# Dryer sheets and towels - yes or no? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781 "2009-02-14T03:27:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/1 "2009-02-14T03:27:49Z")
Please help settle a question we’ve got going here - when drying a load of towels, is it somehow bad for them to put a dryer sheet in with them? What’s the straight dope? ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/2 "2009-02-14T03:58:02Z")
Supposedly the waxes in the dryer sheets makes the towels less absorbent. So you can choose between fluffy and less absorbent or stiff and absorbent. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/3 "2009-02-14T04:07:51Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > Supposedly the waxes in the dryer sheets makes the towels less absorbent. So you can choose between fluffy and less absorbent or stiff and absorbent. Agree completely. I tried it a couple of times and was not happy with the end results. Less absorbent, but they did smell good and were soft! ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/4 "2009-02-14T07:34:06Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > Supposedly the waxes in the dryer sheets makes the towels less absorbent. So you can choose between fluffy and less absorbent or stiff and absorbent. Same reasoning my mom has for not using fabric softener on them either. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/5 "2009-02-14T07:52:22Z")
Fabric softener sheets leave a waxy feel to the surface of my jeans; why would I want that on my towels? ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/6 "2009-02-14T09:15:23Z")
Towels, cloth diapers, cleaning rags, and anything else you want to be absorbant will work best if washed without fabric softener of any kind. If you think the result isn’t fluffy enough, try putting vinegar in the final rinse water the same way you’d use liquid fabric softener. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/7 "2009-02-14T11:25:05Z")
the wax in dryer sheets is why they’re not recommended for use with baby clothes, adult pyjamas or dressing gowns - they undercut the effect of the fire retardants that are built into those types of clothing and increase a risk of burns. I remember reading about one lady who was badly burned when her terrytowel bathrobe caught on fire when she was cooking - the repeated use of dryer sheets led to a wax build-up on the robe. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/8 "2009-02-14T21:54:29Z")
Awright, I know when I’m licked. Henceforth, I shall separate the towels from the other whites so I can use a dryer sheet on my smalls without affecting the towels. Many thanks, y’all. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/9 "2009-02-14T23:13:38Z")
I read somewhere that fabric softener sheets aren’t good for the dryer. They cause a buildup on the lint filter. Will have to poke around and see if I can find a cite. ETA: Well that didn’t take long. > **[Certain Dryer Softener Sheets can Clog your Lint Filter-Truth! –...](https://www.truthorfiction.com/dryer-sheets/)** > > No Description. \*There appears to be some truth to this one, although not all dryer sheets are the same. We did some checking and found several manufacturers of clothes dryers who discouraged using dryer sheets. The owners manuals for Eurotech brand tumble dryers say “We recommend using a liquid fabric softener in the washer’s rinse cycle. We do not recommend using fabric softener sheets in the dryer. Over time, the chemicals on these sheets can build up inside the lint filter and clog the holes that circulate the air.”\* ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/10 "2009-02-15T02:37:04Z")
Just to chime in with a dissenting opinion, I’ve found that a single sheet in a load will add just enough softness to avoid that miserable static cling without affecting absorbency. I’ve heard, though, that you should wash and dry every fifth load or so without any kind of softener to avoid a potential wax buildup. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dryer-sheets-and-towels-yes-or-no/485781/11 "2009-02-15T03:10:17Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Just to chime in with a dissenting opinion, I’ve found that a single sheet in a load will add just enough softness to avoid that miserable static cling without affecting absorbency. > > I’ve heard, though, that you should wash and dry every fifth load or so without any kind of softener to avoid a potential wax buildup. I read somewhere as well that you can rinse out the lint screen periodically and let it air dry.