A number of years ago … I mean 20 or 30 years ago … our family stopped using any type of fabric softener when doing laundry. My mom’s close friend ran an exclusive women’s clothing store. At that time, she said any fabric softener on the market was the best way to ruin your clothes. So we stopped using them… thankfully!

Now I have learned, not only are dryer sheets and other fabric softeners tough on clothes, they can be toxic to humans, too!

In this article Mike Adams, editor of Natural News, explains…

“When people use dryer sheets, they are coating their cloths with a thin film of artificial chemical perfumes. Just like other perfumes, a person’s sensitivity to these perfumes decreases over time to the point where they don’t even notice how potent these artificial fragrance chemicals are.

None of this would be interesting if it weren’t for the fact that these fragrance chemicals are extremely toxic. They are known carcinogens. They cause liver damage and cancer in mammals.”

People are not aware that chemicals in fragrances that are in many products we use every day are dangerous to our health and well-being.

Adams goes on to say: “Nearly every chemical that touches the skin finds its way into the body and into the bloodstream. As a result, wearing toxic fragrance chemicals is actually quite similar to eating them. These toxic chemicals would never, of course, be approved as safe food ingredients due to their toxicity. Many are registered as EPA toxins. Nearly all are listed in the government RTECS database of toxic chemicals. Yet they are, for some reason, allowed to be used in consumer products simply because it is assumed they pose no hazard to human health.”

Back to a natural fabric softener…

I’ve been reading about using wool dryer balls as a fabric softener. It’s been mostly on Pinterest where friends are posting about making them at home. Honestly, I’m not a very crafty person so I was a bit discouraged.

 

I learned that wool dryer balls soften your laundry naturally without any of the chemicals of conventional fabric softeners. Unlike plastic dryer balls that are available, they are PVC free and won’t fall apart or melt. Wool dryer balls also save time and energy by cutting down on drying time by an average of 25% per load! They help reduce static and wrinkles. Plus they are said to be totally safe for people with wool sensitivities as they will not shed onto your laundry.notice align=center]Best of all – you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to them for laundry that smells fantastic![/notice]

What a Great Find!

Buy the same kind I did:

Recently, on an after Christmas sale shopping excursion, I just happened to see a box of wool dryer balls! It was exciting to see I wouldn’t have to make them after all!

What I’ve found is that everything they say is true – laundry takes much less time to dry because the balls bounce around in the dryer separating the clothes making them dry more quickly.

Plus I absolutely love adding my essential oils to them 🙂 Joy essential oil blend, Citrus Fresh essential oil blend, or Lavender have been my favorites.

Please be encouraged to take the quick, easy step of using wool dryer balls as your natural fabric softener. It’s up to you – you can make your own wool dryer balls or purchase some online or at a store like TJ Maxx. (Where I found mine.) You’ll be glad you did!