Initially printed on Mamavation: June 3, 2021
In relation to dryer sheets and material softeners, it is troublesome to search out manufacturers which might be unhazardous and protected for individuals who are pregnant or have delicate pores and skin. However by no means worry! Mamavation might help!
You’ve got trusted Mamavation to convey you matters like the perfect unhazardous laundry detergents for delicate pores and skin, most secure cookware, and greatest mattresses with out hearth retardants and PFAS therapies, now be part of us for the perfect unhazardous dryer sheets, dryer sheet options, and material softeners for delicate pores and skin.
Disclosure: This put up incorporates affiliate hyperlinks.
Laundry Merchandise Might Clear Garments, however on the Expense of Our Well being and the Setting
Many people have been raised to affiliate clear laundry with sure smells and sensory-charged emotions, however do our traditions betray us after they lead us to poisonous chemical compounds?
The reality is, we’re hard-wired to affiliate sure smells with clear, however firms know this and take full benefit to market these smells to us as one thing that’s good for us. However are they? Not when they’re additionally combined with chemical compounds which might be linked to hurt like irritation or can set off bronchial asthma.
We discovered so many problematic chemical compounds inside typical material softeners and standard dryer sheets, it was exhausting to search out something that might be thought-about protected for people and the setting. Since these merchandise usually are not necessary, we targeted on categorizing which merchandise have been rating after which gave you some options.
Why must you care concerning the chemical compounds on material softeners and dryer sheets? These chemical compounds can vent into the air as we breathe them in and they are often rubbed off our garments into our pores and skin. They may also be problematic to waterways, wildlife, and the Planet basically after we get rid of and use them.
Washer and Dryer Effectivity Decreases with Use of Dryer Sheets and Cloth Softener
There are a lot of totally different causes to not use dryer sheets and material softeners. It is not simply the poisonous chemical compounds which might be linked to human and planetary hurt, however it makes your washer and dryer much less power environment friendly.
Dryer sheets sadly trigger our clothes to take longer to dry. They’re fabricated from woven sheets coated with an answer of a quaternary ammonium salt (Quats) or a silicone oil-based material softener, whereas additionally infusing a further cocktail of varied chemical compounds into the product. Because the chemical concoctions soften from the warmth, it coats your whole dryer with a movie.
This residue can clog the display screen of the lint filter decreasing air circulation and resulting in longer drying durations to your laundry. It may well additionally coat the digital moisture sensor, which may trigger your clothes to overdry (and enhance your utility prices).
It is vital to know that good circulation inside your dryer is vital not solely as an effectivity device, but additionally as a result of retaining good circulation can stop overheating and fires. This assertion is very controversial within the business and you will hear plenty of arguments in opposition to it, however we’re airing on the facet of precaution right here.
In relation to material softener, the residue builds up on the filter after every load. The sicky movie will get worse and worse after every load. Then lint will get inside and sticks to the movie and blocks the holes within the filter. This not solely damages your washer over time but additionally makes it much less power environment friendly.
Cloth Softener and Dryer Sheets Can Harm Laundry
Cloth softener and dryer sheets do make your garments really feel softer within the brief run, however in the long term, they really work to make your towels and different clothes stiffer and fewer absorbent.
In relation to towels and issues produced from terry fabric, the chemical compounds on material softeners lower your towel’s potential to soak up water. It is because chemical compounds like Polydimethylsiloxane (PDS), which is principally a silicone oil that may destroy the absorbent properties of terry fabric and thus making them much less helpful over time, are current.
And have you ever ever observed an oily stain in your darks and do not keep in mind ever spilling oil on them? Nicely, this could possibly be due to the chemical compounds in your dryer sheets. Sure, the thriller is solved!
Dryer Sheet and Cloth Softener Fragrances Can Emit Dangerous VOCs
As it’s possible you’ll keep in mind from our latest laundry detergent investigation there are such a lot of chemical compounds concerned in creating artificial fragrances, many which might be by no means listed as something apart from “perfume.”
Many scented merchandise, like dryer sheets and material softeners, comprise over 50 artificial perfume chemical compounds. Dryer sheets, specifically, can emit over 25 VOCs principally with the very best concentrations of acetaldehyde, acetone, and ethanol. Different chemical compounds like d-limonene, linalool, pentane (research from 2011 and 2018) have been current as properly, so we determined it was time to do some attempting to find much less poisonous dryer sheet choices.
A number of the manufacturers we investigated bragged of their small checklist of pure elements which included 4 principal elements together with a fifth ingredient (perfume). However the time period “perfume” is rarely one ingredient. “Perfume” is an umbrella time period that may conceal over 3,000 chemical compounds. It is unlikely you’ve got 3,000 chemical compounds inside your dryer sheets or material softener, however the issue is, when that time period is used, you don’t have any concept what you’re entering into. And so they do not should let you know both.
However what we DO know is “perfume” does sometimes embrace problematic elements. Ladies’s Voices for the Earth printed an unimaginable report in 2021 known as Past the Label, the place they name out cleansing manufacturers hiding problematic elements of their “perfume.”
These manufacturers specifically have been caught utilizing phthalates inside their formulations: Achieve, Tide, Fabuloso, Mrs. Meyers, and Snuggle. Listed below are some extra problematic elements you may discover in material softeners and dryer sheets:
- Carcinogens equivalent to styrene, methyl eugenol, pyridine and BHA,
- Reproductive toxins equivalent to phthalates, lilial and nonylphenol,
- Neurotoxicants equivalent to xylenes and phenol,
- Pores and skin allergens equivalent to linalool, hexyl cinnamal, geraniol, and HICC.
Sadly, if you’re somebody with bronchial asthma, this could be a very problematic subject. Outcomes from a research within the Journal Air High quality, Ambiance and Well being in 2018 point out that “64.3% of asthmatics report a number of kinds of hostile well being results from fragranced merchandise, together with respiratory issues (43.3%), migraine complications (28.2%), and bronchial asthma assaults (27.9%).” And it will get worse. In case you have somebody at residence with bronchial asthma, that is their actuality.
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41.0% of asthmatics report well being issues from air fresheners or deodorizers |
28.9% of asthmatics report well being issues from scented laundry merchandise coming from a dryer vent |
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42.3% of asthmatics report well being issues from being in a room cleaned with scented merchandise |
46.2% of asthmatics report well being issues from being close to somebody carrying a fragranced product |
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Of those results, 62.8% can be thought-about disabling beneath the definition of the People with Disabilities Act |
99.3% of asthmatics are uncovered to fragranced merchandise at the least as soon as every week |
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36.7% of asthmatics can’t use a public restroom if it has an air freshener or deodorizer |
39.7% of asthmatics would enter a enterprise however then depart as rapidly as potential resulting from air fresheners or some fragranced product |
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35.4% of asthmatics have misplaced workdays or a job, up to now 12 months, resulting from fragranced product publicity within the office |
Appears to us that “perfume” is dangerous to individuals basically, particularly individuals with bronchial asthma, and must be handled like second-hand smoke.
Extra Chemical compounds of Concern in Dryer Sheets and Cloth Softeners
It is a checklist of chemical compounds of concern to keep away from when contemplating dryer sheets and material softeners. Nevertheless, should you keep away from all these chemical compounds, you may should stop utilization of those merchandise.
• Quaternary ammonium compounds or “Quats” — The most typical softening chemical compounds are known as “quats” (brief for quaternary ammonium compounds) and embrace a number of the following chemical compounds:
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Diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride |
Dialkyl dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate |
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Dihydrogenated palmoylethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate and |
Di-(palm carboxyethyl) hydroxyethyl methyl ammonium methyl sulfate |
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Benzalkonium chloride |
Benzethonium chloride |
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Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides |
Alkyl dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride |
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Didecyldimethylammonium chloride |
Dioctyldimethylammonium chloride |
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Distearyldimonium chloride |
Variants of hydroxyethyl methyl ammonium methyl sulfate |
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Additionally hiding as “biodegradable material softening brokers” or “catatonic surfactants” |
Quats are problematic for plenty of causes, however when it comes to human well being and kids, they’ve been flagged as an “Asthmagen” that’s linked to creating and exasperating bronchial asthma. They’re additionally recognized to launch poisonous fumes like formaldehyde, a carcinogen, and in addition are poisonous to aquatic life.
• Synthetic colours and preservatives — Synthetic colours and preservatives appear to be rampant in lots of the well-liked liquid material softeners and dryer sheets. In our investigation of those merchandise, we found plenty of problematic elements. Whereas synthetic preservatives, like BHT and BHA, could also be a carcinogen and endocrine disruptor, there have been different problematic chemical compounds present in these merchandise like those under.
◦ Essentially the most worrisome preservatives in material softeners embrace methylisothiazolinone, a potent pores and skin allergen linked to organ system toxicity and neurotoxicity. We discovered plenty of merchandise with this ingredient.
◦ Glutaral, can also be a giant downside linked with triggering bronchial asthma and inflicting pores and skin allergy symptoms. To not point out, it is also poisonous to marine life.
◦ Synthetic dyes are related to ADHD when eaten, nonetheless, we do not know very a lot about what occurs when they’re utilized in material softeners. However a few of them are linked to most cancers and are inside dryer sheets as properly.
◦ Among the many checklist of synthetic colours utilized in material softeners and dryer sheets, D&C violet 2 has been linked to most cancers and we discovered this ingredient as properly.
• Benzyl acetate, and different benzene elements — Benzene is one thing you’re uncovered to within the trendy world due to the oil business, however it’s additionally in pure methods like when a volcano erupts. By way of the well being of your loved ones, laundry merchandise are in a position so as to add this chemical to their formulations and it has the potential to off-gas into your indoor air. (Btw, click on right here if you wish to know what the perfect air purifiers are.)
Per the Laundry Investigation we shared that in accordance with its personal materials security sheet, benzyl acetate is poisonous if inhaled or ingested. It is also irritating to the eyes, lungs, and pores and skin. Benzene-based elements are usually poisonous.
Nevertheless, your greatest publicity to benzene is once you breathe the fumes at a fuel station or breath in first or second-hand smoke from cigarettes. However the issue of indoor air having extra benzene than out of doors air factors to laundry merchandise as being a serious contributor.
• Different widespread problematic elements:
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1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde |
Chloroform |
Limonene |
Linalool |
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Pentane |
Ethanol |
Camphor |
Options to Dryer Sheets and Cloth Softeners
We do not wish to depart you excessive and never dry so together with our in-depth investigation of widespread manufacturers you would possibly use in your personal laundry room, we scoped out some options to utilizing dryer sheets and material softeners utterly.
These choices are additionally restricted and should include their very own checklist of points relying in your private preferences or allergy symptoms. However we’ve got heard nice issues and even put a few of them into follow ourselves to verify that should you actually wished to, you might completely ditch the dryer sheets.
• Ditch the dryer sheets by doing this — There are many choices when it comes to changing your dryer sheets. Listed below are a few of our suggestions.
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Select extra pure materials — A few of our fave materials like lycra and polyester, sadly, usually tend to induce the dreaded static cling. Selecting materials that aren’t artificial might help stop it AND your physique would possibly truly benefit from the pure fibers, too! |
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DIY dryer sheets — You can begin by wanting up totally different DIY and unhazardous web sites for concepts to see which one fits you. However we’ve got seen individuals use a small piece of material or rag soaked in a unhazardous conditioner as a dryer sheet. |
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Dryer balls (often wool) just some of these in every load you dry can show to convey the identical end result sans the chemical compounds. You might have the choice to make use of unscented dryer balls “as is,” or you might use with a perfume of your selection by incorporating important oils. (Don’t be concerned, we’ve got a number of manufacturers we’re recommending down under.) |
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Baking soda add a teaspoon to the wash cycle to assist soften materials. |
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Vinegar has additionally been recognized to assist as a pure “material softener.” Simply put 1/4 cup of white or apple cider vinegar in through the rinse portion of the wash cycle. (Observe: Don’t use baking soda and vinegar collectively … or bleach with vinegar.) |
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Aluminum foil ball within the dryer might help with static cling. |
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Good old style hanging garments exterior to dry naturally. |
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Go for scent-free merchandise to minimize the poisonous load. |
• Ditch the material softeners by doing this — In relation to changing your material softener, it is rather a lot simpler. Sadly, on this class, we couldn’t discover any manufacturers that did not use problematic elements. That tells us that the processing wanted to melt your material is an excessive amount of for the setting. So we’ve got give you some options so that you can use as a substitute of material softeners should you select.
◦ Vinegar — Simply add 1/2 cup to the ultimate rinse cycle of your wash load.
◦ Vinegar, water and glycerin — Attempt including two cups of vinegar to 2 cups of water. Then add two tablespoons of vegetable glycerin in lieu of material softener.
◦ Baking Soda — Add 1/2 cup to every rinse cycle.
Finest Case Situation — Altering the Narrative Round ‘Clear’ to Redefine What It Means for Your Household
Rethink the place and the way you will have been unknowingly programmed early in life to imagine that your clothes, sheets, towels, and all materials wanted to “scent” a sure solution to point out they have been clear.
Query that narrative as a result of odds are even should you aren’t one of many extremely delicate of us who turn into sick from strolling close to a detergent aisle on the retailer, or develops migraines on neighborhood walks from all the dryer sheet scents piping out of the varied properties close by, your physique remains to be being uncovered often to those chemical compounds.
Mamavation’s Investigation Cloth Softeners
Mamavation found about 50 totally different material softeners for buy in the US. We took these manufacturers and analyzed their elements and divided them into classes of “Not our favourite,” “higher” and “greatest” to make buying simple for you.
Any model that didn’t disclose ANY elements have been mechanically put within the “not our favourite” class. Manufacturers that didn’t disclose 100% of their perfume elements discovered their method into “higher” if their different elements have been higher as properly.
• Not our favourite material softener manufacturers — These manufacturers comprise lots of the chemical compounds from our poisonous ingredient checklist. Most of those manufacturers is not going to be stunning, however some it’s possible you’ll discover to be stunning primarily based on the opposite “pure” merchandise they promote.
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All Cloth Softener (Free and Clear) |
365 by Complete Meals Market Cloth Softener (Lavender, Lavender Mint) |
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Caldrea Cloth Softener (Sea Salt Neroli) |
Downy Cloth Conditioner (Extremely April Contemporary, Extremely Free and Clear, Infusions Calm, Nature Blends Rosewater and Aloe, Extremely Cool Cotton, Wrinkle Guard, and Wrinkle Guard Unscented) |
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Achieve Cloth Softener (Authentic, Botanicals Orange Blossom Vanilla, Botanicals White Tea Lavender, and Island Contemporary) |
Mrs. Meyer’s Cloth Softener (Honeysuckle, Lemon Verbena, Peony, and Rainwater) |
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Snuggle Cloth Softener (Delicate Contemporary Scent, SuperCare Lilies and Linen, SuperFresh Authentic, and Extremely Blue Sparkle) |
• Higher material softener manufacturers — These manufacturers have been higher, as in not having fairly as many problematic chemical compounds, however most of them usually are not clear with all their elements. In different phrases, we don’t know what’s inside that “perfume” and it could possibly be something. So we’d like slightly greater than “belief us” to move them to greatest.
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Botanical Origin Plant-Based mostly Cloth Conditioner Contemporary Jasmine and Wild Lavender |
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Botanical Origin Plant-Based mostly Cloth Conditioner Orange Blossom and Citrus Leaves |
Dropps Unscented Cloth Softener Pods |
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Grove Collaborative Eco-Pleasant Cloth Softener Free and Clear |
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Grove Collaborative Eco-Pleasant Cloth Softener Lavender |
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Love House and Planet Cloth Softener Lavender and Argan Oil |
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Methodology Cloth Softener Contemporary Air |
Nature Clear Child Cloth Softener Perfume-Free |
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The Laundress Cloth Conditioner Traditional |
The Laundress Cloth Conditioner Child Scented |
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The Laundress Cloth Conditioner No. 10 |
• Finest material softeners — Listed below are the perfect material softeners primarily based on avoidance of hormone disrupting chemical compounds.
◦ Angle — Perfume-Free, Candy Lullaby, Citrus Zest, and Pear Nectar
◦ Greenshield Natural Cloth Softener
◦ Actually Free Softening Rinse (Use low cost code “MAMAVATION” for 30% off merchandise!)
In order for you one thing extra DIY, listed here are our solutions to do the next as a substitute to your load of laundry.
◦ Vinegar — Simply add 1/2 cup to the ultimate rinse cycle of your wash load.
◦ Attempt including two cups of vinegar to 2 cups of water. Then add two tablespoons of vegetable glycerin in lieu of material softener.
◦ Baking Soda — Add 1/2 cup to every rinse cycle
One vital factor to notice, if you’re placing vinegar in your washer, don’t put any bleach in the identical load. It will trigger a launch of poisonous chlorine fuel. So do not do it. Ever.
Mamavation’s Investigation on Dryer Sheets
Mamavation discovered slightly below 70 merchandise of dryer sheets and evaluated them primarily based on what we already learn about hormone-disrupting chemical compounds and chemical compounds of concern to the setting that we talked about earlier than.
• Not our favourite dryer sheets — We discovered plenty of quats, “perfume,” benzene and all different kinds of nasties on this checklist. Take a look at the checklist above to see what chemical compounds we have been principally avoiding.
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All Dryer Sheets Free and Clear |
Arm & Hammer Cloth Softener Sheets Contemporary’n Smooth Free and Clear |
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Arm & Hammer Necessities Dryer Sheets Lavender and Linen |
Arm & Hammer Clear Scentsations Cloth Softener Sheets Purifying Water |
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Angle Static Eliminator and Cloth Softener Reusable Dryer Fabric |
Bounce Cloth Softener Sheets, Free and Light |
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Bounce Cloth Softener Sheets Outside Contemporary |
Bounce WrinkleGard Outside Contemporary Mega Dryer Sheets |
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Bounce Contemporary Linen Dryer Sheets |
Bounce WrinkleGard Mega Dryer Sheets Unscented |
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Bounce Pet Hair and Lint Guard Mega Dryer Sheets Contemporary Scent |
Bounce Pet Hair and Lint Guard Mega Dryer Sheets Unscented |
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Downy April Contemporary Cloth Softener Dryer Sheets |
Downy Cool Cotton |
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Downy Infusions Bliss Cloth Softener Dryer Sheets |
Downy Infusions Calm Cloth Softener Dryer Sheets, Lavender and Vanilla Bean |
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Downy Infusions Refresh Cloth Softener Dryer Sheets |
Downy Infusions Romance Cloth Softener Dryer Sheets, White Tea and Peony |
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Downy Wrinkle Guard Cloth Softener Dryer Sheets |
Achieve Dryer Sheets Blissful Breeze |
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Achieve Dryer Sheets Authentic Scent |
Seize Inexperienced Moist Dryer Sheets Reusable Perfume-Free |
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HEX Efficiency Moist Dryer Sheets, Perfume-Free |
Kirkland Premium Cloth Softener Sheets Refreshing |
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Presto! Cloth Softener Sheets Contemporary Scent |
Snuggle SuperCare Lilies and Linen |
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Snuggle Authentic Blue Sparkle |
Snuggle Exhilarations Cloth Softener Dryer Sheets, Lavender and Vanilla Orchid |
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Snuggle SuperFresh Authentic Dryer Sheets |
Up & Up Free+ Clear Dryer Sheets |
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Up & Up Cloth Softener Dryer Sheets Contemporary Linen |
• Higher dryer sheets — On this part, we discovered manufacturers which might be much better than the worst class, however nonetheless have issues with transparency of perfume elements and utilizing elements harsh to the setting or individuals with bronchial asthma.
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Seize Inexperienced New child Child Dryer Sheets Calming Chamomile |
Seize Inexperienced Stoneworks Dryer Sheets Rain Perfume-Free |
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Seize Inexperienced Stoneworks Dryer Sheets Birch Department |
Love House and Planet Dryer Sheets Coconut Water and Mimosa Flower |
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Love House and Planet Rose Petal and Muru Muru |
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Methodology Dryer Sheets Nectarine Blossom |
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Mrs. Meyer’s Clear Day Dryer Sheets Lavender |
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Mrs. Meyer’s Clear Day Dryer Sheets Lemon Verbena |
Mrs. Meyer’s Clear Day Dryer Sheets Rainwater |
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Seventh Technology Cloth Softener Sheets Contemporary Lavender |
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Seventh Technology Cloth Softener Sheets Morning Meadow |
Sheets Laundry Membership Free and Clear Cloth Softening Sheets |
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365 by Complete Meals Market Cloth Softening Sheets Lavender |
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365 by Complete Meals Market Cloth Softening Sheets Unscented |
• Finest dryer sheets — Sadly, we did not plenty of dryer sheets that had elements not dangerous to people or the Planet, so we determined to as a substitute give attention to options produced from 100% wool dryer balls. These wool balls are the dimensions of a baseball and won’t harm your dryer.
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Dropps XL Wool Dryer Balls |
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Molly’s Suds Pure Wool Dryer Balls |
Natural Chix Unscented Woolie Dryer Balls |
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Nicely Earth Items Zero Waste Humane Wool Dryer Balls |
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Actually Free Dryer Angels (Use low cost code “MAMAVATION” for 30% off merchandise!) |
In regards to the Creator
Leah Segedie is the President and Founding father of Mamavation.com. Mamavation produces award-winning content material and unbiased client research analyzing the intersection of endocrine-disrupting chemical compounds (EDCs) and on a regular basis merchandise introduced into American households. She’s been referred to by many as “the true FDA.”
Since 2008, Mamavation has been serving to on a regular basis mothers navigate the grocery retailer by commissioning client research on meals, drinks, private care merchandise and different such merchandise and thus democratizing science and testing for everybody.
