http://www.care2.com/greenliving/dinged-by-dryer-sheets.html
Dinged By Dryer Sheets
By Annie B. Bond
You know if you are one of those sensitive to dryer sheets and fabric softeners. (I think this is the No. 2 consumer complaint behind perfume.) You are sad that you don’t like to walk in your neighborhood on Saturday mornings because of the offense smell wafting from neighbors’ dryer vents. If someone uses them in your home you may have a nightmare of burning skin, respiratory irritation, anxiety attacks and irritability. I have one friend who became so sensitive to the fumes that he had to sleep in a chair until he could get new bedding! What is the problem with these laundry products? Plenty.
How I would love to have full disclosure of ingredients in consumer products. Given how many people complain about getting sick from dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener, it is disturbing that there is so little research available for the general public about the ingredients in the products. Dry sheets and fabric softeners actually waterproof your clothes to make them feel softer! I have found information on waterproofing and there are few safe ways to do that.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry-generated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from the 1990s, the following is a list of chemicals in fabric softener products, most in untested combinations. Liquid fabric softeners additionally may contain formaldehyde.
- Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer.
- Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant.
- Ethanol: On the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders.
- Limonene: Suspected Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicant, Immunotoxicant,
Kidney Toxicant, Neurotoxicant,
Respiratory Toxicant, and Skin or Sense Organ Toxicant. - A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage.
- Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list.
- Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders.
- Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic.
- Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders.
- Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled.
To hide the chemical smell, companies load dryer sheets full of chemical fragrances, which are potentially carcinogenic.
Dryer sheets are designed to stay on clothing for a long period of time and slowly release their chemicals throughout the day, which leads to prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals.
The toxins in dryer sheets and their chemical fragrances enter the body both through inhalation or are absorbed through the skin.
Some of the symptoms experienced from prolonged exposure to the chemicals in dryer sheets include headaches, nausea, vomiting , dizziness, central nervous system disorders, blood pressure reduction, fatigue, difficulty breathing, skin irritation, difficulty concentrating and remembering, cancer, irritation to skin, mucus membranes and respiratory tract, and liver damage.
Alternatives point to successfully substituting vinegar in the rinse water of the laundry cycle. We’ve received quite a few comments from our readers finding this approach works well. There are also a number of alternative products on the market. Read our article Fabric Softener: Easy Greening.
Fabric softeners are static cling busters, mostly. One easy way to avoid using them is to use natural fibers.
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154 comments
add your comment »I'm not sure you have done your research and are causing an undue panic. Not saying that your wrong, but why don't you site your sources for the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Plus, from the 1990's? That was almost 2 decades ago. I did a little research myself and got these MSDS, below, that do not report the above mentioned chemicals. Maybe those chemicals are in there, maybe not. I would like to see your sources, or at least site them. Its only proper journalism to verify the information you print. The only other sources I have found supporting your claims just seem to regurgitate the same claims with no proof. I want to be healthy just like everyone else. What I don't want is for someone to stir up a bunch of hype with unsupported claims so they can sell their "enviromentally sound" products, articles, websites, and advertisements. Please post your sources so we can make informed decisions, not just follow your word like a bunch of sheep. I apologize if this offends you or your readers, not my intent. Thank you
http://whatsinproducts.com/msds/16003626%20MSDS%20Bounce.pdf?PHPSESSID=e798472f63822bb4cd030c2412a27f84
http://www.tompkins-co.org/msds/m3106.pdf
http://www.fsafood.com/msds/vault/001/001949.pdf
http://www.msdshazcom.com/WEB_DOCS/Callico/wcd00000/wcd000fe.pdf
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I agree! Great article. Dryer sheets, and petrochemicals in our cleaning products in general, are gross and unnecessary. I found a great product that works in the dryer, but doesn't give off a smell or coat your laundry in a weird substance. The product is Nellie's DryerBalls. You should check 'em out. I shop through www.GreenCupboards.com who will be offering this product in about a week.
Thanks for the info.
Sarah
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Being environment and energy conscious these past few years, I now only use my tumble clothes dryer when absolutely necessary.
Recently when the weather was wet I did use it and I became aware that the smell coming from my dryer with a new 'Fluffy' Jasmine Fresh Dryer Sheet, made by Colgate-Palmolive, was overwhelmingly unbearable and irritating to my breathing and my eyes. I will not be using these products again.
I checked the box and to my alarm I found that no ingredients were listed of what the Dryer Sheets contain!
It does have a Caution to keep out of the reach of children and to seek medical advice if swallowed.
It also says not for use on children's sleepwear, or other garments labelled as flame resistent, as they may reduce flame resistance.
Makes me wonder what damage this has done and is doing to all those people like me, who believed it to be a safe product.
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thank you for posting this. within this last month i just became aware that i was allergic to fabric softeners. it wasn't apparent before until i noticed horrible rashes any place on my body where i perspire the most. it's scary to think about all the toxic garbage they add to these products!
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To the man who thinks he can make a concentrated product with corn and coconut to replace vinegar for 21 cents a gallon: That product is not a possibility. Corn and coconuts are environmentally problematic unless you're talking about organic corn and organic coconut. The non-organic corn is GMO and those who are growing it are destroying our earth. The non-organic coconut used is also endangering the earth. If you choose to use organic ingredients, you will have much closer to the real cost of the product, which is hidden when cheap items using ingredients that are grown in such a way that the environmental costs will be tremendous when the final reckonings come in. But that will still not make your product possible because corn and coconut do not soften products, remove stains, or remove odors, and are not antibacterial. Your hypothesis is actually just a pipe dream and if you look at the ingredients of products with corn and coconut, they usually include toxic synthetic ingredients.
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Amen to all... TY!
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I love vinager and think its a wonderfull idea!I use it to clean the house it smells great
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Also, you can get very good, chemical free laundry soap at health food stores and at some grocery stores. Just read the labels. The only problem with the grocery store brands is that you have to go into the aisle with all the others and it can make you sick just breathing the air there.
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You add the vinegar to the rinse only. It doesn't really matter how much; I just pour some in. Even if the clothes smell a little bit of vinegar when they come out, they won't by the time they are dry.
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It's not commonly known but dryer sheets are POISONOUS to cats & dogs.
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