Story at-a-glance
- Fabric softeners and dryer sheets release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor air and laundry, exposing your lungs and skin to hormone-disrupting and carcinogenic chemicals
- Chemicals like benzene, acetaldehyde, quaternary ammonium compounds, and synthetic musks are common in scented laundry products and have been linked to asthma, migraines, reproductive harm, and nervous system damage
- These toxic substances don’t wash away; instead, they cling to your clothes, build up inside your washer and dryer, and continue releasing harmful vapors long after the laundry is done
- Vague ingredient labels allow manufacturers to hide thousands of chemicals under terms like “fragrance,” leaving you unknowingly exposed to compounds that accumulate in your body and the environment
- Safer, nontoxic alternatives like wool dryer balls, vinegar rinses, and DIY fabric softener recipes offer the same softness and freshness without compromising your health or polluting your home and the environment
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