I’ve spent a good portion of the past 18 months in search of a good natural dryer sheet. I really hate when our clothes are filled with static and most of the natural dryer sheets I have tried have not done a good job at reducing. Did you know that static is caused by the synthetic materials that are drying in the dryer? So sure, I can get rid of it by only wearing clothes made from natural fibers like cotton. But let’s face it: it is New England, it is cold and my boys sleep in warm polar fleece (polyester) blanket sleepers. I’ve also tried home made solutions like adding a cup of vinegar to my wash or rinse cycle, but that did nothing.
The first natural dyer sheet that I tried was something I found accidentally at Walmart. The brand was Eco-Select and they did a good job. Then several months later, they disappeared off the face of the Earth. I scoured the internet trying to hunt some down, but all I found was other people wondering what happened to them. So my search was back on. I found another brand at Walmart called Simplicity. I want to say they were better than nothing, but I’m not so sure that they are. They really weren’t effective at all. I decided to start dividing my washes by fabric type to try to minimize static. All colored cotton in one wash, all synthetics in another and occasionally a load of cotton whites. Doing my laundry this way eliminated static from all our cotton clothes, but man that synthetic load was a like a big electricity ball!
So earlier this year when I saw that Seventh Generation finally came out with Natural Fabric Softener Sheets I was thrilled. I have been using their Free & Clear Laundry Detergent for over a year and I am extremely happy with it. I finally ordered the dryer sheets two weeks ago and they have been working great so far. My cottons are nice and soft and static free. The polyester clothes still have some static, but it is so much better then before. It’s actually tolerable now. What I also love about these sheets is that they are plant based so no nasty chemicals and the paper is unbleached. Plus not only are they biodegradable but they are recyclable as well. So after I am done with them I can toss them in my recycling bin. I don’t know much about composting (ok nothing) but I suppose since they are biodegradable and plant based you could put them in your compost. Not 100% sure on that though, any composters want to chime in?
If you are in the market for a natural dryer sheet, I would definitely recommend you give this one a try. It is, by far, the best one that I have used.
might have to try these. I HATE traditional dryer sheets.
ReplyDeleteyou should definitely try them. they're in the frontier co-op. ;)
ReplyDeleteHappy to tell you the fabric softener sheets are recyclable or compostable after use
ReplyDeleteThat's great, thanks! We don't have a compost YET. But when we do start one I'm glad to know I can toss these in there.
ReplyDeleteI have heard that you can put 2 or 3 clean tennis balls in the dryer and it works just like the dryer sheets. I haven't tried it, but maybe when I see them in the store I'll pick them up. Then there is never any waste.
ReplyDeleteYou can also check out this website on homemade reusable fabric softener sheets:
http://tipnut.com/frugral-fabric-softener-recipes-dryer-sheet-tips/
hi, i just had my folks bring them for me to the states, and i'm still not sure if i see the difference with using them or not using any at all. bu the others were just too chemic-y for me:)
ReplyDeleteSaucy Salsita, AKA The Green, Sexy Expat - Greening it up in Costa Rica!
This post is old but just a hint from someone who sells homemade laundry detergent...
ReplyDeleteTake a clean washcloth. Spritz essential oil on it if you'd like (lavender, orange, anything really) and throw it in with your clothing. Instant dryer sheet. Works like a charm.
OR
Buy some wool yarn. Make a ball out of it, knotting the ends so they don't come undone. Your own handmade wool dryer ball. The wool will remove the static from the clothing.
I adored Eco-Select dryer sheets, and had stocked up on them. I just got to the end of my last box and scrambled to find a replacement product. Bounce Free & Clear left me insanely itchy. I saw your picture of the Seventh Generation sheets and they look exactly like the Eco-Select except brown instead of white paper. I just bought three boxes and they feel, smell, and work just as well as the Eco-Select. My guess is that Seventh Generation bought the Eco-Select product and slapped their name on it. Thank you from my skin :-)))
ReplyDelete