Though this blog is primary about personal care products, what we use to clean, disinfect and deodorize our homes should not be overlooked when it comes to our health.

When marketing fabric softeners and dryer sheets, advertisers promise soft, fragrant towels, sheets and clothes.  The reality is, fabric softeners contain a very high amount of strong and toxic chemicals.  The chemicals used are so strong, that large amounts of fragrances are used to cover up the fumes from the chemicals.   For those reasons fabric softeners and dryer sheets is known as one of the most toxic household product used today.

Some of the chemicals used include benzyl alcohol, benzyl acetate, ethanol, limonene, ethyl acetate, linalool, limonene,  pentane, and chloroform.  These chemicals embedded in your clothes are slowly released into the air that you breathe and onto your skin which you absorb.

Here is a list of the chemicals commonly used and the health issues that can arise. List

Unfortunately, once fabric have been washed with fabric softener or dried with a dryer sheet, it cannot be fully washed out.  The chemicals acts as a wax, coating the fabric completely and no amount of washing will wash away the film (trust me, I tried!)

Fortunately, there are safer alternatives.  My favorite fabric softener is plain white vinegar. Its very inexpensive when purchased in large quantities at places like Costso, but white vinegar can be found at pretty much every market and  drugstore.  For our top loader, I use 1/2 – 1 cup per load.  Its especially useful since we line dry our laundry during most of the year, so it keeps the towels soft.

Brands such as Seventh Generation also offer a safer alternative to conventional brands if you don’t want to use vinegar.