Are Dryer Sheets Harmful to Your Family? What Alternatives Do You Have?
Jun 8, 2011 Eco Friendly Home
I know a lot of people who just can’t do laundry without throwing in a dryer sheet. I’ve never had that habit, and when I tried the ones we were given back when we were first married, really couldn’t see what the benefit was. But a lot of people do love them, and use them without considering the potential harm the simple dryer sheet may do to their family.
A big part of this is air quality issues. There’s an article on the National Institutes of Health website that gets into the risks of using scented products indoors, and dryer sheets are one of the topics covered. They give off a variety of VOCs, and there have been cases of children having a seizure after being exposed to dryer sheets. It’s not going to happen to every child, of course, but that’s still pretty serious.
Simply put, there are better ways to help your laundry smell fresh, ways that don’t involve the waste and harsh chemicals of dryer sheets, even the unscented ones.
Line Dry Your Laundry
Hanging your laundry out to dry is one of the best ways to handle the issue. You get that fresh air scent naturally, rather than the imitation some dryer sheets try to give. Not only does line drying
You can still take down slightly damp laundry and give a few minutes in the dryer for those things that tend to come out crunchy when line dried, such as towels and jeans. The crunchiness may not last long once you start using them, so you may choose to skip even that much use of the dryer if you can stand it initially.
Vinegar in the Wash
You can add a half cup of white vinegar to your wash during the last rinse cycle as a natural softener. This can even help your laundry come out softer when you line dry it. Vinegar in the last rinse cycle helps to remove the last of the detergent from your laundry.
Essential Oils
If you truly love the scent given to your laundry by dryer sheets, why not make your own? Pick a favorite essential oil
Aluminum Foil Ball
Another tip for those who use their dryer for their laundry is to add in a ball of aluminum foil. Roll some into a tight, 2-3 inch diameter ball and throw it in the dryer with every load. It will take care of any problems you have with static in your laundry, and should last a long time. A tennis ball may help as well, but they may contain toxic chemicals.
If you prefer the dryer balls you’ve seen advertised elsewhere, go for ones that are PVC free
Eco Friendly Dryer Sheets
If you just can’t give up the dryer sheet habit, at least go for some of the more environmentally friendly options. Mrs. Meyers
You can also buy reusable dryer sheets such as Static Eliminator
As you can see, there are plenty of simple ways to quit using dryer sheets without having to deal with static cling or laundry that doesn’t smell right to you. Make this simple change and you’ve cut one source of VOCs from your home.
Tags: dryer sheets harmful, eco friendly laundry, essential oils, laundry, line dry, toxic, toxic dryer sheets, vinegar
4 Green Ways to Unclog a Drain
Mar 5, 2010 Eco Friendly Home
When facing a clogged drain, many people go straight for the harsh chemicals. It’s pretty understandable – you want that clog gone! But have you thought about where those chemicals are going? There are better ways to clear a drain.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
This is my favorite way to unclog a sink once the water has drained. Pour about a cup of baking soda down, and follow it with a half cup of vinegar. Let it work for several minutes then pour down a pot of boiling water.
This unclogs drains much of the time. I like it because it’s cheap, doesn’t have that chemical stink, and you aren’t using anything dangerous to your family. No need to keep those chemicals out of reach of children other than to avoid a mess.
Washing soda is another good choice in the place of baking soda if you have it available. It’s stronger.
Zip-It
A Zip-It
The one trouble is that the manufacturer considers it a single use item. Not a fun thing when it’s plastic.
Plunger or Auger
Sometimes the baking soda and vinegar just don’t cut it, or it’s a toilet clog where they really can’t get down to the mess. You still don’t need to reach for the chemicals. You can attack the clog directly with a plunger or plumber’s snake.
To use a plunger
A drum auger
Clean Out the Trap
There’s nothing saying that you can’t just get under a sink and clean out the part that’s probably clogged anyhow. Have a large pan or bucket under where you’re working to catch any water that comes out. This takes some effort, but no chemicals and you might be amazed at what’s caught in there.
Finally, don’t forget to take precautionary measures if you have a drain that tends to clog. Pour a little vinegar and baking soda down the drain regularly, let them work, and rinse. Better to stop a clog before it gets serious.
Tags: baking soda, bathroom, kitchen, plunger, unclog a drain, vinegar
Still Playing with Washing My Hair with Baking Soda and Vinegar
Feb 16, 2010 Eco Friendly Beauty Tips
I’m still trying out washing my hair with baking soda and vinegar. The first day didn’t go great, but things have improved since then.
I rewashed and rinsed my hair with the baking soda and vinegar, this time using the full tablespoon of baking soda in a bit less water, and a bit heavier concentration of the vinegar too. This time my hair feels much better.
I don’t use products in my hair very often anyhow aside from shampoo and conditioner, so I can’t say that there is much excess residue to come out from anything. No old hair spray or whatnot. But I am definitely noticing that my hair feels just a little lighter. It’s soft in a slightly different way from how it feels after using shampoo and conditioner, but definitely soft.
A big difference is that it feels to me as though the natural oils are moving further down the hair shaft between washings. Maybe I’m imagining it, but that’s how it feels, and I don’t mean that my hair is looking more oily right off the bat. It does seem that using this method I may need to wash my hair a little more often than I did with shampoo and conditioner, which I had down to every 5 days or thereabouts. When I shower without washing my hair it just goes up in a knot. I don’t even use a shower cap. Long hair has its advantages!
Tags: baking soda, hair care, vinegar
Washing My Hair with Baking Soda and Vinegar
Feb 10, 2010 Eco Friendly Beauty Tips
I finally got around to trying a baking soda wash with a vinegar rinse for my hair, as I said I would at the start of the month.
Most places I read about it said to use 1 tablespoon of baking soda in warm water, although others said to make a paste of it. I used probably a half tablespoon to try things out as some people found the full amount made their hair really dry. With hair as long as mine I tend toward the cautious side of things.
The mix is applied to the scalp, not the length of the hair. Overall I think I used too little, but I could definitely tell when the oils by the scalp started loosening up and moving. There was a definite change to the feel of my hair as I scrubbed it. Can’t say lathered it, as obviously there’s no lather with baking soda.
The vinegar rinse was made in the same way, one tablespoon of vinegar to one cup of warm water. That was applied to the length more so than the scalp.
First try, I’m not ecstatic. I’ll try using a bit more baking soda next time and maybe a bit less water and see if that helps. The hair near the scalp was left just a bit too oily.
Tags: baking soda, hair care, vinegar
The Wonderful World of Vinegar
Jan 29, 2010 Cleaning Products
By now you probably know that vinegar is pretty useful for cleaning around the house. The smell isn’t always the best, or so my husband says, but it fades away quickly as the vinegar dries, so I really don’t consider it to be a problem.
Here are some of the many ways you can use vinegar around the house. Please feel free to share any further ideas you have.
1. Clean the microwave
Water can do this pretty well too, but it lacks the deodorizing capabilities of vinegar. Just heat a cloth that you have dampened with vinegar for 15 seconds or so. Once it’s cool enough to touch again, wipe the inside of the microwave clean with the cloth. The moisture should have helped to loosen some of the splatters.
2. Clean and unplug a showerhead.
Especially if you have hard water, your showerhead may get somewhat gunked up at times. Vinegar can do a slow but good job of cleaning it up.
Fill a plastic bag with vinegar. Put it over the showerhead and attach with a twist tie. Allow to soak for at least 15 minutes.
The vinegar may still be used after for other cleaning projects. Might be a good time to finish off cleaning the bathroom while you have it there!
3. Kill weeds
This can be a bit slow, as it kills the leaves but doesn’t touch roots. Spray it on the leaves and repeat as necessary. Eventually the plant will stop regrowing if it can’t get energy from its leaves.
4. Make soil more acid
On a gentler note, vinegar is good for adding a bit of acid to garden soil for plants that love acid soil.
5. Clean up pet urine
After cleaning up the mess by soaking up the liquid and then cleaning with water, pour vinegar on the area, blot out the excess and allow to dry.
6. Hair rinse
Rinse your hair with vinegar after shampooing. It removes the last of the shampoo nicely. Some say it helps with dandruff also.
7. In the laundry
Vinegar also helps to get the soap out from the laundry. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
8. Afraid colors might run?
Soak brightly colored clothing in a mix of vinegar and warm water before washing. You’ll soon see if dye bleeding might have been a problem. I don’t know if this works with all dye types, but it’s been amazing what comes out of some red clothes.
9. Tenderize meat
There’s a reason why vinegar is so often used in marinades. The acid in it help to make the meat more tender.
10. Clear a drain
This one takes baking soda too, but it’s wonderful! Pour a half cup of baking soda down the drain, follow with a half cup of vinegar. Allow to work for 5-10 minutes, then pour boiling water down the drain. Repeat if necessary, but I’ve never had it be needed.
11. Deodorize the air
Spray vinegar in the air to control odors, or set a small pot of vinegar and water to boil. The vinegar smell will fade away.
12. Clean windows
Use vinegar as you would any other glass cleaner. Wiping with newspaper is highly effective too.
13. Use in the carpet cleaner
Vinegar can be used mixed with water at about 1 cup of vinegar to a gallon of water. Not terribly strong, but nice for a general cleaning.
14. Remove water rings from wood furniture
A mix of olive oil and vinegar can be rubbed on wood furniture to get rid of the white rings caused by leaving a wet glass on the wood.
15. Clean the garbage disposal
Make a few vinegar ice cubes. Put down the garbage disposal and run it while running cold water down the disposal as well.
16. Clean the dishwasher
Pour a cup of vinegar into the empty dishwasher, and run it.
17. Clean the coffeemaker
Your owner’s manual may even tell you about this. Pour a cup of vinegar into the reservoir and run the coffeemaker. Run it twice more with just water in the reservoir to rinse.
18. Soothe a sunburn
Apply vinegar to the sunburned areas with a cloth.
19. General cleaning
Use vinegar to clean hard surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen. It works well on tile and many other hard surfaces. You can dilute it with water for mopping as well.
20. Toilet bowl cleaner
That includes the toilet bowl. Pour 1 cup into the toilet and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before flushing. This won’t get the areas out of the water, of course.
Tags: homemade cleansers, vinegar
