Best Dryer Sheets for Freshness You Can Feel

Keep your laundry soft & fragrant with the best dryer sheets

With the abundance of options available nowadays you may get confused when you're picking the right one or notfor. This buying guide will help you get the best dryer sheets in 2021.

Things to Consider Before Buying Dryer Sheets

Here are some factors that you must consider before purchasing a dryer sheet.

Ingredients

Dryer sheets are either artificial or organic. Both of which are completely safe to use. However, different brands and types of dryer sheets contain a different set of ingredients. Take a look at all the components and choose one according to your and your family’s preferences.

For instance, if anyone in your family is allergic to a certain ingredient, or a skin irritation, take the option that is specially labeled to cater to sensitive skin.

Fragrance

Different brands will have their specific sets of scents. You can find sheets from grassy scents to fresh morning breezes according to your preference. There are natural as well as artificial fragrance options as well.

The smell is an important factor to consider before buying a dryer sheet because the scent of your fabric softener and dryer sheets will determine how you smell.

Quality

If you’re someone who frequently uses dryer sheets, you should consider buying a large quantity. But in this case, you need to make sure that you absolutely love its scent and nobody’s allergic to the ingredients.

Similarly, buy the smallest box if you’re trying the product for the first time. Most dryer sheet packs include 40 sheets at least. If it suits you, always buy in bulk to save some costs.

Maintenance

Dryer sheets sure are good for your laundry, but they can sometimes leave traces in the machine. Dryer sheets leave a thin film on your clothes that you might need to clean with a lint filter. They can also overheat the machine and reduce air circulation. Make sure that you remove the sheets immediately once you use them.

What Is a Dryer Sheet?

Dryer sheets are thin sheets of fabric that are woven and coated with fatty acids, stearic acid, different fragrances, and several other chemicals. When you put dryer sheets in with your clothes in the dryer the stearic acids melt due to the heat and coat the clothes around it. This in turn reduces the static in clothes and makes them soft.

The fragrance you select for the dryer sheets will deposit onto your clothes. The ingredients will combat issues like static p or lint with their neutralizing properties. The ingredients include fabric liquid softeners and lubricants that come clinging to the layer of thin cellulose or polyester fabric layer.

These dryer sheets will work best for your everyday laundry including pants, socks, cotton shirts, and T-shirts. It’s best to avoid dryer sheets for microfiber, towels, athletic wear, and flame-resistant or water-repellant clothes.

How to Use Dryer Sheets?

Before you hunt down for the best dryer sheets for all cloth types, you must know all about their usage, precautions, and maintenance. Dryer sheets can be used in both electric as well as gas dryers. There’s no hard and fast rule that you need to follow when dealing with dryer sheets. All you have to do is when you shift your wet laundry from the washer to the dryer, add a fresh dryer sheet on the pile.

Start the dryer cycle and wait for the sheets to do their magic. Larger loads might need two of these but you must ensure that there is enough space for the laundry to tumble freely to get properly dried. So you always need to be mindful of not overloading the dryer for the best results.

If the laundry is crowded, the dryer sheets may easily get stuck in a corner and will potentially concentrate on the clothes near it or lease stains. Thus, take care of the space and remove the dryer sheets once you’re done with one cycle. You also need to maintain the dryer in order to avoid oily residue from clogging up the lint filters or obstructing the circulation.

Are Dryer Sheets Safe?

You must have heard at least once in your lives about the harmful effects of using dryer sheets regularly. Some say they contain carcinogens and other toxins that may be lethal. So what’s the truth? Are dryer sheets harmful?

To some extent, dryer sheets aren’t too good for the environment we’re living in. Most of them are made for single use and need to be disposed of right after. There are limited compostable options available as well, but mostly you’ll have to throw them back into the environment.

Dryer sheets do contain QACS (quaternary ammonium compounds) or acetone sometimes, which might trigger asthma attacks, headaches, or irritations in the body of those sensitive to these ingredients. This is why it is strictly advised to check the ingredients list before buying a new pack of dryer sheets.

There are still some healthier, non-toxic alternatives as well that you can opt for if you’re not satisfied with the ingredients list and studies that show dryer sheets are safe for use.

Conclusion

The best dryer sheet will give your laundry (and eventually you) a sweet and fresh aroma. Not only the scent, but these sheets will also soften your clothes and reduce that annoying static as well.

However, make sure that you are considering some important factors before getting them. These factors include the fragrance type, ingredients list, and the quantity you’re getting.

Best Dryer Sheets FAQs

Some frequently asked questions are:

What are some alternatives to dryer sheets?

It could be white vinegar, wool dry balls, baking soda, aluminum foil, or simple old school air-drying.

Are dryer balls better than dryer sheets?

Dryer sheets don’t increase or decrease the time taken for laundry to dry whereas dryer balls can reduce the time and are also reusable.

Can dryer sheets lose their scent?

Yes. Dryer sheets absorb water and odors. This is why they are sometimes also used to absorb bad odor from shoes.