As I am on a constant quest to rid my family, my home and my world of unnecessary chemicals and waste, I recently took a hard look at dryer sheets. They seem innocuous, don't they? Let's take a look at the ingredient list for a common, well-known dryer sheet. (No names, please, but it rhymes with louse.)
From their website: "B***** contains biodegradable cationic softeners and perfume, except Free, which contains no perfumes or dyes."
Okay then. What on earth is a "cationic softener"? Basically, this just translates to the more commonly known "fabric softener". People have been using fabric softener for eons, and it has to be safe, right? Right?!?
Ummm, no. The gloom and doom is already scientifically documented, so I won't rehash it now. Read more on fabric softener dangers here.
Fabric softener = bad stuff. I don't want that nastiness co-mingling with my loved ones, do you? Out with the fabric softener. What now?
You do have options, I promise. Many of my friends have embarked on a coupon quest to save money and stretch their dollars; how does never having to purchase dryer sheets, dryer bars or liquid fabric softener ever again sound to you?
OPTION ONE:
You can use white vinegar in your rinse cycle, and then line dry your clothes. This is always the cheapest, most earth-friendly alternative, and the benefits are amazing: no extra electricity to run your dryer, an amazingly natural fresh scent on your clothes plus free solar stain removal from the sun (those of you who have ever washed your own cloth diapers know what I'm talking about). Line drying isn't always possible, and for a wide variety of reasons: CC&Rs, weather, time constraints, etc. What else can you do?
OPTION TWO:
My favorite new solution is the wool dryer ball. I found these quite by accident at my local natural food store, and thought I'd give them a try. They are amazing! Two wool balls cost me $10.00, and will last pretty darn close to forever.
My favorite new solution is the wool dryer ball. I found these quite by accident at my local natural food store, and thought I'd give them a try. They are amazing! Two wool balls cost me $10.00, and will last pretty darn close to forever.
You can find these wool beauties all around you... check out Etsy.com for some fabulous homemade wool balls in every color under the rainbow. For the ultimate in green DIY, make your own!
I currently use two balls in my dryer, but I've read about people using up to four with great success. Experiment away to see how many dryer balls you need for perfect, chemical-free laundry!
**Side note: there are dryer ball products out there that are PVC or plastic or foam - I'd avoid those. I'm talking about 100% natural wool (preferably organic) balls... the kind that won't make any extra noise in your dryer!
And now, I must get back to the laundry.
Awesome! I don't regularly use dryer sheets, just because of the $$, next stop, fabric store for some wool.....or maby I should check my yarn stash first. Anyway, thanks for the idea!
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