My Cotton Sweater Caught Fire - Dryer Sheets

[otohara]

This happened a few weeks ago - I was at a house where there is a gas stove and decided to make a cup of tea. Turned on the stove and in an instant my sweater sleeve was on fire, not just the bottom, but the whole sleeve, up to my shoulder. I could tell it was a chemical thing, because of the way it spread. I quickly was able to put it out and throw it on the floor.

What could have caused this I wondered. So I hit the internet and first looked up "dryer sheets" and found out just how toxic and flammable these things are. http://www.nontoxic.com/nontoxic/toxicfreedryersheets.html

I have since switched to "dryer balls" ($9.99 at Linens N Things) and a plant based laundry detergent. I am amazed at how much my allergies and sinus problems have improved. The other added bonus, the laundry detergent works better than petro based soap and makes the clothes softer naturally and less is needed to clean clothes.

I urge everyone to toss those nasty sheets and liquid softeners out and switch to the balls. Seventh Generation makes a liquid softener and detergent, is widely available at chain stores. I've noticed since switching to plant based soap, my clothes are cleaner and softer.

Dryer sheets are toxic for you and the air outside.

[knowbody0]

1. I watched my grandson's jammies catch on fire

fortunately, he was not wearing them. Those sheets are deadly!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. The website's rather misleading.

Fabric softener sheets just aren't that toxic.

They can, however, be allergenic. So you've probably done the right thing.

[niyad]

3. the other problem with the sheets--they burn out your dryer-- will see if I can find the link again,

but that powder all over the sheets eventually gets into the dryer motor, causing it to wear out much sooner--if not actually burning up the machine.

found one link, at least
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/dryer-lint-filter.html

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Sorry. Not True

Fabric softeners are made from, primarily, tallow and vegetable oils. They are reacted with a simple amine and then the nitrogen group is reacted to force a fourth bond that gives them the opposite charge that detergents and soaps induce. Each of these additions makes the molecule larger and less volatile. The less volatile something is, the harder it is to burn it and the fewer joules of heat per unit mass will be released. (Excepting specific things like organo-nitrate bonds, which contain a uniquely high free bond energy per unit mass.)

Fabric softeners are LARGE monomeric molecules and would have less ability to burn than a candle. Have you ever seen a candle ignite because a fire was near it? I would guess no. The fire has to be in direct contact.

That being said, the cellulosic materials in the cotton are lower in molecular weight than the fabric softener. So, they are more combustible than the softener. Look up the data in Sax Guide to Industrial Hazards. You can find it in most libraries. It's the bible for the hazard data for most household and industrial products. Also, check the Merck index. That's been around for a hundred years and is updated every 5 years. It's got everything from simple methane to 1 million weight polymers in it.

Sorry but conclusions are wrong, don't square with the science, and you've been fished in by that website.
The Professor

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. Um...

"They are reacted with a simple amine and then the nitrogen group is reacted to force a fourth bond that gives them the opposite charge that detergents and soaps induce."

Well, it gives them an opposite charge of anionic detergents. Cationic detergents are common, and the quaternary ammonium salts found in fabric softeners are a good example.

[ProfessorGAC]

26. No They're Not

Cationic detergents are not very efficacious. The two main types of detergents (excluding actual soap, which is chemically different, but is ANONIC) are anionic or nonionic. Nonionics are mostly made by reacting ethylene to get olefins, then chaining them together. They oxidize those to get a fatty alcohol. They react more ethylene with air to get EO, which is then added to the fatty alcohol to get ethylene oxide adducts of 7 to 13 EO. Those are good oily soil detergents.

Quats are not detergents. They are surface active agents, but they do a poor job of removing soil. That's why they're used as softeners, and not as detergents. All detergents are surfactants. Not all surfactants are detergents. You were thinking this was bidirectional. It isn't.
The Professor

[canetoad]

12. From my own experience

I agree with you. I recall many moons ago a sheet of surface flame running up the sleeve of a cotton sweater held too close to a stove, seem to remember it happened more than once too.

I've don't even use a dryer, let alone dryer sheets.

[Sequoia]

15. Ah ha....you work for Procter and Gamble.

I use the sun to dry my clothes. Who needs those sheets anyway, just another expense.

"Use these sheets to make your clothes smell spring time fresh. Don't let your family wear scratchy clothes...etc., etc."

[ProfessorGAC]

24. No I Don't

Sorry, no cigar. My first advanced degree was in Organic Chemistry. I don't care if people use the dryer sheets or not. But, i do care about science.
The Professor

[Blue-Jay]

27. Lesson Number 1: Don't argue science with the Professor.

Hi GAC!

You wanna get together soon? I think that it's about time for a meetup.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Oops. Double Post

.

[earth mom]

6. K & R. Thanks! eom

[eleny]

7. What laundry detergent did you switch to?

[Fridays Child]

9. Ditto that question

[otohara]

22. Seventh Generation

[Ian David]

10. Dryer balls don't work. Just like "energized water." n/t

[Richard D]

14. Dryer balls do work

I think you might be confusing them with laundry balls, which are hype. Dryer balls work by bouncing around during the drying process, separating the clothes and giving them a bit of a gentle beating so that they dry faster and somehow with less wrinkles and softer.

[Ian David]

21. I know what they are, and they don't work, and they may be dangerous

See:

#32: Dangerous Dryer Balls



Dryerballs You know those colorful nubby dryer balls that claim to be earth-friendly because they soften fabrics without chemicals? Well, I’ve got news for you.

Many of those dryer balls are made of polyvinyl chloride, a hard-to-recycle plastic whose manufacture and incineration releases carcinogenic dioxins.

So consumers beware and be sure to check what the balls are made of before buying.

Truly nontoxic fabric softeners are available from companies like Seventh Generation and Ecover.

Or simply add ¼ cup of baking soda to the wash cycle.

To avoid static, dry cotton and synthetics separately, or hang them outside to dry.

SOURCE: The Green Guide, Mar/Apr 06 (www.thegreenguide.com)

http://blogsofbainbridge.typepad.com/dailygreens/2006/05/32_dangerous_dr.html

[conscious evolution]

11. I don't use dryer sheets

They make towels less absorbent.They also seem to make blue jeans wear out faster.
The worst is that my skin has a reaction when I wear clothes that were dried with the sheets.

[Richard D]

13. Vinegar . . .

. . . about 1/4 cup in the final rinse is non-toxic, cheap, and works as good as most fabric softeners without leaving a yucky residue in the clothes.

[Sequoia]

16. Apple, rice, white or balsmic (sp)?

Maybe I better not use the bottle with tarragon in it.

[Richard D]

17. Depends . . .

. . . on your mood and what nationality your S/O is.

Actually, I just buy half gallons of distilled white at either the .99 cent stores or gallons at Smart and Final.
One bottle lasts a long time. It also helps a lot if you used chlorine bleach - takes most of the smell away and the fabric has a way better skin feel.

[kestrel91316]

19. Distilled white.

[u4ic]

25. That's what I use

People should not only be concerned what business is putting into the environment, but what they are, too.

Laundry, household cleaners, etc.


There are plenty of safe alternatives that work.

[caligirl]

18. identical experience a month or so ago out here. cotton

sweater, gas stove, making tea. right sleeve sparked and up the shoulder i saw small flames. got it out fast. thanks for the fix.



Now do the new detergents you use come in HE for the front load machines out now? I have a whirlpool duet and it uses HE detergent.

[kestrel91316]

20. For 15 years I have been frugal with dryer sheets and cut them into quarters

to use them. They work just as well, but my clothes aren't gaggingly perfumey.

[CottonBear]

30. There is a new kind which is free and clear of perfumes but is still anti-static.

I use those. They help to repel animal hair and lint from sticking to clothes too.

[GirlinContempt]

23. In the interest of science

I ask that you set your arm on fire in the same sweater sans drier sheet use to measure the improvement (if any).

Ok maybe I don't want you to do that, but we've been using dryer sheets for years, and I haven't ever burst into flames, nor has anyone I know. I *do* know natural fibers like to burn though.

[otohara]

31. Read the Warning on the Box

Dryer sheets will undo the process used to make children's clothes flame retardant. Some dryer manufacturers will not honor the warranty if it's determined dryer sheets were the cause, should your dryer catches on fire.

Thanks so much for your thoughtful suggestion about setting my arm on fire. Just because you, nor anyone you know hasn't burst into flames don't make it true regarding the fire dangers of dryer sheets.

In the interest of the environment, maybe you should stop pumping toxic chemicals into the air that are harmful to the planet and people. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Toxic-Danger-of-Fabric-Softener-and-Dryer-Sheets&id=16953

[GirlinContempt]

32. Well I looked at my box

And it says nothing of the sort *shrug*
I wasn't seriously suggesting you set your arm on fire, but on reading the comments of others in this thread, and some other things, I'm less than convinced drier sheets cause spontaneous bursts into flames.

The other things (environment) are totally different.

[Maine-ah]

28. yeah, I guess when I can afford $12 for a gallon

of laundry detergent, I'll try it out..... they also have diapers.....48ct for $60.

http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product/28-9037_MSTR

[Maine-ah]

29. let me edit that

here's another sites prices on diapers, which are way more reasonable, but still expensive

http://www.shopnatural.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SRCH&dopowersearch=1&SRCH_BRAND=1&SEARCH=seventh%20generation&utm_source=adwords&utm_term=seventh+generation&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=keyword&gclid=CKD8z8aD5ooCFQlaPgodREQb2A