Locavore In Training

Since apparently the husband (see comments here) has been less pleased about the dryer balls than I am, I'm embarking on a challenge to find a better solution. It seems his main concerns are static and more static. (Understandably, in a house full of cats.)

Even when we were using dryer sheets, I was using the most minimal kind I could find.  My super-sensitive skin can't tolerate anything else. So I need something that fits these requirements:

• Reduces/eliminates static
• Environmentally friendly
• No scary chemicals or heavy perfumes (and absolutely no lavender since the hubs is allergic)

As it turns out, regular dryer sheets can have lots of scary chemicals. This article (from 2007, so this may not be the case anymore) even mentions chloroform. Eek!

I started, and ended, my search at Whole Paycheck Whole Foods, trying a brand called Sun and Earth. Their sheets come in scented and non-scented, and all their claims seem to hit the mark:

• No animal testing.
• Vegan.
• Gluten-free.
• Soy-free.
• Casein-free.
• No tree nuts.
• No peanuts.
• Completely biodegrade in 21 days

No peanuts? Is that a normal concern with dryer sheets? I don't even know what caseins are... but I guess I'm glad they aren't in it.

I added them to the existing routine of vinegar rinse and dryer balls, so I don't know how good they are on their own. But, they seem to be doing the trick. Much, much less static. Of course, by the time I got around to this project it wasn't nearly so cold or dry. So, things seem to be much less staticy, but I won't know if this solution will stand up during the dead of winter. C'est la vie.

As a bonus, the company is even relatively local - in PA. They make other products too, so I'll have to check them out as we run out of the traditional cleaners. Especially for dishwasher soap - my first attempts at homemade have been less than ideal.