Fabric Softener

I did the vinegar, one cause a cat pee'd on my dirty clothes and then I remembered seeing this thread, I used one sheet in the dryer instead of the 2 or three I would normally use, and my clothes were SOFT and didn't smell like vinegar. I am going to keep useing this tip!!

I honestly haven't used fabric softener for about 8 years. My clothes still feel soft and smell clean (not perfumed!). Wow, it saves a bunch of money and there's no impact to the environment!

You can always hang clothes out to dry on a good day. That's where the 'wind fresh' scent was born!

Are you familiar with Neways products? They have a full line of "Healthy Homes" products that you will love. The fragrance isn't strong like Downy because it is a "safe" product. Check it out.
www.1000moms1000dollars.com/S.

You really shouldn't use any fabric softner at all on your towells, it reduces the absorbancy. Also, after time, the softner builds up and makes your towells not fluffy (sorry, I couldn't come up with a better description) and rough. As mentioned before, 1 cup of vinegar in the rinse will help with odor and keep your towells in great shape. As for the rest of the clothes, Melaluca and Seventh Generation both have softners that are good for the environment and have a nice smell.

If you are tyring to move to an all environmental approach with your home and still maintain that great clean smell, give me a call. I would like to show you a better way to shop and have that convenience like the grocery store. E-mail me and we can set up a time to see the products on-line.

V.

Vinegar.

I LOVE the smell of ECO'S Earth Freindly soap, Magnolia and Lilly- very light but kills any sour laundry smell- it is on sale this month http://sprouts.com/home.php?goto=ad
It is on the left page.

I also normally (DD ran off with them) use dry balls in the dry to soften and help dry the clothing faster. (a ball of aluminum foil=for anti-static)

Melaleuca has a great product!

Method makes a pretty good non-toxic softener too.

I've never tried the vinegar thing. My machine doesn't have a fab. softener dispenser. Can I put it in one of those downy balls?

Hi D.,

Check out these products that are all environmentally safe for your family and the environment.

If, you ever have a problem with your "clean laundry" smelling weird when you first use it, you won't when you use Shaklee products. And, they are 100% money back guaranteed.

If, you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
http://www.shaklee.net/sowing4health/getclean/index

L.

We don't usually use a softener. I know that it's liked, by visitors, so we have some around but it lasts for months. I do use Vinegar in my wash. Have done since I've been cloth diapering. It breaks completely down and doesn't leave that chemical smell of detergent.

Clean clothes smell clean because they don't smell of yucky smells from you wearing them not full of flowers. Once I got past that a few years ago I don't worry about the smell made by the softeners. My clothes are still soft. They smell clean because they are odorless :) Nothing competing with my perfume ;)

I don't ever use liquid softeners because they're really hard on sensitive skin (mine and my child's that has had eczema when he was young). that said, the dryer balls (as seen on TV!) and sold at bed, bath, and beyond, etc do a really good job on towels - even in Colorado. They don't work well on clothes, so I still use dryer sheets for our clothes but at least have eliminated dryer sheets on towels and bedsheets.

Use Vinegar!! It works wonderful!

We use white vinegar. You put it in the washing machine where the liquid fabric softener goes. Your clothes will be soft plus you won't have to clean the dryer screen so much because there is not the waxy build up from the dryer sheets. We love it, and no your clothes will not smell like vinegar. Our clothes don't really have smell, I don't think the strong chemical smells are healthy (even the ones that smell nice).
Good Luck,
Tam

Sorry no such thing, they are loaded with nasties. Here is an article about it:

Are the Dangers Of Dryer Sheets Causing You and Your Family Serious Health Problems?
By Annie B. Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999).
You know if you are one of those sensitive to dryer sheets and fabric softeners. (I think this is the No. 2 consumer complaint behind perfume.) You are sad that you don't like to walk in your neighborhood on Saturday mornings because of the offense smell wafting from neighbors' dryer vents. If someone uses them in your home you may have a nightmare of burning skin, respiratory irritation, anxiety attacks and irritability. I have one friend who became so sensitive to the fumes that he had to sleep in a chair until he could get new bedding! What is the problem with these laundry products? Plenty.
SIMPLE SOLUTION: How I would love to have full disclosure of ingredients in consumer products. Given how many people complain about getting sick from dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener, it is disturbing that there is so little research available for the general public about the ingredients in the products. Dry sheets and fabric softeners actually waterproof your clothes to make them feel softer!
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry-generated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from the 1990s, the following is a list of chemicals in fabric softener products, most in untested combinations. Liquid fabric softeners additionally may contain formaldehyde.
• Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer.
• Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant.
• Ethanol: On the EPA's Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders.
• Limonene: Known carcinogen.
• 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.
To hide the chemical smell, companies load dryer sheets full of chemical fragrances, which are potentially carcinogenic.
Dryer sheets are designed to stay on clothing for a long period of time and slowly release their chemicals throughout the day, which leads to prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals.
The toxins in dryer sheets and their chemical fragrances enter the body both through inhalation or are absorbed through the skin.
Some of the symptoms experienced from prolonged exposure to the chemicals in dryer sheets include headaches, nausea, vomiting , dizziness, central nervous system disorders, blood pressure reduction, fatigue, difficulty breathing, skin irritation, difficulty concentrating and remembering, cancer, irritation to skin, mucus membranes and respiratory tract, and liver damage.
Alternatives point to successfully substituting vinegar in the rinse water of the laundry cycle. We've received quite a few comments from our readers finding this approach works well. There are also a number of alternative products on the market.
Fabric softeners are static cling busters, mostly. One easy way to avoid using them is to use natural fibers.

I use distilled white vinegar in the washing machine as well, and then you don't need the dryer sheet. I was skeptical but needed something to get a sour smell out and came across that as a remedy, I figured it was worth a shot since I was going to toss the towels if the smell didn't come out. I was worried as I put them in the dryer because they smelt like vinegar but the smell was completely gone (both smells!! lol) and they were fluffier than when I had bought them, my dh asked what I had found to get them like that he was shocked when I said vinegar.

Mrs. Meyers fabric softener is wonderful! I found it in the health section at my Fred Meyer store. I know they sell all the Mrs. Meyers products at Whole Foods too. Or you can go to MrsMeyers.com. It is not cheaper,(about $10 a bottle) but I only have to use about a teaspoon for each load. And they are always having sales amd promotions on the website. I think it works better than Downey or snuggle or any of those and it is a lot more natural.

Hi D.!

Good for you for finding safer and healthier alternatives! It is really amazing how many terrible ingredients are in conventional cleaners!

I use, LOVE and strongly recommend Shaklee products. Despite what others have said, not all fabric softeners are "nasty". Shaklee has a 50+ year record of making environmentally friendly, safe and natural products. They have 2 types of fabric softener- the liquid is an ultra concentrated formula that leaves your clothes smelling so fresh (and luxeriously soft!) The dryer sheets are a scent-free vegetable based sheet that is biodegradable and does not pose a threat to your dryer. Shaklee products do not leave residues that stay on your clothes or that clog your dryer filter (as most conventional products do).
If you want to get a look at the fabric softener (and any other cleaners- they are all amazing!) here is the link: http://www.shaklee.net/startahealthylife/product/00075

If you would like to try this or any other Shaklee products, let me know as I will be placing an order with them later this week and would be happy to add your items on and bring them down to you, since you are so busy.

If you have any questions about the Shaklee Get Clean products (or anything from Shaklee), please let me know! I hope you have a great weekend!
H. Gaitten
###-###-####
____@____.com

I work for a company that manufactures and distributes non-toxic household cleaners, laundry products, (including dryer sheets, and softeners)personal care products (dental, skin care, deodorants, and shampoos.) They do it at a lower cost (no advertisement)and all of the containers are biodegradable. My family has been using these products for over a year before I went to work for the company. Check out www.saferformyhome.com. If you are still interested please contact me at ____@____.com or phone is ###-###-####. Thanks, J.

Read this:

http://www.ghchealth.com/forum/post-325.html

Vinegar is your answer. Try 1/2 cup white vinegar in the rinse cycle as you would fabric softener. I recently switched from Downy because of the expense and haven't noticed a difference in the softness of clothes or towels. Good luck.