Dryer sheets are composed of fabric softener, liquid, and a type of fabric or plastic materials that ultimately keep your clothes odor-free and fresh. These are the best sides of using dryer sheets in your dryer. However, regularly using this type of dryer sheet has some drawbacks.
If you consider the softener, you may find some extra benefits of using dryer sheets. There is still an opposite picture of using dryer sheets regularly. Most of us don’t know these details and can’t decide what to use instead.
Are dryer sheets bad for your dryer?
Dryer sheets are bad for your dryer since they may leave residue and chemicals in your dryer while drying your clothes. When you increase the heat to dry your clothes soon, the dryer sheets will work efficiently, in return, they will leave some waste in landfills. You shouldn’t use it daily.
Dryer sheets come with different chemicals, softeners, and fiber or plastic that help you to get fresh clothes every time.
Therefore, the dryer sheets can easily substitute your softener, but that’s not the ultimate advantage of using this cleaning material. Sometimes, you must consider its effect on the environment and your dryer.
Since dryer sheets leave some residues and waste in your dryer, you need to clean your dryer regularly and add some new dryers in your next drying.
It’s a continuous process, and you may need to use dryer sheets regularly to get some fresh clothes to wear. It becomes a severe problem since dryer sheets can ruin our dryer if you use them regularly.
Some people may ask if they can use bounce dryer sheets since they are trendy in different countries.
Mainly, no-dryer sheets are 100% safe for your dryer because they will leave residue and will have some waste inside your dryer. It’s the only reason why Bounce dryer sheets are also bad for your dryer.
Both residue & waste of dryer sheets is the main reasons why dryers are not safe for your dryer.
You must consider some other reasons to avoid using too many dryer sheets regularly in your dryer. But you should not shift to clothes softeners since they will also leave some disadvantages.
Residue & Waste:
Residue and waste are the first two reasons dryer sheets are bad for every dryer.
Adding a dryer sheet to the clothes will leave some chemicals on your clothes to make them fresh and give them a good smell. But these chemicals are not entirely safe for your dryer.
When you finish drying your clothes, you must consider the residue and put it in your dustbin.
Sometimes, the dryer sheets also leave some waste in landfills. It may damage the dryer’s efficiency if you forget to remove the waste from your dryer and continue running the machine with new dryer sheets.
Improper Drying:
In most cases, the residue that gets through the dryer machine will usually stick to the surface you cannot even clean.
When you regularly use the dryer sheets on your dryer, it will leave some residue regularly. After a while, your dryer will fail to operate efficiently, and you will get an improper drying experience.
Sometimes, your dryer machine will take more time to dry your clothes properly. If you fail to remove them soon, they might damage your dryer machine internally that you cannot even think of cleaning easily.
Using dryer sheets to dry your clothes would be a great regret.
Clog Lint trap:
The residue of your dryer sheets might create some clog in your lint trap that helps to perform your dryer smoothly.
Sometimes, we fail to remove the residue perfectly from the dryer. Consequently, the remaining residue will create a log in your lint trap and might hinder the dryer work properly.
You can avoid these drawbacks by replacing your dryer sheets with cloth softener liquid. They will be safe to use since you will not find any residue or waste from them.
They will not even create any clog in your lint trap. The following sections will give you the best alternatives for your dryer sheets.
What are dryer sheets made of?
Dryer sheets are made of softener, liquid, fiber, and other materials to soften your clothes and give them freshness. Some dryer sheets also come with high-quality materials to work against the damage of your old clothes and to help you get a better version of your clothes.
You will find two significant materials that manufacturers use to make these dryer sheets; one is fiber, and the other is plastic.
Plastic-made dryer sheets might be an issue for some dryers since they will come with residue and more waste than regular dryer sheets. You may find other types of dryer sheets that suit your dryer.
They come with common materials, including softener liquid, chemicals, and a good smell. You should consider all the materials to find your best dryer sheets and use them safely.
Can you use dryer sheets in high-efficiency dryers?
You cannot use dryer sheets in high-efficiency dryers. Using fabric softener dryer sheets will not cause irreversible damage to your dryer; nevertheless, their use may decrease the dryer’s overall efficiency.
In addition, when efficiency is decreased, your monthly utility expenditures will increase. In the same way that the dryer sheets leave a residue on the clothes you have washed, which gives the garments a softer feel, the dryer sheets also leave a residue in the dryer.
This residue may cause the screen of the lint filter to become clogged, which will limit the flow of air. Check the owner’s manual for your dryer for any specific instructions that it may have.
Dryer sheets environmental impact:
Dryer sheets, at times, can have a significantly bad impact on the environment. It is not necessary to use dryer sheets to have clean garments from the perspective of the environment.
Since they are one-time-use products, they cause excessive trash and release possibly harmful element into the air.
These chemicals are released into the air inside and outside your home. Because of the wide variety of chemicals in fabric softeners, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) suggests that you abstain from using them entirely.
Additionally, the fabric softener and other chemicals from the dryer sheets are left behind on your clothing. This may cause the chemicals to be released back into the rivers, which may affect the plants and animals.
What to use instead of dryer sheets?
You can use white vinegar, dryer balls, soap nuts, and aluminum foil instead of dryer sheets. There are several options besides dryer sheets that can reduce the static cling on your clothes without jeopardizing your health or safety.
In addition, the majority of these creative uses for dryer sheets are either more cost-effective than dryer sheets or may be reused for a number of years.
It’s another reason why you should use them instead of your dryer since it is bad for your dryer health. Some options might cost you nothing since they are available in your home.
White Vinegar:
You can spritz some vinegar on a washcloth and throw it in the dryer, or add a quarter cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washing machine.
In addition to that, during the cycle of washing your clothes, throw in a few tablespoons of baking soda.
Dryer Balls:
Dryer balls, made of wool or plastic, help lift and separate clothes as they tumble around in your dryer. This results in increased airflow, which speeds up the drying process and saves you time.
Wool dryer balls are naturally free of aroma, and they also have the added benefit of being able to absorb moisture, which makes the drying process go even more quickly.
Additionally, they agitate against other fibers, which results in a softer overall texture. The fact that dryer balls can be reused extends the time they can be utilized before they need to be replaced.
Soap Nuts:
If you’re looking for a natural alternative to conventional dryer sheets and laundry detergent, give soap nuts a try. Washing clothing with soap nuts, which don’t contain harmful chemicals, cleans and softens the fabric.
Aluminum Foil:
If your primary issue with laundry is static, you can eliminate it with something that you have in your kitchen: aluminum foil.
Aluminum foil is a great static eliminator. Using your hands, roll up sheets of aluminum foil into balls, and then add several of these balls to your load of laundry. This will help reduce static cling and keep items of clothing separate.
Final thoughts
Although dryer sheets are bad for dryers, they have some positive sides too. But you should always keep the drawbacks and advantages of dryer sheets and liquid softeners. You may also consider your dryer quality and requirements to get a safe softener to get the safest drying experience.