Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Hi there, I am looking for dryer sheets that reduce static and stop pet hair from clinging to clothes- any suggestions?

Oh, hell. Is there something not vegan about dryer sheets? I just bought a new box.

I think they have lanolin sometimes.

Damnit.

*resets vegan clock to zero*

They contain tallow, and are usually tested on animals too.

Method & Mrs. Myers make great vegan ones - $4 to $7 a box though (ouch!)!

I have not found a vegan one that will actually make your clothes smell "clean". Mrs Meyers doesn't do shiitake. Cute packaging, but it doesn't make your clothes smell any different from not using a dryer sheet at all. Same as Method. :(

But do they do anything about pet hair? I didn't even know regular dryer sheets do that... I need that.

In my opinion pet hair comes off in the dryer anyway. I always find mine in the little thing you need to clean out. No need for a dryer sheet to do that.

pet hair will stick no matter what.

but I hate the method sheets.
I use sun & earth, mrs Myers and seventh generation.
I only ever use half sheets, and my laundry comes out fine (except for polar fleece. I use full sheets and take it out before it's fully dry) over drying also makes clothes more staticy

We have major static issues here, no matter what. I wasn't aware of the ick status of dryer sheets, though. I had been buying Target's unscented ones because fragrance makes my lungs seize up and sends my nose into overdrive. Last time I picked up a different brand on clearance, but I guess when they are gone I'll rethink my anti-static strategy.

Really? I agree on the Method ones, but I use the basil Mrs. Meyers and I love the way they make my clothes smell. They are horrible for dealing with static though, so I only use them in the summer.

...what? How do they test dryer sheets on animals? Rats in a dryer? "Rats dried without Bounce sheets stick together from static cling! For soft, fluffy rats without static cling, use Bounce!"

it's probably rubbed on bare skin to test for skin sensitivity.

Oh there is always tons of pet hair in that thing for me too, and while much pet hair does leave my clothes, there is something very powerful about my dog's hair, and it's never totally removed.

Anyways, interesting. Are you all saying the dryer sheets cause static? That seems odd! Okay now I'm just confusing myself. Other than fragrance, what is the point of dryer sheets? I've never used them, neither did my parents when I lived with them so I've never really understood them.

Basil scented clothes do sound nice though.

I've bought the generic Whole Foods brand, which looked ok to me, ingredient-wise. I haven't found dryer sheets that are great for dealing with static, so I double up with dryer sheets and those rubbery dryer balls. (http://www.target.com/p/Dryer-Max-Dryer ... pla&ci_kw=) Pet hair used to come off in the last dryer I used, now not so much. I blame the dryer itself; it's a small stackable one.

My laundry smells amazing though with Method lavender detergent plus the WF dryer sheets (don't know the scent because I ran out, it was a pink box). It's a good combo.

I've never used dryer sheets in my life..so is that an option? it's a little static-y immediately out of he dryer, but besides that it's fine. or maybe I've been missing out on something, haha

I have yet to see any reputable source that explains what animal products dryer sheets contain, or how they would be tested on animals. Bounce is made by P&G, which has eliminated most of their animal testing. Of course you could write to companies to be sure, but I would caution against assuming specifically vegan-marketed products like dryer sheets are any more "cruelty free" than products from mainstream brands. Likely neither one of them really contributes signficantly to animal cruetly, but the "vegan" dryer sheets will likely be much more expensive.

My mom found this dryer bar thingy (made by bounce) and it's not sheets but stays in your dryer. My clothes came out of her dryer sans all pet hair. Even my fleece jacket! She has a long hair tiger cat and a medium hair black cat. Do the dryer ball thingys not work?

I know bounce isn't okay but maybe there's something like that from a better company? I use laundry facilities so I can't stick something in my dryer. I use unscented liquid softener and it all works okay. Still have to lint roll my clothes though. Not a bit of it comes off in the dryer.

Perhaps you're specifically looking for sheets, but I use a fabric softener liquid from Costco that appears to be vegan/cruelty-free and removes static cling. Can't say much for the pet hair, though, since nothing I've ever used takes the cat hair off my damn clothes, haha.

I find the MM ones make my whole house scented!

Dryer sheets can be really bad for your dryer...they have residues in them that ultimately stop up your lint screens even though you can't see the residue.

i think liz farrington might read the PPK. :-) just posted today:

http://www.healthybitchdaily.com/post/w ... yer-sheets

I use Mrs. Meyers lavender scented, I agree that they aren't very strong but that's part of the appeal for me, overly perfumed soaps and similar things just make me sneeze. I don't know if they do anything for pet hair though, I think the dryer does most of that. When I line dry my clothes, I still put them in the dry on air fluff for ten minutes to get all of the hair off.

Also I am always amazed/disgusted at how much of our lint trap is pet hair, especially after we wash the top cover of our bedding.

I have found that some vinegar (white wine or apple cider) in the wash helps with static. And I make my dryer sheets from sealable tea bags and lavender. I know not everybody has access or time.
But that is what has worked the best for us and our herd of cats.