Dear EarthTalk: Which is better for our environment: to use dryer sheets in the dryer or liquid fabric softener in the wash? It seems they both have properties that are not very green.
-- Deborah, via e-mail
Wool dryer balls are a natural alternative to fabric softener, which use chemicals to make laundry feel fresh and soft. We compare organic wool dryer balls with Bounce dryer sheets to find out which one does a better job of softening clothing, controlling static, and removing lint. Fabric softeners and dryer sheets coat fabrics, which limits their ability to wick away sweat and moisture. They usually recommend not using fabric softeners or dryer sheets for towels, sheets, and performance (active/athletic) wear. I don't use dryer sheets or fabric softener and static cling hasn't really been an issue with anything.
If you’re concerned about the health and safety of your family members, you might want to stay away from both conventional dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners altogether. While it may be nice to have clothes that feel soft, smell fresh and are free of static cling, both types of products contain chemicals known to be toxic to people after sustained exposure.
- Fabric softener's better but still has problems. Fabric softener doesn't have all the problems that dryer sheets have. As long as you use the right amount, clothes should come out soft and static.
- Without a doubt, fabric softeners are some of the most toxic personal care products sold to unwitting consumers today. This includes products marketed as dryer sheets and laundry detergents that contain fabric softening or anti-static properties.
- Both fabric softeners and dryer sheets help eliminate static and wrinkles while making clothes feel softer and smell better. However, they work in different ways. Liquid fabric softener is added to the wash cycle and permeates into fabric fibers. In addition to other benefits, liquid fabric softeners may also keep clothes from stretching, fading.
According to the health and wellness website Sixwise.com, some of the most harmful ingredients in dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener alike include benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer), benzyl alcohol (an upper respiratory tract irritant), ethanol (linked to central nervous system disorders), limonene (a known carcinogen) and chloroform (a neurotoxin and carcinogen), among others.
Since fabric softeners are designed to stay in your clothes for extended periods of time, such chemicals can seep out gradually and be inhaled or absorbed directly through the skin. Liquid fabric softeners are slightly preferable to dryer sheets, as the chemicals in dryer sheets get released into the air when they are heated up in the dryer and can pose a respiratory health risk to those both inside and outside the home.
For those who don’t want to give up the benefits of fabric softeners but are afraid to risk exposure to potentially toxic chemicals, National Geographic’s Green Guide recommends adding either a quarter cup of baking soda or a quarter cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle. Either one will soften clothes, while the latter will also address static cling. (Be sure not to mix either with bleach, though, as resulting chemical reactions could cause noxious fumes.) If eliminating static cling is your top priority, try drying natural-fiber clothes separately from synthetic materials. The combination of cotton and polyester is often the culprit behind static cling. Better yet, reports Green Guide, line dry synthetic clothing, as it tends to dry fairly quickly anyway.
What Is Fabric Softener
A few companies have heeded the ever-increasing call for greener, safer ways to soften clothes and reduce static cling. Seventh Generation’s Natural Lavender Scent Fabric Softener and Ecover’s Natural Fabric Softener are both good choices that rely on vegetable products and natural essential oils instead of harsh chemicals to get the job done.
Another safer option is Maddocks’ Static Eliminator, a non-toxic, hypoallergenic reusable dryer sheet made out of a proprietary, chemical-free polynylon. The Canadian company Maddocks originally developed the material to rid industrial-scale mechanical systems of explosion-inducing static electricity, but soon realized that it could benefit consumers as well, who can now buy the sheets—each one is good for some 500 wash loads—from natural foods retailers as well as from several online vendors.
CONTACTS: Sixwise.com, www.sixwise.com; The Green Guide, www.thegreenguide.com; Seventh Generation, www.seventhgeneration.com; Ecover, www.ecover.com; Maddocks’ Static Eliminator, www.staticeliminator.ca.
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Our Results
Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets Toxic
There's no question that a chemical fabric softener like Bounce makes clothing feel softer, especially heavy fabrics. The bath towel fibers felt plush again; the jeans practically folded themselves. By comparison, the clothes dried with the wool dryer balls were stiffer. Not uncomfortably so — the pants weren't going to stand up by themselves — but the towels, jeans, and T-shirts all needed a little extra smoothing to fold neatly and lacked that 'finished' feel. Although Ecoigy claims its dryer balls will reduce drying time by up to 40%, we found that not to be the case in our test; both loads of clothing took about the same time. © Provided by Cheapism Dryer Sheets
If snuggly soft, sweet-smelling laundry is what you crave, then Bounce (or your preferred chemical fabric softener) is your best choice. But if you're sensitive to chemicals, dislike strong scents, or simply prefer eco-friendly laundry methods, the wool dryer balls are the way to go. Your clothes won't be quite as cuddly soft when you first slip into them, but as one of our staffers noted, it's nothing you don't get used to after about a minute. If you prefer a subtle scent added to your clean laundry, we found that adding three drops of essential oil to each of the dryer balls did indeed impart a very subtle, but fresh scent (in our case, lavender, but lemon and eucalyptus are also pleasant) to clothing.
Dryer Sheets Vs Liquid Fabric Softener
Related: The Best Cheap Dryers
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