It’s finally time to switch your laundry from the washer to the dryer. Do you throw all of your clothes in there and press start? Or do you reach for a dryer sheet before starting the load?
Everyone who has ever done laundry before has probably questioned whether or not they really need dryer sheets. We’ve been taught to use them, but chances are you might know exactly what they do or when they’re necessary.
Luckily, our cleaning experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute are here to answer all your questions on the subject and settle the dryer sheet debate once and for all.
What are dryer sheets and what do they do?
“They are thin sheets coated with softening and static control ingredients that you toss in the dryer on top of a load of wet clothes,” says Carolyn Forté, Home Care & Cleaning Lab Executive Director. “As the load tumbles, the heat of the dryer transfers the ingredients to the clothing to help soften and minimize static in the clothing.”
So, if you’ve ever had a load of laundry come out of the dryer with one piece of clothing clinging onto the next, chances are you forgot to throw in a dryer sheet. They add a touch of softness (although not as much as liquid softener) while helping to mitigate the build up of static electricity, according to Forté.
Do you really need dryer sheets?
In short, our experts do recommend using dryer sheets. Here are a few circumstances where they can be especially beneficial:
- Your clothes are sticking together.
- You don’t want to use liquid softener.
- You want to reduce wrinkling.
Although they’re not technically necessary, our cleaning experts suggest using them, especially if you experience any of the above. Throw in one dryer sheet for regular loads and two for extra large loads. However, Forté warns to be careful before throwing them into all your loads:
“They shouldn’t be used on flame-resistant clothing, like children’s sleepwear, as the coating can diminish the flame resistance of the fabric and garment.”
Are there alternatives to dryer sheets?
You may have heard of using dryer balls as an alternative to dryer sheets, but our experts warn that they aren’t really the same. “Dryer balls help fluff and tumble the load so fabrics dry fluffier and may therefore feel softer, but dryer balls don’t impart any softness,” says Forté.
However, they do still help reduce static build-up. Plus, they don’t contain chemicals and can be used time and time again, which gives them the advantage over dryer sheets in terms of sustainability.
If you’re hoping to reduce waste and can live without the added softness, dryer balls are a solid choice even if they may not be as effective overall. Whichever product you decide to go with, check out some of our expert-approved picks below.
Laura Millar (she/her) is the assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home design. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she wrote for NBC’s TODAY.com where she covered everything from entertainment news to product reviews to pop culture updates.
