The Problem With Dryer Sheets
and a recipe to make your own
But seriously – are essential oils “optional”? Not if you ask me
What’s the Problem with Dryer Sheets Around Dogs?
Dryer sheets don’t just “soften” laundry.
They leave behind a chemical coating on fabrics — and your dog is in constant contact with those fabrics.
Think about where that ends up:
Dog beds
Blankets
Your couch
Your clothes (that they lay on)
Now remember…
Barefoot. Naked. Laying on it. Breathing it in. Daily.
What’s Actually in Dryer Sheets?
Most conventional dryer sheets contain a mix of:
Synthetic fragrances
Quaternary ammonium compounds (“quats”)
Preservatives and stabilizers
That “fresh laundry smell” is coming from fragrance chemicals, many of which fall into the same category we saw about fragrances and volatile compounds that can:
Become airborne
Be inhaled
Settle on skin and fur
For what it’s worth — natural fragrances don’t last 14 days — they aren’t meant to. That would suggest you’re using something synthetic on the fabrics.
I always so what’s on the skin, make it’s way into the body.
And the tricky part?
Companies don’t have to fully disclose fragrance ingredients.
So you’re often dealing with a mix of unknowns.
DIY DRYER SHEETS:
1 cup white vinegar
5 drops essential oils or DIY citrus rind vinegar
*Optional: instead of essential oils infuse vinegar with citrus peels and herbs. Add as many as you like, depending on your scent preference.
DEODORIZING SPRAY:
Let citrus rinds soak in vinegar 8-10 days. Strain into clean, glass spray bottle
LAUNDRY DETERGENT:
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup sea salt
1 gallon warm water
DIY1 cup liquid Castile soap
Optional: 25-50 drops essential oils of your choice. 1/4 cup per load of laundry.
shared by Rodney Habib/Karen Becker – The Forever Dog Life
I also like wool dryer balls and I add essential oil fragrances to them