Dryer sheets can be found in almost every household! They seem to be harmless, but studies show they aren’t.
Dryer sheets are meant to make your laundry have a fresh smell and feel nice to the touch! Although they seem harmless, they aren’t so user-friendly. In fact, most commercial dryer sheets are loaded with an abundance of toxic chemicals. Dryer sheets even contain Chloroform! The toxins in dryer sheets go straight to your brain when heated up. They attack the brain’s most sensitive neurological centers! When the dryer sheet is heated up, the chemicals are especially toxic!
If you use dryer sheets, you need to find an alternative method now. Dryer sheets are essentially coating your clothes with toxic chemicals. They contain an artificial chemical perfume that is extremely toxic. They are also Carcinogens! They cause liver damage and cancer in mammals. Dr. Anne Steinemann, UW Professor, performed a study on dryer sheets and their toxic side effects. They found that more than 25 VOCs emitted from dryer vents. It contains harsh concentrations of toxic chemicals like acetaldehyde, acetone, and ethanol. Two of these chemicals are considered carcinogenic too! one of the carcinogenic VOC’s, acetaldehyde, had emissions that would represent 3% of total acetaldehyde emissions from automobiles in the study area. Researchers say that this is an incredibly high emission of toxic chemicals.
There are many different natural remedies that can be used in the replacement of dryer sheets. Essential oils can be a perfect one! They can make your clothes feel nice and smell great too!
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry-generated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) issued a list in 1999 of chemicals in fabric softeners. The following is a list of chemicals in fabric softener products, most in untested combinations.
Chemicals Found in Fabric Softeners
- Alpha-Terpineol–This chemical has been linked to disorders of the brain and nervous system, loss of muscle control, depression, and headaches
- Benzyl acetate–Benzyl acetate has been linked to cancer of the pancreas
- Benzyl alcohol–This upper respiratory tract irritant can cause central nervous system (CNS) disorders, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and dramatic drops in blood pressure.
- Chloroform–Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic. Really toxic to your brain. Inhaling its vapors may cause loss of consciousness, nausea, headache, vomiting, and/or dizziness, drowsiness.
- Ethanol– Another fabric softener ingredient which is on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list and linked to CNS disorders.
- Ethyl Acetate–causes headaches and is on the EPA Hazardous Waste list
- Linalool–in studies, this chemical caused loss of muscle coordination, nervous system and brain disorders, and depression
8. Pentane–causes headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, drowsiness, and depression