What to Consider When Picking Laundry Equipment

Are you choosing new equipment for your laundry facility or commercial laundry center in Fort Myers, Florida? Commercial Laundries features a wide selection of washers, dryers, and other laundry equipment for sale and lease. Many laundry facilities and their users rely on dryer sheets as part of their laundry tasks. How are dryer sheets useful and is there a better option for your commercial washers and dryers? Rely on the following information to help you determine if dryer sheets are the right materials for use at your laundry facility. 

What Do Dryer Sheets Do?

Dryer sheets make clothing and fabrics softer, eliminate static cling, and may lend a pleasant scent. Dryer sheets can play an important part in the laundering process. The sheets add a pleasant finishing touch to laundry. Plus, the ingredients they contain prevent the static cling that can pose such a nuisance when removing and folding clothing from the dryer. Static cling leaves fabrics sticking together. Static electricity causes clothing to stick together. Dryer sheets reduce static cling. Using fabric sheets can leave clothing and other textiles feeling more comfortable to the touch and to wear. 

7 Reasons Why Some People Are Ditching Dryer Sheets

Laundry sheets can leave a burst of fresh scent to your clothing, but you may want to ditch them as you consider your commercial washers and dryers and laundry processes. But abandon laundry sheets? After all, laundry sheets are popularly sold in a rich array of scents. They bring a clean scent to the laundry while leaving it feeling soft and pleasant. So why ditch those popular dryer sheets? Here are a few reasons:

Dryer Sheets Contain Chemicals

Dryer sheets do, in fact, contain many chemicals that many people can be sensitive to. There are chemicals hiding in the sheets’ fragrance. There are other chemicals that are found in dryer sheets in addition to fragrance so even fragrance-free sheets are not chemical-free. The chemicals can linger on the skin, which may cause health-related issues for some. Some chemicals affect the nervous system while others might trigger breathing problems. For many, the potential for exposure to toxic chemicals doesn’t warrant the risk of using dryer sheets in spite of their popularity.

Air Pollutants

Just as the chemicals from dryer sheets can wind up on a person’s skin, they can also linger in the air that people breathe. These chemical pollutants may number upwards of 20. The pollutants can be harmful and cause irritation to the respiratory system. Some of the chemicals in dryer sheets have been known to trigger asthma attacks. 

Lack of Transparency

People are used to checking labels to find product ingredients, but many chemicals, particularly those that makeup fragrances, are not listed on dryer sheet packaging. How do you know what chemicals you may be exposed to if you don’t have a comprehensive list of product ingredients? 

Expense

How much do you pay for dryer sheets annually? While they can add a burst of fragrance and softness to laundry, they can easily be dispensed with. Some people are ditching them simply to cut corners and save money. Depending on the number of wash loads you perform at your home or laundry business, the cost of dryer sheets can add up.

Residue

Dryer sheets can leave their waxy residue on your dryer. Their residue can also coat your lint screen, reducing its effectiveness unless you wash it regularly. Dryer sheets may seem like a convenient option, but it’s important to clean up their residue or it can reduce the functionality of your dryer over time.

Waste

Dryer sheets are single-use products. After using one, it must be disposed of. If you operate a laundry center, that can add up to substantial waste. You can eliminate dryer sheet waste by ditching dryer sheets in favor of a better alternative.

Unnecessary

Dryer sheets are actually unnecessary. They don’t make your clothes cleaner and aren’t necessary for drying your clothing. They simply aren’t integral to the laundering process. For this reason, many users of commercial washers and dryers as well as residential laundry machines have stopped using dryer sheets. 

5 Alternatives to Dryer Sheets

If you want to eliminate exposure to potentially toxic chemicals in dryer sheets, you should consider laundry sheet alternatives. Many people are loath to give up laundry sheets because they become accustomed to their scent and the way they leave the fabric feeling softer. There are some alternatives to consider that may be ideal dryer sheet replacements for you. Consider these alternatives to traditional dryer sheets:

Wool Dryer Balls

Wool dryer balls are a popular alternative to dryer sheets. Natural wool dryer balls bounce around the dryer with clothing. As they do, they naturally reduce static electricity and static cling. The wool also improves the dryer’s air circulation, which allows clothing to dry faster. Plus, wool dryer balls can be reused. Many people get around 1,000 dryer cycle uses from their single wool dryer ball. 

Scented Wool Dryer Balls

One of the reasons that some people choose to eliminate dryer sheets is because of the potential for chemical exposure. The chemicals in the fragrances of dryer sheets can be particularly irritating. However, if you love the fresh scent associated with dryer sheets, you can add a few drops of essential oil to your dryer ball. Scents like lavender can lend a pleasant scent to dried clothing.

Baking Soda

Many people worry that their clothing won’t be as soft if they ditch dryer sheets. There are alternatives they can try. For instance, adding a mere teaspoon of baking soda to your washing machine before washing clothes can result in a softer fabric. 

Foil Ball

If static cling is your top reason for using dryer sheets, try a foil ball. This is one of the cheapest dryer sheet replacements. Simply ball up a piece of aluminum foil and toss it into your dryer with wet laundry and dry as usual. The foil ball won’t lend a nice scent to laundry or make it softer, but it will eliminate static cling and can be reused.

White Vinegar

White vinegar has lots of household uses. You can add a couple of ounces of white vinegar to your laundry during the rinse cycle as it’s washing. The white vinegar will lend softness to laundry and even reduce static. Some people use white vinegar to make homemade dryer sheets. You can use an old washcloth soaked in vinegar to make your dryer sheet. Some people will also add a drop of essential oil to the washcloth for a fresh scent.

Dryer Sheets or Not: Commercial Laundries Has the Best Dryers Available

Some people say that the exposure to chemicals in dryer sheets has been overblown. After all, the products have been listed as generally safe by the FDA. On the other hand, if you want to minimize any chemical exposure, you can easily dispense with the use of dryer sheets to eliminate any risks associated with them. 

Remember, too, that if you need commercial washers and dryers, you can rely on Commercial Laundries. We feature a wide selection of washing machines and dryers for sale and for lease. Contact us to learn more about our products.