Dryer sheets - The perfumed poison

Dryer sheets - The perfumed poison

In countries like India, clothes get dried thoroughly in Sun light as they still will be slightly wet even after getting through the dryer cycle in the washing machine. But here in USA, the dryers are powerful enough to dry the clothes completely. Though they end up with static clings and hard wrinkles on the clothes. Every time we launder, we remember to add dryer sheets and fabric softeners to take away these static clings and to reduce the wrinkles.

Ever wondered what these dryer sheets are? These dryer sheets are loaded with tons of chemicals and then tons of fragrances to suppress the odor of these chemicals. Chemicals that infiltrate the clothes we wear, which in turn get on our skin and absorbed into our body. They cause the worst effects on the younger kids as their skin is soft and more vulnerable to external damages.

Manufacturers are only required to list the ingredients that are active disinfectants (because these are technically pesticides) or known to be acutely hazardous (which to them includes ingredients that cause fires or explosions but not those that cause cancer or developmental diseases). People have shared their pathetic experiences of developing neurological disorders because of the use of such dryer sheets and fabric softeners.

Here is a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets(Found by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA):

• 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: Known carcinogen
• 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

Moreover, these sheets are linked with early puberty in kids(both boys and girls) disrupting their hormonal balance. As you might be knowing, the earlier the kids enter puberty, the longer they are exposed to elevated levels of the hormone, which is a risk factor for certain cancers.

You need to know this.. Even if you are not using dryer sheets for laundering the kids clothes, they may be exposed to these chemicals from bed spreads, towels and your clothes constantly rubbing their skin. Worse is the case of those living closer to the apartment common laundry room vents. They continuously inhale loads of the chemicals even others use. Worst to all, these dryer sheets and softeners play a role in ozone depletion and pollution. Does the fragrance worth it?

Here is what you need to do. There are healthier options available for handling the static cling and to soften clothes. The kitchen rescuer vinegar serves best for softening the clothes. If perfume is your concern, essential oils come handy. Dryer ball is the other alternative. The makers of these rubber balls claim that apart from reducing static cling and softening clothes, these balls reduce the drying time. That's not it.. Even tennis balls do the trick. You can wrap those tennis balls in aluminium foil to get the most out of it. Switching on to these options makes us free from those harsh chemicals and put us back on track.

If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Sources:

http://www.immuneweb.org/articles/fabricsoftener.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-gavigan/5-secrets-conventional-cl_b_191845.html
http://healthylivinghowto.com/1/post/2013/04/healthy-body-7-toxic-reasons-to-ditch-dryer-sheets.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/scented-laundry-products-release-carcinogens-study-finds/
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136119893@N07