Are dryer sheets safe to use with pets?
FURRY FRIENDS: Keep 'em safe by keeping dryer sheets at bay. (Photo: plasticrevolver/Flickr) 
We love our pets — and they love us. Which is the main reason dog and cat dander seems to get everywhere: on the sofa, your clothes and your carpet. Your furry companion loves to sit wherever you do.
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ShareBut is this safe?
First, hats off to Bounce for its truly generous support of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The 2007 Bounce Everywhere campaign donated $10,000 to the ASPCA. It's part of a bid to promote dryer sheet usage by pet owners that goes by the slogan, "Share the love, not the hair!"
Dryer sheets repel static and smell so darn good because they're full of chemicals. Formulas vary from product to product, but your favorite fabric softener or dryer sheet (not necessarily Bounce) might contain such unpleasant substances as benzyl acetate, camphor or even chloroform.
Possible health risks
None of this stuff is good for humans, and the same is true for pets. The Merck Veterinary Manual warns that cationic detergents, which are present in fabric softeners and dryer sheets, can cause a variety of problems for animals ranging from minor irritation to widespread systemic distress and pulmonary edema. Bounce's own product literature cautions pet owners to keep dryer sheets away from animals to avoid accidental ingestion.
Animals lick their fur and the areas on which they rest, so using dryer sheets to repel dander may needlessly expose Fluffy or Fido to health risks. The danger is increased when pets are allowed to use sheets as toys — and cats, in particular, just love them. Some owners have reported kidney failure in animals that have ingested dryer sheets.
A better way
Want to keep pet fur at bay — the safe and natural way? Brush your animal companion daily. A stiff brush or rubber squeegee will make quick work of any hair which gets on furniture. Use a lint brush or length of masking tape to remove danger from clothing.
A few minutes of extra work means fewer chemicals in the lives of you and your pet. Take a little extra time with your cat or dog — and show you care.
How do you beat pet hair in your home? Please share your best ideas in the comments section below!
Copyright Lighter Footstep 2008
MNN homepage photo: tudor/Flickr
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View:My Brain
Posted By ApostateBodhisattva - Wed, Jul 07 2010 at 5:04 AM ESTWhen I saw the headline, my first thought was, "If you're putting your pets in the dryer, I don't suppose a dryer sheet will make much difference."
HELP!! Dryer sheets make me sick.
Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Aug 25 2010 at 2:48 PM ESTMy neighbors use dryer sheets 24/ 7 . The smell gets into my house & burns my eyes, plugs up my sinusis, & gives me a headache. I ask them to change , but they refuse. I'm I being harmed? If so, do I have any recourse?
Thanks