Chemistry - Let it Change the Smell of your Clothes

Whether you are a student of chemistry or a student of life, a deeper knowledge of chemistry has something to offer you.   Central to all the sciences, chemistry has a role in our progress of mankind while we mitigate to a changing climate.  This first look is into a typical consumer goods.

As citizens of our modern society, we are constantly surrounded by natural and man-made chemicals.  What is in your shampoo bottle?  Would you be somewhat surprised that many popular formulas have ingredients that can also be found in a car wash formula, namely Sodium Lauryl Sulfate?   A decade ago, there was no "SLS free" shown on bottles that did not contain this substance.  Now they do.  Why?  Because enough of us became aware of potential harm with hormone imbalances and started selecting formulas that did not contain this chemical. Next thing the name brand corps caught on and made a version of their product that we could all relax around. 

It did not stop there.  Hand Sanitizers had their moment in the spotlight, BPA, phthalates and next to be on the list: dryer sheets!   The difference between the ingredient list on Meyer's Clean Day Dryer sheets and Bounce Sheets are shown below.

Meyer's Clean Day Dryer Sheets:  Di-(Palm Carboxyethyl) Hydroxyethyl Methlammonium Methyl Sulfate, Palm Fatty Acid, Lemon, Fir and Lemon Grass oil and fragrances

Bounce Sheets:  Dipalmethyl Hydroxyethylammoinum Methosulfate, Fatty Acid, Polyester Substrate, Clay and fragrance

Okay, a quick look at those comparisons shows the two products have pretty much the same ingredients, except for the oil and fragrance blends.  Looking at what came up on the news earlier this month from work done at UW on these sheets, the chemicals that are put into these fragrances can be quite frightening!  Dr. Anne Steineman's team found that the artificial fragrances contain carcinogens.  This is not only harmful to the users of these ingredients, but also to the environment as they are volatile and emitted through the dryer vent.

How can a grasp on chemistry help you with this new dryer sheet dilemma you now have in your laundry room?  Having comfort in the complexity in the names above to see that the major ingredients are all the same and the only differences lie in the fragrances.  Solution?  For the most part, just awareness!  Keep your favorite brand, do a further investigation on the fragrances or find a fragrance free version. 

Above all, don't feel guilty if you have been using a product that is now looking like it is a carcinogen.   Use that knowledge to make a few changes and your body will change right along with you.  Look for formulas that contain essential oils. The nice thing about the oils is they have been used for the eons and the vibrational energy they offered to the plants for protection, can now offer you that same level of vibration while giving your clothes a nice smell as well.  The Meyer brand still contains an undeclared "fragrance" blend, but it comes after a number of natural oil blends.  Oh my!   If we all just had time to air out the laundry like our great-grandma Mamacito did it would be so much more simpler...we don't.  Read your ingredient labels!