Scented laundry products emit hazardous chemicals through dryer vents

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/scented-laundry-products-emit-hazardous-chemicals-through-dryer-vents

Aug. 24, 2011

Scented laundry products emit hazardous chemicals through dryer vents

By Hannah Hickey

News and Information

The same University of Washington researcher who used chemical sleuthing to deduce what’s in fragranced consumer products now has turned her attention to the scented air wafting from household laundry vents.

Findings, published online this week in the journal http://www.springer.com/environment/environmental+health+-+public+health/journal/11869">Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, show that air vented from machines using the top-selling scented liquid laundry detergent and scented dryer sheet contains hazardous chemicals, including two that are classified as carcinogens.

“This is an interesting source of pollution because emissions from dryer vents are essentially unregulated and unmonitored,” said lead author Anne Steinemann, a UW professor of civil and environmental engineering and of public affairs. “If they’re coming out of a smokestack or tail pipe, they’re regulated, but if they’re coming out of a dryer vent, they’re not.”

The research builds on http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/scented-consumer-products-shown-to-emit-many-unlisted-chemicals">earlier work that looked at what chemicals are released by laundry products, air fresheners, cleaners, lotions and other fragranced consumer products. Manufacturers are not required to disclose the ingredients used in fragrances, or in laundry products.

…

[rfranklin]

1. But they smell so pretty!

As I travel through the neighborhood I can always tell who has their dryer going.

[Donnachaidh]

2. the newer *formulas* on these sheets and liquid additions really stink

And the laundry aisle has gotten to be hazardous to anyone with asthma.

[LiberalEsto]

3. Amen to that

In the past year I've bought a couple of pieces of clothing at yard sales that reek to high heaven of chemical fragrances. I can wash these things a half dozen times, soak them in water with vinegar, and hang them outside for days, but the stink never goes away. Whoever invented this crap should be locked in a room with a good-sized amount of it for a month.

For years I used Shaklee laundry detergent, which is unscented, because I couldn't tolerate any other laundry products. Can't stand dryer sheets or softeners. For the last 5 or 6 years I've been using Trader Joe's, which is less expensive and works just as well.

[Donnachaidh]

5. I use arm and hammer detergent -- no smell and don't have to add a damned thing

in the washer or dryer. I was a third generation Tide user, but we had some real problems with the new formulations and said bye to that stuff. :shrug:

[HuckleB]

4. Sounds like a job for.. REGULATION!

:hide:

[laconicsax]

6. +1

[monmouth]

7. But...GAIN!!! It's so wonderfully scented...Oh boy..n/t

[hedgehog]

8. Grate 3 bars Fels Naptha soap (which has no naptha in it),

mix in 1 box borax, 1 box washing soda or enzyme booster (which is mostly washing soda).

i toss half a cup into our high efficiency washer. Since I'm using soap, not detergent, the clothes come out soft but the towels are still absorbent.


I've also used castile soap for this.

[itsrobert]

9. My wife doesn't believe me

I think these dryer sheets and softeners are causing skin rations. My wife loves the smell.

[corpseratemedia]

11. it does make ME itchy! besides giving me headaches

hate the smell when walking by..smells toxic to me but im sensitive to strong chemical odors

[Kceres]

12. Laundry sheets can cause fires.

After prolonged use of dryer sheets a residue collects in the lint basket. According to our dyer repair man, the residue interferes with the lint-catching efficiency causing lint to blow through the venting system. The lint catches in the tubes and can eventually cause a fire. The repair guy told me that he recommends not using dryer sheets and that even some of the softeners can do the same thing.

[WAFS]

18. I had the same problem.

Switched to scent-free detergent and stopped using dryer sheets and the problem went away. If you still want softer clothes, try dryer balls. I like the spiky, rubber ones that you can get at most any big store.

[BanzaiBonnie]

10. I use little bags filled with lavender in my dryer

Love them.

[snacker]

13. I stopped using fabric softener in general a long time ago.

I hang most of our laundry outside to dry, but when I do use the dryer, I just throw a few tennis balls in along with the laundry. They help to fluff up towels....seem to work for me.

[Duppers]

14. thank fucking gawd, this is finally out

Some years, I spent a night in the ER, after using dryer sheets put me into all out anaphylactic shock!

I asked people around me to stop using this stuff but most extended family and friends chose to ignore me. Fuckers! Do I sound bitter? ;)

[applegrove]

15. Perfumes used to be made of 75 natural essences back in the day. Now most scents are made with

500 chemicals. You should always buy scentless product. The odds are pretty high that one of those 500 chemicals will cause a reaction or ill-health in some people.

[diane in sf]

16. They smell disgusting and toxic and the worst, like Bounds, give me migraines,

the others just make my eyes burn.

[diane in sf]

17. This is an older article, but has good, specific chemical info:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/dinged-by-dryer-sheets.html

Dry sheets and fabric softeners actually waterproof your clothes to make them feel softer! I have found information on waterproofing and there are few safe ways to do that.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry-generated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from the 1990s, the following is a list of chemicals in fabric softener products, most in untested combinations. Liquid fabric softeners additionally may contain formaldehyde.

Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer.
Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant.
Ethanol: On the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders.
Limonene: Suspected Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicant, Immunotoxicant,
Kidney Toxicant, Neurotoxicant,
Respiratory Toxicant, and Skin or Sense Organ Toxicant.

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.

To hide the chemical smell, companies load dryer sheets full of chemical fragrances, which are potentially carcinogenic.

[OKIsItJustMe]

19. And “green” products are no exception

http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/scented-consumer-products-shown-to-emit-many-unlisted-chemicals

…

A study led by the University of Washington discovered that 25 commonly used scented products emit an average of 17 chemicals each. Of the 133 different chemicals detected, nearly a quarter are classified as toxic or hazardous under at least one federal law. Only one emitted compound was listed on a product label, and only two were publicly disclosed anywhere. The article is published online today in the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review.

"We analyzed best-selling products, and about half of them made some claim about being green, organic or natural," said lead author Anne Steinemann, a UW professor of civil and environmental engineering and of public affairs. "Surprisingly, the green products' emissions of hazardous chemicals were not significantly different from the other products."

More than a third of the products emitted at least one chemical classified as a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and for which the EPA sets no safe exposure level.

Manufacturers are not required to disclose any ingredients in cleaning supplies, air fresheners or laundry products, all of which are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Neither these nor personal care products, which are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, are required to list ingredients used in fragrances, even though a single "fragrance" in a product can be a mixture of up to several hundred ingredients, Steinemann said.

…

http://depts.washington.edu/exposure/

[xchrom]

20. i'm kind of a laundry freak -- so here's this:

http://www.labouquetiere.com/store/product_linen_water.php



The essence of fresh wild lavender blossoms, hand-picked on the slopes of Provence, is yielded to produce our lavender. Soothing and restorative, it caresses your soul, allowing you to rest peacefully.

The ultimate in luxury. Spray on Linen Water before ironing, or include in your steam iron to infuse your clothes with these exquisite essences. Good for your clothes and your skin…even your soul will thank you!

[supernova]

21. Stopped using the scented stuff

a couple of years ago. It leaves an odd texture on the clothes and towels aren't as absorbent.

When I have them a few drops of botanical soap fragrences in the rinse cycle works well too.