January 10, 2008 | Laundry, Being Green, Cleaning tips
We posted a little over a week ago about the wonders of dryer balls, but more research led us to different conclusions. As it turns out, these ingenious little things are made of PVC. TreeHugger did a post about them a while back, and you’ll see there why PVC is so important to avoid. For a quick rundown, it’s one of the most poisonous plastics ever made. It’s toxic in its production, product life, and disposal. There’s not much good about it.
Of course, Nellie’s (the manufacturer) claims that the dryer balls are non-toxic. And sure, they’re not going to leave the chemical residue on your clothes that regular dryer sheets or fabric softeners might, but natural fabric softeners (like Shaklee, Seventh Generation, Method, etc.) won’t leave cancer-causing dioxins or hydrochloric acid, like PVC will.
Pros of dryer balls? There are plenty:
- Shorter drying time (leading to less energy consumption, lower energy bills)
- Saved money on dryer sheets
- Fewer dryer sheets in the landfills
- No need for liquid fabric softener (saved money there, too, as well as harsh chemicals)
- Less need for ironing
Cons of dryer balls?
- PVC leaches dioxins, phthaltes, cadmium, and lead throughout its life
- Eventually they do end up in landfills where they have a much longer decomposition rate than most dryer sheets
We wanted to set the record straight, but it’s your choice. PVC, but less energy consumption, or dryer sheets forever?
There are arguments out there that the right balance of white vinegar added to the rinse cycle, combined with the right drying time (not overly dried, not overly heated) will yield clothes and towels that are both soft and static free. I’ve tried it and failed. If you’ve discovered the secret, please share.
There are also those who bemoan those of us who use dryers at all, noting correctly that the very use of a dryer is bad for the planet. Kudos to those of you who can launder your clothes and linens without the use of a dryer. I, unfortunately, have no plans of joining your ranks. I’m just not that good. I think for now I’ll keep using my dryer balls, erring on the side of PVC-laden less energy consumption.
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Kristi says:
Darn, that’s disappointing. Although I don’t intend to use them regularly, my Mom bought me a pair to throw in with the down blankets to keep them lump-free.
FWIW, I have a front-loading washer, which has allowed me to greatly reduce the amount of laundry detergent I use. It also cuts down on drying time because it extracts more water from the load of laundry than the top-loader did. Since switching the the front-loader, I’ve found I can get along without fabric softener almost altogether, or when I want it, I use a fraction (maybe a quarter to a third) what I used to use. (I’ve never liked dryer sheets, I’m an unscented liquid Downy type gal.)
January 10th, 2008 at 4:49 pmAdam says:
Perhaps there is another option.
I’ve have allergies where i can’t use the perfumed detergent or drier sheets or i’ll break out, so i’ve never used them, EVER. And obviously I don’t notice the difference.
And my dryer has an optimal setting that senses when it’s dry and turns off.
So I guess the alternative is to not use anything, therefore there is no pvc or sheets to go in the landfill.
Just thoughts.
January 10th, 2008 at 6:52 pmMary says:
I used these before I found out about the PVC - the clothes were soft BUT they were full of static cling. The main reason we use dryer sheets was because of the static cling (we can live with non-soft clothes).
January 20th, 2008 at 11:30 pmmudlark says:
If you’re getting static cling, it’s because the clothes are drying too long. It’s hard to find that perfect balance so that clothes will be fully dried but not staticky, but it is possible. You can even wash clothes without softener or dryer sheets and get them static-free, if you regulate the drying time accurately. Added benefit? Less drying time means less electricity usage!
January 21st, 2008 at 7:54 am