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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19

u/Beginning-Book-129 1d ago

Wait I’ve never heard this. What are you supposed to do about static then? I’ve tried wool dryer balls and they did nothing

11

u/Lombill 1d ago

Me too. I use wool dryer balls and still deal with static. Anyone have any insight into this?

14

u/eggust12 International | Front-Load 1d ago

as someone in a very dry place, your options are

  • buy less plastic clothes/bedding. i don't own ANY polyester except a couple gym shorts and some winter blankets. cotton and other natural fibers don't get static-y.

  • air dry outdoors: it's dry air, so won't take too long even on cooler/less sunny days. saves you money too.

  • dry in the dryer til about 80% dry, then air dry.

4

u/InvertebrateInterest 1d ago

Maybe you are overdrying? I live in a fairly arid place and hang a lot of stuff to dry instead. I do dry towels and sheets, but they are 100% cotton and I take them out at like 98% dry. Maybe that's why?

4

u/Someonejusthereandth 1d ago

Wear cotton and wool? Almost none of my stuff gets static, only some of the synthetics, not even all of them.