Dryer sheets are versatile laundry tools that assist in keeping your laundry looking and smelling their best. Coated with softeners and fragrances, they transfer those good smells and softness to your clothing during each dry cycle. They can be used in both residential gas and electric dryers, and with most fabrics. But are they good for your dryer?
Some people say yes, some say no. Our Dryer Doctors experts say you can use dryer sheets, but there are a few added steps to keep your dryer healthy if you do. Let’s look a little further into the question.
Benefits of Dryer Sheets
Have you ever done something just because your parents did something, but you never thought to ask why? Dryer sheets are that kind of thing. If using them wasn’t part of your laundry education and now you’re finding out that everyone does, here’s why:
- Reducing Static: Dryer sheets can help prevent static cling in clothes and avoid those unwanted shocks when folding clothes. Sheets help keep clothes like sweaters and socks from sticking together.
- Dryer Sheets for Pet Hair: Many pet owners find dryer sheets to be a very effective tool that offers a solution other products can’t provide. Pet hair can be a tough laundry problem to deal with. A dryer sheet can keep pet hair from sticking to your clothing. The same properties that reduce static can also help attract pet fur to the sheet. If you have a piece of clothing with pet fur on it, throw it in the dryer with a dryer sheet. It should come out clean and free of pet hair or fur.
- Fabric Softening Feature: Dryer sheets can help make laundry feel softer and reduces wrinkles which is one of the more popular reasons people use them.
- Adding Fragrance: Many people enjoy the fresh scent that dryer sheets add to their laundry. This can help mask odors and leave clothes smelling pleasant.
Dryer Sheet: Safety Concerns and Solutions
While dryer sheets have their benefits, they also come with a few easily resolved issues:
Invisible Residue
The softening agents in dryer sheets are often made from agents that coats the lint trap/screen with an invisible residue. This clear residue can affect two areas inside your dryer that could cause your dryer to run longer during each cycle.
Solution: Rinse your lint screen with a soft bristle brush. Removing the clear residue will allow air to flow through the screen and not impede performance. For standard screens with mesh the size of window screens once to twice per year is usually sufficient. For micro screens, once per month is recommended.
Impact on Sensor Function
Modern dryers often have moisture sensors that help determine when clothes are dry. If your sensor is located inside your drum as opposed to some that are located beneath the drum, the residue from dryer sheets can coat these sensors, leading to inaccurate readings which result in extended dry cycles. This increases energy bills and total dryer run time which reduces the life of your machine. (check your user manual to determine sensor location)
Solution: When you rinse your lint screen clean the sensor too! . This will allow air to flow through the screen and not impede performance. For standard screens with mesh the size of window screens once to twice per year is usually sufficient. For micro screens, once per month is recommended.
Health Concerns
For people sensitive to chemicals, dryer sheets can contribute to skin irritations and sometimes affect those with asthma. These individuals tend to shy away from all laundry products and use natural alternatives.
Alternatives
If you’re concerned about the potential downsides, there are several alternatives you can consider:
- Wool Dryer Balls: Wool dryer balls can reduce static and soften clothes without leaving residue. They can also help reduce drying time by improving airflow.
- Aluminum Foil: Putting a ball of aluminum foil in your dryer can get rid of static cling without using chemical products.
- Vinegar: Adding a small amount of white vinegar to the rinse cycle can soften clothes and reduce static without needing sheets.
- Baking Soda: When added to the wash cycle, baking soda can also help soften clothes and reduce odors, providing a natural alternative
Our Dryer Doctor Expert Says…
If you clean your lint trap/screen and dryer sensor (if located inside drum), dryer sheets will rarely interfere with your unit’s performance. Unless you have skin sensitivities or breathing disorders like asthma, they’re a convenient, effective way to have clean, soft, static-free clothing. If you are unaware of any heath related issues, try sheets in a few loads. Wait to see if you have any skin irritations. After two or three loads, if you don’t notice any skin issues, you’re free to use them at will!
Dryers will eventually break down whether you use dryer sheets, dryer balls, fabric softener, or nothing at all. When your dryer is “sick”, schedule your next dryer repair with Dryer Doctors, a top-rated, family-owned dryer repair company in Madison, Wisconsin. Whether you need dryer repair or dryer vent cleaning, our team will get to work, and get you up and running again. .
