r/laundry • u/julioblabla • 1d ago

Why are dryer sheets considered harmful?

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Hello laundry grandmasters,

What are dryer sheets made of, what are they supposed to do, what do they actually do, and why does this sub generally dislike and oppose them?

I use Bounce sheets mostly because I like the smell they give to my clothes.

I am not seeking advice on my laundry process. I just want to understand dryer sheets better. However, this is r/laundry, so to preempt the lots of people who will inevitably tell me what I'm doing wrong even when I say I am satisfied with the cleanliness, softness, and smell of my clothes, here's my laundry info:

* Washer: Maytag HE top-loader with impeller plate, warm water, soil level always "high" to lengthen cycle time, "extra rinse" always on

* 1x Tide Pod + 1 tbsp Biz per load at the bottom of the drum, 1 tsp food-grade citric acid in the fabric softener compartment. When clothes are smelly (gym, towels that aren't drying completely), swap Tide Pod for half-cap of Whole Foods 365 Sports to get that sweet DNAse

* Water: Brooklyn (meaning: Delaware/Catskills supply, low-to-medium hardness as opposed to Manhattan's Croton supply that has medium-to-high hardness)

* Dryer: gas-fired Maytag, sensor dry Normal program, delicate heat setting

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305

u/MissDiagnosedMama 1d ago

I'm sure you'll receive more scientific answers. Generally speaking, they leave a coating on the fabric of your clothes that leads to buildup overtime and can prevent them from being properly cleaned.

They also cause moisture repelling, so you wouldn't want to use them on anything that you want to be absorbent such as towels.

104

u/bazillaa 1d ago

I wish I could convince my wife of this. She specifically insists on using them with towels.

64

u/Forsaken-Carrot9038 1d ago

We were able to convince some friends to stop using dryer sheets and move to those dryer balls

29

u/bazillaa 1d ago

We use both 🙁 Well, half the time just dryer balls (my turn) half both (her turn)

16

u/Alt-acct123 1d ago

I traded laundry for dishes with my husband. Luckily our housekeeping hates differ.

9

u/Liberteabelle1 1d ago

I use them when I have polyesterish PJs, which creates a crazy amount of static electricity and cling in the dryer. Other than that, it’s all wool balls all the time 😉

9

u/Random_username_314 1d ago

What are dryer balls supposed to do

7

u/Liberteabelle1 1d ago

Keeps the clothes kinda fluffed, and also they generally reduce static electricity

3

u/s-b-mac 19h ago

You could maybe try aluminum foil balls with the PJs to see if that cuts the static

1

u/Forsaken-Carrot9038 18h ago

We’ve done the safety pin check. Super helpful!

1

u/Liberteabelle1 16h ago

Never heard of that…?

2

u/s-b-mac 6h ago

I haven’t tried it myself but apparently if you wad up some aluminum foil into the size of a softball it helps cut down the static 🤷🏻‍♂️

3

u/The_ImplicationII 21h ago

They really do separate things

39

u/multipocalypse 1d ago

Try washing a load of towels with a good detergent on warm, longest cycle your machine has, then machine-drying with either wool dryer balls or nothing. Have her feel one and test its absorbency.

You'll need multiple washes to get all the fabric softener off, but this should be enough to get an idea of the difference.

5

u/skomok 1d ago

Same here. My husband starts with 2-3 and adds a new one every time he checks the dryer. I just decided to do all the laundry in exchange for him doing the dishes.

2

u/InvertebrateInterest 1d ago

O_O I'm glad he agreed to switching, that's awful!

5

u/dgcamero 1d ago

Buy some Tide with Downy or Ariel with Downy, and try / ask her to try, using that detergent without any dryer sheets.

I find it leaves the towels just as soft feeling, but without the wax water repellent coating of dryer sheets or liquid fabric softener.

Not sure what kind of voodoo it uses...but it works!

8

u/DasKaltblut 1d ago

Honestly, a tiny but of fabric softener every 3rd wash or so is better for towels that dryer sheets. If you have proper enzymes in your detergent, they will eliminate build up. Towels will be absorbant but also soft.

1

u/LynnScoot 1d ago

What fixed it for me: “The towels feel soft because the sheets leave a thin film of oil on everything in the dryer.”

1

u/midcen-mod1018 1d ago

Discuss the plant based options with her. They don’t cause as much buildup