Fun Fact #1: Kitties love dryer balls.

Fun Fact #2: Dryer sheets and fabric softeners contain some super harmful ingredients. Benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer), benzyl alcohol (an upper respiratory tract irritant), ethanol (linked to central nervous system disorders), limonene (a carcinogen), and chloroform (a neurotoxin and carcinogen) to name a few. 

Wonder why dryer sheets are used to deter mosquitos and rats? BECAUSE THEY’RE POISONOUS. And when you launder your clothes with these substances, they proceed to make their way into your oh so beautiful skin all day long, or as long as your clothes are on your skin. Now I like being naked as much as the next person, but we all find ourselves and our families in clothing at some point in the day. And do we really want to cover ourselves with chemicals?

I started using dryer balls about a year ago and haven’t looked back. I (and Rogue) love them for many reasons, and I’m going to try to convince you to make the switch. Ready?

1. The smell of “clean” is not clean. It’s chemicals. That crisp bleach scent? That “fresh linen” or “lavender serenity” aroma? It’s chemicals. When I started using dryer balls, my clothes started smelling like…nothing. No summer sunrises are bursting out of our clothes, but you want to know what else isn’t there… BO, mustiness, or  wet dog (and that’s saying something for a house with two people who are self-proclaimed sweaters and pup cuddlers). If you’re someone who just MUST have a scent to your laundry, a few drops of essential oils on your dryer balls once or twice a week will do the trick! Then you can come up with your own scents and creatively name them as well!

2. It’s better for the environment. Every dryer sheet gets thrown away, and I don’t want to think about where it ends up. And if you’re like me, you’re doing about a load of laundry a day. A little math for you…that’s 365(+) dryer sheets a year. Holy smokes! Plus, there’s the whole chemicals-getting-released-into-the-air through-your-dryer-vent thing, and I’m no environmental scientist, but that can’t be good. On the flip side, the same dryer balls can be used for about 1-2 years depending on how much you use them AND no nasty release of chemicals! WIN-WIN-WIN.

3. The sound. You guys…do you have those noises that you just thoroughly enjoy? For me it’s the sound of vacuuming rocks that gave me a little more pleasure than it should. And now hearing those dryer balls bouncing around is just one more thing that makes me smile with accomplishment. Now I may be alone in this, but I’ll be curious to see if it’s a love or tolerate relationship for you. 

So many things about eliminating toxins from everyday living can be difficult, or expensive, or just not realistic. But this switch is too easy not to do! And in order to make the transition a little smoother, I’ve included the link to the exact dryer balls I use. Organic, 100% wool, and made in New Zealand…what’s not to love?