Thread: Colored Panties

As someone who has dealt with skin issues all of my life and has continued the battle with his own children, one of the biggest culprits of skin issues are "fabric sheets" or "Dryer sheets" or "Softening sheets" ro whatever else they may be called where you buy yours. I would advise that you stop using them completely. Did you know that they can also cause your dryer motor to burn out prematurely? I digress...

Worried about static cling? Find a liquid fabric softener, normally intended for the washer, that is 100% free of "inks, dyes and perfumes" put it in a spray bottle and spray it on an old piece of terry cloth or piece of a 100% cotton undershirt...voila! Instant "dryer sheet" that it much more economical, environmental and user friendly. One spray usually does the trick depending on load size.

Like your clothes to smell "clean and fresh" too? On a seperate piece of cloth (see above) drizzle it with droplets of your favorite scented oil and throw it in the dryer too. You can buy a dropper bottle at about any pharmacy counter for less than $1.00, scented oils from a craft/hobby store or better yet, essential oil (more pure and much more concentrated) from a "health" food type store, GNC or online. I then buy light almond oil and mix my essential oil with my light almond to create my own scented oil. A one ounce bottle of essential oil will do a nice job when combined with sixteen ounces of light almond or some other light oil.

If static remains a problem with your clothes, the product known as Static Guard is helpful too and hasn't caused my family any problems with their delicate skin.

Good luck!

Washing everything before you wear it will wash out the "sizing" that is put into most garments. Sizing helps improve "shelf appeal" or "hand".

Adding one cup of white vinegar to your wash load "helps" to set your colors and reduces fading.

Adding one cup of Amonia to any wash load will remove most other things that laundry detergent leaves behind and there can be many based on where the clothing we buy comes from.

Baking Soda in the wash increases the productivity of your laundry detergent.

Americans, as a rule, use TWICE as much laundry soap as is needed (according to the "soap" producers organization).

Every time you do a "load of laundry" try and reduce the amount of "soap" you use from the load before. Notice any difference?
Do that several times in a row and see how much laundry "soap" you can save and ultimately how much $$$$ you can save too.

Sorry to babble on...I'll shut up now....

Thank you CW. Lol, our lady parts are indeed very sensitive! I try to buy a little bit looser undies and pants just so there's not as much direct rubbing. That sounds naughty but you know what I mean!

The only thing I've heard from Target is my email was passed onto the manufactorer. Maybe one day they will reply. I don't suppose anyone on here works for Target?

Hug and thanks to you, too, Seeker. I appreciate your lengthy reply. Before my "problem" started last year, I was using a liquid fabric softener. The problem was like it's laundry soap counterpart, it wasn't "free and clear." I switched to Up &Up for price but also because unlike some items that boast the "free and clear" label, this one really had no odor--sometimes the supposed non-odor is stinky! I don't think they make a liquid softener but next time I'm at Target I'll definitely look. I think because the dryer sheets stick to clothes, probably some of their particles come off and "stay" on even when the sheet is removed. Recently anyway, it seems like I'm more sensitive after a laundry day, than before one. Unfortunately I do my laundry at a public laundrymat so there's no way of knowing what junk others have used in the machines before me.

I did call Hanes this morning and have a hunch the woman I talked to thought I was missing a marble or two. She definitely didn't get waht I thought was a simple question. I did find out that Hanes panties (the leg openings) are made with covered latex, so supposedly that is not "exposed." Sadly, she fumbled around my main question of dyes and perfumes. All she could tell me was "Like any colored item of clothing, of course, our panties (in colors) are going to have dyes in them to make the color." DUH. What I asked was what dyes they were and if they are hypo-allergenic/scent free. I admit to knowing nothing of "good" vs "bad" dyes but am guessing such things exist? I emailed FoL and maybe they can tell me something more useful.

I really do appreciate everyone's help and ideas.

I just got an email back from Target saying the Dryer Sheets are Free and Clear--maybe they just have extra "whatever" or maybe it's the ol' hormones not happy about "that time of month" approaching in a week or so. I will definitely look into a liquid softener alternative.

Thanks again everyone.

"Dryer sheets" by design, contain all sorts of chemicals (obviously). So you may be having a reaction to something other than the standard "inks, dyes and perfumes".

There are chemical differences between dryer sheets and what is applied to them in the manufacturing process and liquid softening agents that you pour into your washing machine. Of course the "best" scenario for you would probably be to give up all of the above and not use any "softener" of any kind. My family had to do that years ago and we've only been using the "scented oil" sheet that I created so our clothes still smell "fresh" out of the dryer. Once in a while we'll have a problem with static cling, so we use Static Guard for those times.

Dryer motor hint: Everyone...remove the lint screen from your dryer. make sure all of the lint has been removed and your screen is clear. Take your screen over to the sink and run water onto it. Does the water puddle and not go through? Or does the water run right through the screen?

If it puddles then your dryer sheet "gunk" has built up on your screen and is causing the motor to work harder which will eventually cause it to burn out...prematurely.

If the water runs right through the screen, like it should, everything is fine.