Why dryer sheets

But how do they work? How do they lock in that field freshness or that crispness of a spring morning? How do they stop your Christmas sweaters from sticking together in ball of holiday horror? My clothes are already clean.

For those of you who have forgotten to add one in when drying, you know that final buzz from the machine means being shocked many times when removing your load. Dryer sheets are used to create a guard against the buildup of static electricity in most fabrics.

To top it off, dryer sheets add a certain burst of freshness and a pleasing scent. You can look at the dryer sheet as the garnish to your perfectly washed load of laundry. I totally understand. The problem is, they're not that great for your clothing, towels or dryer. Here's why you should rethink your washing and drying routine.

Dryer sheets are woven sheets of fibers coated with stearic acid or fatty acids, scents and a cocktail of various chemicals. In the dryer, the stearic acid melts from the heat, coating the clothes to make them soft and reduce static. Unfortunately, the film from the dryer sheet also coats your entire dryer. This typically isn't a problem, except when it comes to the dryer's lint filter. The residue from the fabric softener sheet builds up on the filter, load after load. Eventually, you'll find that lint is hard to remove because the sticky film has blocked the holes in the filter and adhered to some of the lint.

You may also notice your clothes are covered in lint when you remove them from the dryer. Lint stays on your clothes because no air can make it through the filter to pull the lint away from your clothes.

Fabric softener doesn't have all the problems that dryer sheets have. As long as you use the right amount, clothes should come out soft and static-free.

Also, most brands don't affect absorbency or wicking, according to Consumer Reports. It does, however, lessen the effectiveness of fire-resistant clothing , according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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