I don't like them, only because they literally gum up the vent system.

This is such a slippery slope. Everything I read said dryer sheets clog vents. However fabric softener is forbidden in a front loader because it creates the perfect environment for mold.

But I still use both. I prefer Bounce. The generic brand of Bounce is a weird material & it crinkles up in a little ball & I have to search for it.

I wash the dryer lint trap weekly as I do notice the buildup from Bounce. I also replace my dryer vent hose about every 5 years. Just replaced it 2 weeks ago. I could wash & vacuum it out but I'm lazy. A new one is easier. I found my lost mailbox key in there! I've been looking for that key for 2 years!!

I also use liquid fabric softener in my front load. Just a few drops. I run the clean washer cycle with bleach, Affresh or Tide cleaner every 30 days & I wash with hot water. Hopefully that keeps the buildup down.

I'm certainly not a laundry expert but I like soft clothes, sheets & towels. Oh, side note. I won't use liquid fabric softener on my bath towels. Just Bounce. They won't dry me off when they have fabric softener in them for some reason.

I think they're toxic and dangerous, fire hazards. I use Bounce only for walk-in the woods to keep bugs away.

We don't even have dryer sheets in Finland. If we had them and if I had a dryer I probably wouldn't use them anyway as I already use liquid softener and am happy with that.

Dryer sheets are in fact a source of dryer fires, Paw you are doing a good job, making sure your dryer is clean of lint and the dryer sheet build up.

I don't use dryer sheets I can not coat the inside of my dryer with the chemical scent and other chemicals due to this asthmatic child.

How do you guys keep static at bay? That is the ONLY thing I have found to help with that.

I use Downy April Fresh & Arm & Hammer Fresh 'n Soft Clean Burst

...have been wondering about purchasing wool dryer balls. Anyone tried them?

Vetwife...I have 4 wool dryer balls. I think they do help with static, but honestly are not as good for this purpose as dryer sheets. Just using liquid softener in the wash seems to all but kill static electricity for me!

Wool dryer balls do help with with keeping laundry fluffed while tumble drying, and I do think it helps dry a little faster (maybe 5-10 mins quicker). I use them sometimes, but then get tired of them because I have to "hunt" for them after each load, and sometimes they hide and get stuck in pant legs and shirts. LOL

I'm bad, I use them. I use either Bounce or the Sam's Club equivalent. I don't use them on kitchen towels, cleaning rags, microfiber clothes, or anything I want to remain absorbent. I live in the mountains where humidity is low and have long hair. I need something to prevent static, so dryer sheets, it is!

Oh, I don't have wool dryer balls. I do use plain old tennis balls in the washer and dryer laundering anything down.

@Larsi. Thanks. You just saved me $, since I won't be ordering the very cute dryer balls with little sheep on them! (From je'taime)

When I use Dryer Sheets. I cut them in half. It cuts through static just fine... and also prevents nasty buildup in your dryer :-)

Oh please don't use those things. Bounce, to me, is the most noxious smell on earth.

LOL, I love how we are all so different. Rococo hates Bounce and I think it smells divine...but I do not use it in my dryer!!! I do however place them in my workout shoes...and it seems to absorb moisture and makes the shoes smell very clean!!

But Rococo if we ever meet...NO fear, they are never on my clothes. Never!!! :)

Larsi, I know we will meet someday. Need to work on some Bounce jokes.

I use the sheets in the bottom of my dresser drawers. Kind of like sachets. I rarely use them in the dryer as they always stick to something and fall when I am not looking and the dog runs off with it. I am scared to death that she will swallow a piece and make her sick.

Many years ago my sisters friend threw a comforter in the dryer, she opened and fluffed it, the phone rang, when she went back to restart the dryer she heard a thumping sound, she ignored it , something we here would never do, when she finially took the comforter out of the dryer her cat fell out, quite dead with a bounce sheet stuck to it..it must have crawled in when it felt the heat when she ran for the phone.I can't stand the scent of bounce since than.

I use dryer sheets but not a fresh one every load nor even a dryer sheet in every load. Only those loads that contain knits. I use dryer balls for most of my laundry. My dryer has a check-vent light on it and we've always pulled the dryer out every couple years and cleaned behind it. The dryer lint is the fire hazard and lint screens should be cleaned before or after every load. When I dry cat bedding or cotton blankets, I may even stop the dryer mid-cycle to clean the lint or fur off the screen. As with most products, I'm firmly in the camp of moderate usage. I love the smell of Mrs. Meyers lavender.

I've heard that the dryer screens become filmed over by using dryer sheets, thus the need for washing the screens frequently. The film would impact the air flow.

My thought about wool dryer balls, is that it is the lanolin that is providing the softening. Have you ever felt fresh wool? I've sheared a few sheep too. That lanolin is terrific.

MamaP, that is a tragic story.

Errant, "I live in the mountains where humidity is low and have long hair. I need something to prevent static, so dryer sheets, it is!". All I see is you rubbing a dryer sheet over your head, to manage fly away hair, LOL.

MamaP... :( Painfully tragic. I can see why the scent of Bounce will not work for you!

Don't forget to also check the entire back of your dryers! The lint and dust bunnies really accumulate back there. I use a cobwebber and vac with a hose. Mama-so sad about the cat!

No softeners. 1/4 cup of Tide Free *powder*, plus 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the 'softener' compartment of my bottom-of-the-line FL washer. Half a scent-free dryer sheet in the dryer. All working well for 14 years.

@Larsi, I use the bigger version of these all though the house and these smaller sized could also work in shoes! I use the smaller sizes in my jewelry drawers. You just have to sun them once a month to refresh. have had success using them in humid/smelly places :) http://www.amazon.com/Moso-Natural-Purifying-Naturally-Equipment/dp/B0099K6OVQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1443446270&sr=8-5&keywords=charcoal+odor+absorber

I used to use Downy April fresh dryer sheets in places like suitcases, drawers, with cedar balls for seasonal clothing, until earlier this year I bought a new box and the scent was awful. Meh. For laundry, I use F&C Downy liquid FS but on Larsi's recommendation will test out the non-concentrated April Fresh liquid FS soon. I also use Nellie's dryer balls, they aren't wool, hope they are safe! They seem to help keep sheets from tangling, fluff towels, and are good for drying down comforters and jackets.

Cool. Thanks Clean and bright!!! These will make Rococogurl happy too ;)

I use seventh generation free & clear, mainly to get rid of static.

BTW, is static a problem only with vented dryers or also with condensation dryers?

I use dryer balls when drying comforters and blankets. I made my own out of curiosity. They do help with static but a ball of foil will do the same. The only problem I have with them is that the wool absorbs moisture so occasionally the laundry is dry but the balls are still damp.

I don't use dryer sheets because of the film they leave. My Asko has a double lint trap on the dryer and it becomes gross after just a few loads and has to be cleaned when using dryer sheets. A bit of fabric softner in the wash doesn't cause any issues.

Is the residue a problem with all dryer sheets or are there some that work better than others?

I stopped using regular dryer sheet brands (I used to use an unscented one anyway) when I found out they have animal tallow in them. The seventh generation one is made using plant-based ingredients.

I don't use dryer sheets...ok that's a lie, I have a box of Downy Clean Breez from 2009 once in a blue moon I throw a half of one in with cotton throw rugs..and even more rare I throw a part of one in with towels.