When it comes to cleaning, I think I’m in pretty decent eco-shape. The general rule is minimal toxics and waste. For laundry, I use unscented, concentrated detergent (always an environmentally-friendly brand), wash mostly in cold, only wash full loads and run shorter cycles.
But, somehow my lifelong attachment to the dryer sheet slipped by me. I just felt that a little dryer sheet didn’t create that much waste and offered the important benefits of soft and cling-free clothes. I actually thought it seemed like a better thing to do than use fabric softener. Recently my husband for some reason brought up the fact that dryer sheets (and fabric softener) contain chemicals, and that hit me like a ton of recycled bricks. How did I not think about this before? How have I been carelessly poisoning us for all this time?
Once I got over the drama, I reminded myself that sometimes we have to be forgiving and go easy on ourselves; there are a lot of things to balance and prioritize in life and the fact that I had put my attention to other things did not make me The Anti-Environmentalist. So, on to figuring out how to replace the dryer sheets!
Great balls of dryer
I first thought of those plastic dryer balls I had seen promoted here and there. They claim to be eco-friendly because they replace fabric softener and dryer sheets. They’re even sold on the Gaiam website, which is supposed to be a leader in eco-conscious products. Sounded good at first, but I noticed that these are made out of plastic–possibly the same kind of plastic that we’re not supposed to put in the microwave because it releases nasty chemicals when heated. Hmmm. After a little investigating, I found out that they’re made from PVC, a highly toxic plastic. That is not something I want more of in my life. Here’s why. This is a common situation we’re faced with when trying to make environmentally-conscious choices: what is the trade-off on benefits vs. impacts? In this case, I didn’t feel that dryer balls at all offer a better solution than good ol’ dryer sheets.
It’s not just for baking
After reading up more, I found out that what seem to be the solutions to every cleaning problem you’ll ever have, baking soda and vinegar, can be used in the wash to soften clothes and prevent static cling. Adding 1/4 cup of baking soda or white vinegar to the wash cycle is supposed to do the trick. Adding the vinegar or baking soda to the rinse cycle is also recommended, but I don’t know if I can count on myself to remember to do that. I’ll try the wash cycle first and see how it works. The cool thing about this option is that baking soda and vinegar are super cheap!
One sheet is worth 500 loads
When I came upon the reusable non-toxic dryer sheet, I thought I might have my answer. 
These are made from cloth, have no chemicals and are supposed to soften clothes and remove static cling. One cloth lasts up to 500 loads, which if they work, is awesome. They don’t provide a scent, but I used unscented dryer sheets and don’t care about fragrance anyway. (If you do want fragrance, a good tip I found is to make a little sachet of lavender and throw it in the dryer.) I read the positive reviews on Amazon and found recommendations on environmental websites, so I figured I’d give it a try. I orderered a pair and they should be on the way. I’ll report the results!
Another option to try is using eco-friendly fabric softener (brands like Seventh Generation and Ecover make this) but if I can get away with using one less product in a bottle, the better, so I’ll hold off on this one.
I could of course also try air-drying everything, but in my little apartment, that just sounds overwhelming, time-consuming and annoying; plus it gives clothes that crunchy feeling. I know this would be the best choice environmentally though, so maybe I’ll look into air-drying some things that crunchiness doesn’t matter as much with.
Hey! I’m going to try the white vinegar. Thanks for the cool tip!
Jennifer, I’m shocked to read that my eco-superior had been using DRYER SHEETS! That’s so 1974! I don’t understand them. I’ve never used them or anything else in the dryer. Wet clothes go into the dryer. I take them out. I hang or fold them. The end. (Unless my husband is doing the laundry and then the clothes go from the dryer into a nearby basket for a week to become as wrinkled as humanly imagineable.) No static, no drama. I do, however have the dryer balls from Restoration Hardware – of course – and have found that they shorten the drying time because they act as a seperator (did I spell that right?) of the clothes – ideal when drying sheets/blankets. So, while a little plastic ball with nubby spokes on it may be adding some “plastic funk” to your dryer, it shortens the dry time which saves valuable fossil fuels. Quite a conundrum (did I spell that right?) and to think I had no idea I’d be writing an essay on my personal dryer habits today. Great article – gotta go drink my coffee out of a disposable Panera cup. I think your blog needs spell check for people like me.
Ah. laundry. First of all, switch [next time you need to] to a front-loading washer. Not only does it use much less water, but it also make clothes last longer since they are not being beaten. Secondly, if you can switch to a gas dryer, you won’t have serious cling at all.
Keep up the good work!
Well, I have the front loading washing machine, and I don’t use dryer sheets (sensitive skin, don’t you know!) but I’m still back at step one of what to use for actually washing the clothes.
I just attended a “party” over the weekend, and the featured product was a green cleaning line. It was very compelling, let me tell you. I’m going to send you the link, Jen, so you can give me your opinion.
These are some great tips and alternatives to dryer sheets. I will say that I have washed clothes without a dryer sheet and they are absolutely FULL of static. Not sure if it’s the dry air (it’s worse in winter), or what. I do like the idea of vinegar & baking soda, but I’m with you about remembering to include it in the rinse cycle. Maybe set a timer? I’ve also read about reusable cloth dryer sheets sprayed with a liquid fabric softener (I believe there are some green brands of fab. softener). It can be reused until it falls apart, the liquid stuff is cheaper and reduces chemicals. Let us know your update after you’ve tested these ideas!
PS– thanks for checking out my site!
[...] “Sustainable cities that are in existence or in development around the world.” Jennifer presents Attack of the clinging laundry posted at Is it Easy Being Green?. Jennifer presents some dryer sheet alternatives for your [...]
I toss a couple of tennis balls in the dryer instead of using the plastic dryer balls – it works great! It was a free solution because I got the tennis balls at a dog event. My rescue dog isn’t such a fan of tennis balls and gladly handed them over to me.
Condo Blues, thanks for the tip! Another thing to try in my lengthy laundry experiments.
[...] Reusable anti-static sheets and/or baking soda and/or vinegar in the wash — These are natural alternatives to the chemical sheets and liquid, for freshening and odor resistance. It’s not clear to me what is in those reusable sheets. As for the baking soda and vinegar, I felt that vinegar left a bit of an odor on clothes … and really, the soap and water seem to get our laundry “fresh” enough. (Ask yourself, really: How “fresh” do you need to be?) [...]
[...] winter we just made our way through. But before I go into my winter amnesia, I must revisit my post written in the dead of winter about wanting to get off the dryer sheet habit. I promised to report [...]