27 AM
I stopped using dryer sheets a while ago and don't miss them. I used to have a real problem with static so I was apprehensive. At first I used a product from Shaklee - it's a concentrate that you dilute with water and spray into your dryer. Then I made some dryer balls and threw them in. I normally use baking soda with my laundry det. and vinegar in the rinse. I have stopped using the Shaklee product as well and no real issues with static. Not exactly sure what helped, but I like it!
Posted by: Kristina (The Greening of Westford) | September 14, 2011 at 04:27 AM
Oh what great tips!! We have been using wool dryer balls for about four years now and love them. Not only do they eliminate the use of fabric softeners but cut our drying time by 30%!!
Posted by: Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking | September 14, 2011 at 04:36 AM
Betsy - how nice that you haven't had much of an issue with static! Things get pretty dry here in Minnesota during the winter - so I need a little something to combat that static cling!
Posted by: Micaela | September 14, 2011 at 07:40 AM
Kristina - how awesome that you have found inexpensive, completely natural products to replace a commercial product (even if it is naturally based)!
Posted by: Micaela | September 14, 2011 at 07:41 AM
Hi Alicia - Cool - I didn't know that wool dryer balls reduced drying time - what a bonus!
Posted by: Micaela | September 14, 2011 at 07:45 AM
Hello! I was so excited to see my dryer balls on this blog- I'd love to offer a special coupon code for readers of Mindful Momma! Use code: mindfulmomma to get 10% off at checkout. Be well!- Brooke
Posted by: Brooke | September 14, 2011 at 09:20 AM
Thanks so much for offering a discount Brooke! I'm heading off to place my order right now!
Posted by: Micaela | September 14, 2011 at 11:33 AM
NO dryer sheets here. They are really bad for your dryer. They leave a residue that covers your lint trap which could eventually become a fire hazard. I even stopped using fabric softener in the wash since I started cloth diapering and I don't want any residue getting on my precious diapers. I usually add vinegar to my Downy ball.
Posted by: Amanda D | September 15, 2011 at 06:42 AM
I've been eyeing wool dryer balls for a while now and just made my purchase with Brooke's etsy shop and used the coupon code! Thank you Brooke! Now to decide which essential oil to use as my fragrance...
Posted by: Tracy | September 15, 2011 at 07:55 AM
Hi Amanda - so true about the residue from dryer sheets - and have you heard that some dryer sheets contain animal fat - gross!
Posted by: Micaela | September 15, 2011 at 08:52 AM
So glad you bought some dryer balls Tracy! I just placed an order yesterday too!
Posted by: Micaela | September 15, 2011 at 08:54 AM
Great post. Thank you for sharing. I remember a friend years ago telling me about the toxic nature of dryer sheets but I never knew what a good replacement was. Now I do.
Dani @ ONNO organic clothing
Posted by: Dani | September 19, 2011 at 11:22 AM
Are we making a toxic chemical cocktail in our dryer even when we choose the unscented dryer sheet? Is it the fragrance or the dryer sheet itself?
Posted by: Karen | September 19, 2011 at 01:12 PM
That's a really good question Karen. The fragrance is a big part of the problem, but unscented dryer sheets may contain other not-so-great
ingredients. I recommend Seventh Generation's unscented dryer sheets - I have used them myself and they do the trick without a bunch of unwanted chemicals!
Posted by: Micaela | September 19, 2011 at 05:24 PM
I'm with the don't use them or any substitute group. Though I did try aluminum foil to prevent static once (didn't work), I've found I only get static when I dry things for too long.
Posted by: Reese | September 20, 2011 at 01:07 PM
I use vinegar with eucalyptus essential oil in a spray bottle. I spritz about 15 sprays inside the dryer before it starts. It works great!
Posted by: Cindy | September 20, 2011 at 08:26 PM
Love the eucalyptus spray idea Cindy - thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Micaela | September 21, 2011 at 08:14 AM
Dryer sheets are nasty....greatnpost!
Posted by: Good Girl Gone Green | October 06, 2011 at 07:26 PM
This is awesome! Yeah, I stopped using dryer sheets when our little girl was born and totally don't even miss them, but I like your tips in case we want extra soft or non-static clothes, we have some more options.
Posted by: even one sparrow | October 13, 2011 at 04:52 AM
Great post. All wonderful ideas! :)
Posted by: Good Girl Gone Green | October 13, 2011 at 05:30 AM
Hi even one sparrow - good for you for giving up dryer sheets! Thanks for stopping by Mindful Momma!
Posted by: Micaela | October 14, 2011 at 10:40 AM
Thanks GGGG - glad you liked the post! Stop by again sometime!
Posted by: Micaela | October 14, 2011 at 10:41 AM
Hey, Thanks for this article! I've always used unscented sheets just to soften my clothes but would rather be safe and was thinking about cutting them out anyway. Does anyone know about the wool dryer balls, how long do they last and how many do you use per load? Can I keep three for myself and give three to my mom or should I use all 6 every time? I'm also thinking about switching to a natural detergent as well and am currently researching cloth diapering for the little bundle who is expected to join us in May!
Posted by: Amie | December 13, 2011 at 12:42 PM