There are a few things that Hubby automatically does that I automatically don’t.
He was a ripe old 32 when I snagged him, so he had lived on his own for a while and is quite handy at dish-washing and clothes-laundering.
He checks pockets before washing jeans and . . . uses dryer sheets.
It’s not that I purposely DON’T do these things. It’s just that they’re the kind of small details that never, ever occur to me. I could (and do) say it’s because I’m so focused on getting the laundry done or that I’m just not that concerned about static.
But when it comes down to it, I despise washed Kleenex just as much as the next guy and I get irritated when my loose-fitting dress pants look like leggings as they cling to my thighs.
I do think he has a point. See that tissue in the picture? It, along with fifty-ba-jillion of its siblings, were stuck to a load of laundry where I’d obviously neglected to look for it before it went into the washing machine.
And it’s held to the wall by the lovely static that might have been prevented if I had used one of the dryer sheets that sits in my cabinet.
So I admit it. Hubby’s right on this one. Unfortunately, me admitting that doesn’t have much impact on whether or not I’ll remember to act on it next time.
leigh7911 says
I got out of the habit of using dryer sheets when I decided to cloth diaper over 4 years ago. Read that dryer sheets decrease absorbency, which as you can imagine is a Bad Thing when it comes to diapers. Knowing myself and that I would be incapable of remembering them for regular loads only, or perfect at not leaving them in the dryer, I just stopped using them. Haven’t noticed any difference in anything! Mind, I don’t wear nice dress pants. That might be another story.
Christy says
I actually use dry wool balls and LOVE them ( you don’t use softener either with them. I LOVE them, they stay in the dryer and I don’t have to think about them. My load is never static-y either.
KellieD says
Now I know what to do with the yarn from that wool sweater I just tore apart. Dryer balls!
Brandi Watson says
As much as I love my clothes NOT sticking together, I stopped using dryer sheets all together about 2 years ago. I don’t find used dryer sheets all over my house now and my towels are more absorbent. Also, on some dryer sheet boxes it has a small print warning saying “do not use on clothing or by skin” so I wonder what kind of chemicals are in them. I have heard if you use a crumpled up piece of tin foil it has the same anti static effects 🙂
KellieD says
Tin foil thing does not work. I tried it.
Susan says
I vote you get hubby to take over the laundry.
Maggie says
I don’t use dryer sheets because of the chemicals in them and now that I have not been using them for a few years I can’t stand the smell…I do use wool dryer balls and the only time I have static issues is with large yarn blankets…something worth looking into 🙂
celina says
bounce makes a magnet thing that sticks to the inside of your dryer….so it does the anti static thing and you only have to remember…I don’t know month or so???? you could put a reminder on your phone?
bounce bar I think
Sue says
I can’t stand the smell of dryer sheets – I can smell them on people’s clothes from 20 feet away – and taste them (gross!). I’ve read some studies indicating the chemicals they use may not be safe, esp. for young children.
And then most of my clothes are plain cotton and I don’t get much static cling. Though I do forget to check for kleenex, and it’s just my clothes!
Kate says
If you really feel the need for it, do the bounce bar. Otherwise, it’s just coating yourself (via your clothes) in chemicals that aren’t good for you. If you need something, anything, try the wool felt balls (I’m sure you can buy them on etsy), or make a liquid fabric softener to put in your washer out of natural ingredients and scented by essential oils. So don’t beat yourself up about this one.
As for the pants? Maybe a checklist of reminders on the top of your washer? Could also serve as a tool for training your children!! My hubs doesn’t leave a lot in his pants because he transfers the entries contents from one pair to the next one he’s wearing the next day, and my kids aren’t old enough to stick much in their pockets, and I always empty my own, but I know there will come a day soon enough when I have to remember to do this…
Shannon L says
I’m impressed that it stayed together and not shredded into a million pieces.
I use vinegar in a Downy ball. But, to be honest, I only remember to use it when I see it. So I keep it on top of the washing machine. That way I can’t ignore it. Especially when I open or close the lid.
Willow says
I stopped using them because of cloth diapering too. Instead if I remember I put vinegar int he wash, and I also have tennis balls that live in the dryer. The help the dryer to dry faster and they help to eliminate static as well! Once I switched from traditional detergents to a clean washing one- our static is nearly gone!
Sue says
That reminds me – my ex-husband once left $15 in his pockets, which I found one time when I remembered to check pockets (back when my memory used to work). I figured I get any money I find in the laundry!
Laura says
I use vinegar in my washer too and haven’t had a static problem since I started. (I own those same kind of dress pants) So if they stick to my thighs like leggings I know its time to diet 🙂
Heather says
Like a number of others here, I don’t use dryer sheets. Chemicals, decreased towel (and cloth pads) absorbency, and YE GODS the smell!! I don’t really have issues with static, though. Static is primarily an issue of over-drying, so I dry my clothes on lower heat (keeps the fibers from shrinking as much), and on “less dry.” When I lived in a muggier climate, I couldn’t even get my clothes to dry on the line, but even then if I had a damp seam or two, I didn’t end up with any musty or mildew issues folding them and putting them away right away.
missy says
I use the commercial dryer balls -four of them – and they work great. They just stay in the dryer all the time. After 5 years I’m on my second set and will never do dryer sheets again. Good luck!!
Shirls says
@missy – are dryer balls those little plastic knobbly things? I got four when I bought a net laundry bag and I never figured out what they were for.
David says
I was horrible at remembering to use dryer sheets so I bought one of those Bounce dryer bars and I’m only doing laundry for myself so they last so much longer. The dryer bar works great for a forgetful person such as myself! Thanks for sharing!
Patty@homemakersdaily says
Well, I still use dryer sheets but I toss them in the trashcan as I take the clothes out of the dryer. And I only use the unscented kind. Can’t stand the smell of the scented ones.
unmowngrass says
Could you keep the packet of drier wipes IN the drier?
Nola says
I haven’t used any sort of fabric softener for more than 25 years because my younger son is allergic to it. I no longer do his laundry but I can’t go back to the smell & all the chemicals. Be kind to mother earth, use the wool dryer balls instead, less waste going to the landfill, fewer chemicals in your home & the outside air & just better all the way around. I don’t really seem to have issue with static cling but do notice it once in a while but not often enough to figure out the cause.
Karen says
Dryer sheets are an unnecessary invention adding to the plethora of chemicals we use. Companies will invent anything that we’re silly enough to buy. Our grandmothers lived just fine without them ~~ and without Lysol spray (cough cough), obsessive disinfecting and bleaching, etc. (Just so you know, my house is very neat and clean!)