Fabric Softener

[vludmilla]

They coat the clothing with chemicals. Not something I want next to my baby's skin, kwim? Also, it can make the burp cloths less absorbent.

Vinegar in the washing machine instead of fabric softener works well. Dryer balls are ok too. Once you go w/o fabric softener for a tiny bit though you get used to it. I haven't used fs in years.

I put pretty much everything in the dryer.

Beth

I agree on all counts. I don't miss fabric softener one little bit. Really.

[SnuggleBuggles]

If the whites are for undershirts, something that won't really be seen, do they need to be super bright white? Kwim? Do you really need the bleach?

I don't think residue will affect the clothes and I think they could be dried together. But, I'd consider skipping the bleach (but I lean a lot on the environmental stuff ).

Beth

Beth

[lchang25000]

I put almost everything in the washer/dryer. Nothing I have has every shrunken much...well, except for Gerber onesies, but that's another story.

[Reyadawnbringer]

I know I am late but I just wanted to chime in and say that I DO use dryer sheets AND bleach. They are both made by seventh generation and the dryer sheets are the free and clear kind as well as our laundry detergent.

[AnnieW625]

We use regular Clorox on whites, and the Seventh Gen. fabric softener sheets. I find that even when using the regular free and clear sheets my clothes felt cleaner than when I did try liquid fabric softener.

I used to wash the baby clothes separate until DD was about 15 mos. old. It didn't bother me much. Not sure what I am going to do when #2 comes, and I am cloth diapering.

[cheaperthanmost]

Although they may make your clothes feel soft and smell fresh, fabric softener and dryer sheets are some of the most toxic products around. And chances are that the staggering 99.8 percent of Americans who use common commercial detergents, fabric softeners, bleaches, and stain removers would think twice if they knew they contained chemicals that could cause cancer and brain damage.

Here is a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets:
Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

[Reyadawnbringer]

From the Seventh Generation website regarding the ingredients in their Free and Clear dryer sheets:

Free & Clear Natural Fabric Softener
Aqua (water), methyl bis (cannola amidoethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate (canola-derived fabric softener), calcium chloride (viscosity control agent), hexahydro-1,3,5-tris (2-hydroxyethyl)-s-triazine (preservative).

Trace materials are commonly present in cleaning product ingredients.

The trace levels of 1,4-dioxane found in our fabric softener are a byproduct of the canola-based fabric softening agent used (Methyl bis (canola amidoethyl) -2- hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate). Our R&D team is working to replace this substance with a different material. There are two substitutes being evaluated: one is soy-based, the other is palm-based. We expect this work will be completed before the end of 2009.

Seventh Generation Ingredients Website

We love all their products because everything is CLEARLY labelled with a list of ingredients.

[cheaperthanmost]

We love the seventh generation products as well. Love the dishwasher detergent.