CLEAN SWAP: Dryer Sheets
Welcome to my weekly featured ”IN WITH THE NEW” CLEAN SWAP! This week we are taking a closer look at Dryer Sheets!
I’m always fielding questions from clients and friends about how they can swap out some of their favorite products for safer, toxin-free options without a loss in quality, taste, or performance (depending on the product). Every week, I cover food, cosmetics, personal care, cleaning and laundry products, and even behavior, so if you enjoy these Clean Swaps, please follow me on Instagram and sign up for my 360° OF WELLNESS Newsletter (⬅️by clicking on this link to the left) so that you never miss a new one.
LET'S TALK DRYER SHEETS👚👖
Aaah, the dreamy feel of out-of-the-dryer laundry—soft, fresh-smelling, static- and wrinkle-free—with a side of allergies, asthma, hormone disruption, and infertility. Is it worth it?
SO WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT DRYER SHEETS? 💁♀️
Fabric Softeners and heat-activated Dryer Sheets are full of chemicals that can harm your health, damage the environment, and pollute the air in and outside your home. Here are just a handful of the worst offenders:
🚫 QUATS (Quaternary Ammonium Compounds) make clothes feel soft, but known to trigger asthma and may be toxic to our reproductive system. Specifically avoid:
❌ Distearyldimonium chloride
❌ Diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride
❌ Variants of hydroxyethyl methyl ammonium methyl sulfate or
❌ Vague terms “biodegradable fabric softening agents” and “cationic surfactant"
🚫 FRAGRANCE (which should just be listed on the ingredients label as “hidden toxins”) is packed with dangerous, synthetic chemicals, such as synthetic musks such as galaxolide, which accumulate in the body, and phthalates, which are powerful hormone disruptors linked to pre-term births, birth defects, decreased sperm counts, reduced female fertility, and a worsening of allergy and asthma symptoms. However, this innocuous but misleading term is meant to hide hundreds of these ingredients because they are considered “trade secrets” in the eyes of the government, which seems to place the interests of the corporation above the safety of us, the consumers.
🚫 COLORS and PRESERVATIVES, like fragrance, refer to any number of harmful chemicals. The most worrisome include methylisothiazolinone, a potent skin allergen, and glutaral, known to trigger asthma and skin allergies. Glutaral (or glutaraldehyde) is also toxic to marine life. Among artificial colors, D&C violet 2 is linked to cancer. Others may contain impurities that can cause cancer.
🚫 VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCS) are extremely dangerous chemicals that evaporate at room temperature. These are emitted by a wide array of products used in homes, including aeorsol sprays cans,, cleaners and disinfectants, paints and lacquers, paint strippers, varnishes, glues, pesticides, building materials and even furnishings. VOCs are released from products into the home both during use and while stored. While a strong smell is a sure signal to be careful, these chemicals can still be present and cause damage even at concentrations that you cannot smell or perceive. According to the EPA, VOCs can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, frequent headaches, nausea, and can also damage the liver, kidney and central nervous system.
🙋♀️ READY FOR THE NEW?
Check out Friendsheep Organic Eco Wool Dryer Balls!
They soften laundry, reduce static, shorten drying time, and save energy. They are hand-made, fair trade, and will save you money, because you can reuse them thousands of times! Moreover, unlike many other wool dryer balls, they do NOT leave lint all over your clothes (especially the black ones!).
And most importantly, they're non-toxic, safe for babies and sensitive skin (especially with people who suffer from (psoriasis or eczema), and of course, the ENVIRONMENT!
Do you have a favorite clean brand?
Send me a message or leave a comment below and share what it is. If I feature it, I’ll give you credit and may even send you a free gift!
If you enjoyed this weeks’s Clean Swap, share it with a friend and sign up for my 360° OF WELLNESS Newsletter (below) so you never miss a new one.e.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Gregory is an Integrative Nutritionist and founder of NEWTRITION NEWYOU. Her focus—whether with private clients, readers of her blog, or her followers on social media— is whole body wellness, incorporating whole-food nutrition, supplementation, exercise, toxin-free living, and mindset coaching. Victoria’s personal mission is to help make the world a healthier place, one person at a time, and she has helped thousands of people find joy and self-love through better eating habits and mindfulness. Learn more about Victoria.