The smell of clean clothes delights us, it smells like home, calm, freshness… And of course, we love it when after doing the laundry everything smells like softener, right? Well, this “clean” scent may not be as good as we think, because there are studies showing that softeners release substances that can harm your health: the truth behind the “clean” smell.
Apparently that “clean smell” stays in the air and in the clothes, and can cause irritation, allergies, headaches or respiratory problems… Not to mention the environmental impact they generate…
“Invisible chemicals”
According to this study, softeners release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), very light molecules that evaporate easily but get trapped in fabrics, and although the clothes smell lovely, those chemicals are still there…
When we put clothes in the dryer it is even worse because the heat makes those VOCs release faster, traveling directly through your whole house… And if your home is not well ventilated these molecules could stay for hours…
But “it smells clean”
Of course, that is why nobody suspects anything, they do not smell “chemical”, they smell like flowers, soft cotton, “sweet paradise” and similar things, whatever brands decide to call it, but the effect they can have on your health is not paradise at all, eye irritation, itching, nasal congestion…
So if you ever thought you were allergic to dust, pollen, humidity… maybe the damage is being caused by the clothes you just put on.
And in closed spaces?
All day, all week, in small apartments your nose is exposed to these synthetic fragrances, and even more if the apartment is small. This could also be the cause of dizziness and that feeling of tiredness you cannot identify even if you sleep well…
And about the environmental impact?
Sure, this is what nobody tells you after commercials that smell like cotton, all these chemical compounds that go down the drain end up in water, rivers, lakes or the sea. And clearly ecosystems do not know how to process these substances and they accumulate in them… catastrophic.
Dryers, on the other hand, release fragrances and VOCs into the street, and the containers, wipes and plastics… well, we already know how that story ends… mountains of waste that take decades to decompose.
Are there alternatives?
Yes, and you do not need to give up the softness of well cleaned sheets, you can soften with white vinegar (it does not leave any smell, relax), with baking soda (it regulates pH and leaves clothes fluffy) or wool dryer balls.
And if you want a touch of scent, nothing stops you from adding a few drops of essential oil to a reusable cloth. It smells soft, natural… and most importantly, it does not fill your house with chemicals, your lungs will thank you.
A small change that improves your health (and the planet’s)
Yes, we love the smell of clean laundry, but not using softener is not the end of the world, but it is something we need to review… Everything we put on our clothes goes directly to our skin, to our air… And now that we know they are not as good as we thought, maybe we can change something, for us, for our family and for our planet!