In order to freshen clothing many consumers like to add liquid fabric softener to their wash. Softener is dispensed in your washer by either gravity, centrifugal force or by suction created by flowing water and is simply too thick to be properly dispensed. If the user is adamant about using softener it should be diluted with water before using. Some experts claim by as much as 6:1 (water to softener, respectively). If used without diluting it can congeal and plug the dispensing ports and/or cause odor.

Dryer sheets can also be overused. They contain siliconized chemicals that can coat towels and cause them to be less absorbent. The chemicals can also coat a sensor that detects moisture in clothing on “automatic” settings in almost all dryers. This can cause long dry times and also multiple repair attempts.

There are many opinions that dryer sheets and fabric softeners contain carcinogens. The FDA claims that shampoos, detergents, deodorants, creams, soaps and other cosmetic products are not absorbed by the skin. To me that seems unlikely and past mistakes by the FDA would want me to assess my use of many products. Some articles that discuss this can be found at http://www.naturalnews.com/002693.html / http://www.ghchealth.com/forum/post-325.html http://shop.sixwise.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=92

Dryer balls are a newer, chemical-free alternative to both softeners and sheets. They soften by lifting and separating the clothing which allows air to pass more easily between items. The balls don’t cause as much noise as one may suspect because of raised nubs which take the force when hitting the side of the dryer drum. They work well but don’t leave the fresh scent of softeners and sheets and don’t completely eliminate static cling. The latter is more noticeable in colder climates. The balls cost around ten dollars for a package of two.