Bounce

I have the same problem. I wash everything in Kirkland "free & clear" liquid; no perfumes and no dyes. I add white vinegar into my wash in the fabric softener dispenser. I dry my laundry with several tennis balls in the machine. The vinegar and tennis balls replace any fabric softener and fabric sheets. And the best part, no smell, bad or good :)
I can't have scented candles, plug ins, and most perfumes/colognes either.
I have the added fun of breaking out in rashes as well from some of that stuff.

I can't be near people with fabric softener on their clothes, I get seriously ill; confusion, nausea, sick headache, breathing and sleep disturbances. Here's a quote directly from a website discussion of how toxic most fabric softeners actually are:

Here is a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets:

* Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
* Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
* Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
* A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
* Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
* Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
* Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
* Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
* Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

So how could products with pretty names like Soft Ocean Mist, Summer Orchard and April Fresh be so dangerous?

The chemicals in fabric softeners are pungent and strong smelling -- so strong that they require the use of these heavy fragrances (think 50 times as much fragrance) just to cover up the smells.

Are "Soft" Clothes Worth It?
Fabric softeners are made to stay in your clothing for long periods of time. As such, chemicals are slowly released either into the air for you to inhale or onto your skin for you to absorb. Dryer sheets are particularly noxious because they are heated in the dryer and the chemicals are released through dryer vents and out into the environment.

Health effects from being exposed to the chemicals in fabric softeners include:

* Central nervous system disorders
* Headaches
* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Dizziness
* Blood pressure reduction
* Irritation to skin, mucus membranes and respiratory tract
* Pancreatic cancer

Just sayin,' ladies. Not a good thing to expose your family to.

Very good point and observation. Thanks for sharing!

yes, plug ins are the worst

I was a linen buyer and I will tell you, good linen companies do not suggest any "fabric softener" ever.

They coat the fabrics. On towels they actually make them less absorbent. Remember the soft bathrobes and now they seem flat.. That is because of the fabric softener.

Do without from now on.. There is really no reason for it to be used on anything.. . .

arm and hammer detergent, its just baking soda, nothing else in it.
no candles ( fire hazard), no room sprays (allergies), scented soaps, yes(allergic to them, yes, give them up, no), perfumes, again, allergies.
K. h.

Sometimes it takes time to determine what you are allergic to. It took me months to realize that I am allergic to Avon's Skin so Soft lotion. I used it all the time and could not understand why my hands were so red and irritated. I changed my bath soap, changed the dish soap, thought I was allergic to rubber so I stopped using rubber gloves to wash the dishes with. I worked in a bank at the time and thought I was allergic to something on the money I was handling. One of my co-workers saw me put the lotion on my hands...I only used it while at work because I washed my hands so frequently at work due to the filthy money I handled every day and she suggested I stop using the lotion for a while. That was it!

I'm allergic to those dryer sheets. My daughter found out that she is, too. Even though she wasn't putting them in the dryer with her own laundry, there was a residue from other people's bounce sheets in the dryers at her apartment complex. The heat from the dryer released the residue and it ended up on her laundry. She had a terrible rash for months before figuring it out.

The emergency room has a name for Bounce - Bounce blush. It often causes rashes.

Toxins in cleaning products are very hazardous to your health.

Here is a link on my blog that talks about it - http://toxicfreecleaners.blogspot.com/search/label/cleani...

L.

I only use the "free" bounce, it's perfume free and I can use it and not get a migraine.

I have to add that I have heard that dryer sheets are carcinogenic and really none of us should be using them. I stopped a couple years ago and it's fine. We all don't need to use these things! I guess most cleaning products and "smelly" products all are bad for our bodies and we should be using more natural stuff to clean with.

I'm highly allergic to bounce, ever since it was invented.

Did you know that if you have a camper and tuck bounce sheets into the corners it keeps the rodents away during winter storage? Only works with bounce, not other brands.

I can't use fabric softer either. I hate the smell on my clothes and it gives me a headache. I use essential oils to make my own perfume because perfumes and colonges give me a headache and upset stomache. I can use some scented candles but most of them give me a headache too.
An appliance repairman told me fabric softners cause a residue to build up on the dry lint tray. It can make the lint filter non porous and cause a dryer fire. It needs to be washed under hot water with something like dish detergent.

When I tried using Bounce sheets, my son got a rash all over his body. The pedi told me that liquid fabric softener is better (sorry, can't remember his explanation). I use liquid Downey and have never had a problem. They have a fragrance free version also, but I've never had a problem with the April Fresh, and I like the scent :)