Dead Animals Are In Your Dryer Softening Up Your Clothes

Sounds pretty ridiculous, right? The fact is, dead animals may be lurking in your laundry as the secret ingredient in your dryer sheets. As strange as it may sound, many dryer sheets use beef fat (tallow) to make your clothes feel soft and static free. You could be avoiding beef in your diet while at the same time coating your towels, jeans, and undies with the stuff.

So what is one to do if soft cuddly clothing is a must? There are several brands of fabric softening sheets that contain plant-based softening agents and essential oils instead of animal fat. One that is quite easy to find at many stores is Method and, according to the FAQ section on their web-site, "All of method's current formulations are 100% vegan and therefore free of any animal ingredients and/or by-products".

My favorite alternative, while a little bit harder to find, is Mrs. Meyer's basil scented dryer sheets, which according to the package label, contain only a "vegetable-derived softening agent, essential oils of basil, parsley, black pepper and eucalyptus, and fragrance on a biodegradable paper sheet". These sheets sound almost good enough to eat, and most definitely seem more appetizing than most processed foods on the grocery aisle.