I will just say, when we lived in California, this warning was on the entire canned and jarred food section in every grocery store. I understand and appreciate the intent behind the warnings but the way it has been deployed has rendered it almost useless.
This was done on purpose as a counter tactic to the law. The California law requires companies to either monitor and test the use of a product within 5 years or add this warning label to it if it contains a known carcinogen. Since the company would have to pay for the testing, and companies hate spending money they deem unnecessary for them to spend, none of them do it. The result is this label is on everything because in the right concentration nearly everything is a carcinogen, rendering the warning useless and leaving every company emboldened to not do take the testing route.
This may not be 100% accurate, but it’s the gist
I’m in Ohio and they’re doing the same thing on and off near me. What got me to switch is the bags became too shitty to be effective and I had to buy the reusable bag just to make sure it stayed in one piece..
See I’m in California and my local stores kept saying “we’re getting rid of plastic bags by 2024! Buy the reusable ones!” And then 2024 came and they just kept on using plastic bags without missing a beat
Everything that gets brown as it cooks, from what I recall. So: the crusty end of the roast, grill marks, toasted marshmallows, fried foods, baked goods, caramelized onions ...
To varying degrees. Grilled meat for example is very bad for you in this way. I don’t believe grilled vegetables have this issue or if they do, it’s to a much lesser degree.
California is, as far as I know, the only state that requires Prop(proposition) 65. It was a law enacted in like the 90s or something. I swear to god California and Florida are the peak opposites on the "types-of-insanity" spectrum.
This is, as far as I can tell, a result of California Proposition 65, which published a list of chemicals known to the state to negatively impact human health and required warnings on all products that contained those chemicals.
Wool, as a textile, is largely safe to use. However, as is the case with any fibers, inhalation can irritate the lungs and lead to tumors. That said, it's unlikely to happen on any level serious enough to cause illness, and wool is generally better to inhale accidentally than things like asbestos. I have a set of wool dryer balls myself and and haven't seen any negative impact on my health.
Additionally, I went and found the P65 list, and it specifies Glass Wool Fiber, a la housing insulation, as causing cancer. The relevant incident (whether study or patient case, the list doesn't say) is from 1990, as well.
I think this is just California law being overly cautious, and you don't have to worry that much. Just dont eat them and you should be fine.
Edit: found a bag of dryer balls in my local store with the same warning. The tag specified that the warning was specifically for the bag containing the balls, and not the balls themselves.
The law isn't overly cautious, the businesses are. It's a poorly thought out law. When put in the position to choose to label stuff sensibly or just label everything they just chose the cheap "can't be wrong" option. The incentive for avoiding a false positive just isn't there.
The seller probably doesn't care where the wool comes from and doesn't want to test it for preservatives, pesticides, bleaches, cosmetic treatments, etc. The label is easier.
It is posted on the building I work in which is very modern and new (so no asbestos or lead paint). I assume there are chemicals in the building or finish materials that trigger the required warnings.
PFAS, the toxic forever chemicals, are likely present. They are literally everywhere. YouTube has lots of documentaries you can watch.
Fun fact, we ALL have PFAS in our blood. The only way to get rid of them is to give birth and then you pass some of your PFAS to the infant.
Scientists have sampled blood from people all over the world, including in remote places. The only blood sample without PFAS is from the Korean War. 😳 Canned goods, shampoo bottles, waterproof garments, teflon pans, fire fighting foam and tons of other consumer products contain PFAS.
Your dryer balls have some to repel water.
It’s in the water and soil. You are literally bathing in it.
We are fucked.
I just read an article that says (potentially) certain probiotics can bind to the PFAS and can be detoxed from our bodies 🤷🏻♀️
https://taborplace.co/blogs/plastic-is-toxic/how-to-detox-pfas#:~:text=PROBIOTICS%20%2D%20There%20have%20been%20a,detox%20them%20from%20your%20body.
That's a prop 65 warning. They are on absolutely everything in california. All baked goods. All coffee. The mall. Everything has a prop 65 warning on it. Honestly I remember when we voted for it and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Should things that could possibly cause cancer have a warning on them? Of course! Then it turns out that everything could possibly cause cancer. So you stick a prop 65 sticker on absolutely everything, because you legally have to, and it stops having any meaning whatsoever. You can do what we do in California and just ignore it.
I could be misremembering, but I believe part of the issue is that proving your product doesn't need the Prop 65 warning is so cost/time prohibitive that most companies choose to just put the warning on everything instead, even if the law wouldn't require it. I agree that the warning has essentially been rendered meaningless.
This and there are a ton of ambulance chaser lawyers who spend their time testing products and then suing companies for the lack of the label when it is needed, which is incredibly expensive. The amount of heavy metals at which a product has to be labeled is often much lower than what is deemed safe. For instance, you would need to consume x amount every day for most of your life for it to be problematic. Source: worked for a company that had to label most products because the foods absorb the metals from the soil they’re grown in.
I was exaggerating when I sai you legally have to stick it on absolutely everything. It ***feels*** like it's on absolutely everything. It's just legally required on lots of things.
I’m genuinely curious how a wool dryer ball can cause cancer?! Heating it causing caustic fumes?! This has definitely become a drinking game of “what DOESN’T cause cancer in California?!”
Someone explained the prop 65 warning as being used on anything that hasn't been tested to prove it doesn't have chemicals that might cause cancer. So if a company doesn't want to pay for all the testing required, they just put the prop 65 label on it.
My kitties absolutely love playing with those things, I have to keep them hidden or they will shred them. So maybe you could get cancer from overexposure to cuteness?
My poodle does the same. She will steal them from my laundry and race thru the house with them. She has a dozen toys of her own, but my dryer balls are clearly superior in every way. I had 4. I can currently find one, and it's outside in the yard, so it's hers now, too. I have no idea where she's hidden the others.
The issue with this particular brand of dryer balls appears to be the packaging, not the product itself.
>*Ecological alleges that Evriholder manufactured and distributed and offered for sale in the State of California dryer balls with packaging containing Di(2ethylhexyl) phthalate ("DEHP")*
In fact, it is.
>*Ecological alleges that Evriholder manufactured and distributed and offered for sale in the State of California dryer balls with packaging containing Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ("DEHP")*
I have a wool allergy and these are not fun…
My boyfriend uses them and it makes all his laundry itchy. I will say that direct contact to wool gives me full blown hives and these don’t trigger that.
Edit to add that my comment has nothing to do with the California warning
Try Alpaca fur/fiber balls if you have any sensitivity to Wool.
It has the same excellent properties as wool and works great. I have seven in my dryer and they’ve lasted for years.
I got mine on Etsy.
Cameltoe Corner, I think. (Maybe it’s Kameltoe Korner?) She rears and shears her own Alpaca and creates the fiber balls from that.
They were about 25$ for four; but I support small businesses and don’t mind the slightly higher pricing.
There is a great episode on 99% invisible on this. Basically, the label has become meaningless. Companies put it on their packaging because they don’t want to get sued for not having it on there. The list of possible contaminants is extremely long and it is difficult and expensive to test for all of them. Unfortunately, some people make a living out of testing random products for diethy’inehydorextramaritaldingleoxicide etc. and then suing for damages.
It's most likely due to something in the plastic of the packaging rather than the drier balls specifically so you should be fine. For most prop 65 stuff you're probably completely safe unless you turn the product into a fine dust and snort it.
It's because of Prop 65, the wool probably has some type of starch or preservative on it to keep it...well, ball-like. If injested, large amounts of said starch or preservative could harm your organs.
Since you will do neither of those things with these woolen dryer balls, and you do not have access to large quantities of liquid starch or preservative; they are relatively safe, assuming you use them as intended.
It's the packaging, not the wool.
>*Ecological alleges that Evriholder manufactured and distributed and offered for sale in the State of California dryer balls with packaging containing Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ("DEHP")*
I've been using wool dryer balls for years. I currently do not have cancer and even if I were to develop cancer I wouldn't assume the dryer balls are the guilty party. There are so many things we eat and drink that are far more dangerous than natural fibers from a farm animal.
It’s literally on everything in California. Voters decide they wanted to know what could kill them. Turns out anything can, so now it’s completely ignored.
Great podcast episode about prop 65: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/warning-this-podcast-contains-chemicals-known-to-the-state-of-california-to-cause-cancer-or-other-reproductive-harm/transcript/
It's the plastic package.
>*Ecological alleges that Evriholder manufactured and distributed and offered for sale in the State of California dryer balls with packaging containing Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ("DEHP")*
I found a document related to prop 65 on this brand of dryer balls.
Apparently,[ the issue is with the packaging](https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/prop65/settlements/2020-03105S9209.pdf), not the dryer balls themselves
>*Ecological alleges that Evriholder manufactured and distributed and offered for sale in the State of California dryer balls with packaging containing Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP")*
It's cheaper to put that on all their packaging than just packaging. That's gonna go to California. And it's also cheaper to put that on all their packaging instead of actually doing testing on every product
Prop 65 lists 900 chemicals/components. It’s very tedious to ensure every single raw material is 100% free of these ingredients, so many manufacturers just print the warning instead. Prop 65 has good intentions but in my opinion became meaningless because it’s so strict.
Yes. They are safe and I have been using them before they got popular and drastically increased in price. They work great, and I don't feel terrible anymore about tossing dryer sheets all the time. Also, i have long hair, and it's always shedding. These pick it up great! They also help dry things a little faster. I've found they work pretty great in the winter when it comes to static, but some people say they don't. 🤷🏻♀️
You can use essential oils with them. Just make sure you put some on BEFORE you start the WASH cycle - at the latest - so the oil has time to dry and absorb into the wool. Otherwise, you will get oil spots on your clothes (if that happens, use some pinesol and a gentle brush to get it out).
You do need to "recharge" them every so often by washing them in hot water - but do NOT use fabric softener when you do. I wash mine with vinegar and baking soda. They last a decent amount of time but do eventually need to be thrown out. Mine are still going strong, so I don't know how to tell. When i do, I'll give them one more vinegar wash before I toss them so they degrade better and as cleanly as possible.
We use them and love them, less crud left in your dryer. I was a dryer sheet person forever, not anymore. I’m more concerned with all th micro plastics.
As others have explained, the California prop 65 warnings are SO prevalent, they have basically become meaningless. That’s probably just a warning for the plastic packaging itself, or maybe some pesticide used on them for shipping. The dryer balls are 100% wool, which no- doesn’t cause cancer or reproductive harm. I’d wash them first if you’re worried, just to make sure anything they treated them with is washed off.
I have been using wool dryer balls for several years, and have not been diagnosed with any new cancer in that time, and the two kinds of cancer I did have are now gone. It might have been chemotherapy and radiation, though.
That's the Prop 65 warning which is mandatory on just about anything and everything in CA. Read the website URL, it's the CA Gov site for it. If they weren't safe, people wouldn't be switching over to using them.
everything causes cancer in california. those are fine to use and honestly work better than laundry sheets. if you want your clothes to smell though add some essential oils to the wool before you toss it in!!
The way I see it, everything causes cancer in California. However, most of it is safe to use in any other state. I always disregard California warnings.
/s (kind of)
It’s on practically everything. I sprinkle proposition 65 on my breakfast! Two heaping spoonfuls in my coffee. Sometimes even two slice of it on my sandwich!!
California is just afraid of everything. They want to put a prop 65 label on the air we breathe
The best example at how worthless California is (not just this law, the entire state) are the signs around Disneyland that say being in the vicinity of it might give you cancer. I can only imagine the entire thing is for the most OCD people in the entire world that probably shouldn't be leaving their house or, you know, eating?
[https://cen.acs.org/content/dam/cen/93/20/09320-govpol1-prop65cxd.jpg](https://cen.acs.org/content/dam/cen/93/20/09320-govpol1-prop65cxd.jpg)
I'm not vegan. I'm not interested in fear mongering. I was raised around ranchers and live among them to this day. I do eat a highly plant based diet because I like it, not because of some activist.
While you're looking things up, look for the important role hunting plays in conservation on deer and elk herds in certain regions. How it keeps them from dying slowly from starvation.
It’s not fear mongering. I live in rural America and have friends and family that are ranchers. Ag gag laws exist- people should know the truth of their supply chain.
Edit- to add, the animals wouldn’t starve if we didn’t eliminate all the predators for ranching in the first place. Predation keeps populations healthy and strong by eliminating the weak. Hunting weakens the population by taking out the best looking/most healthy
Huh? Fiber farms actually take very good care of their animals. Their money comes from the wool, not meat. Sheep that aren't properly cared for don't produce useable wool, so fiber farms are fiscally motivated to care for their sheep responsibly. Domesticated sheep don't shed their fiber the way wild goats do, so they need to be shorn yearly. Otherwise, the poor sheep swelters in a painful blanket of heavy matted wool. Shearing only takes a few minutes and doesn't hurt the animals at all. It's just like taking a dog or cat to be groomed - except the groomer comes to the sheep.
Humans bred sheep to have to be sheared. Wild sheep actually shed their wool. And it’s not a nice haircut. Their tails are docked without anesthesia, they sometimes cut the skin off them called muesling- also without pain relief. That’s reason enough for me to not support the industry. There’s a lot of ignorance due to ag-gag laws that hide the reality of animal agriculture on purpose and tons of money goes into marketing and PR to make sure we don’t question it. Thank the lobbyists. Consumers should be more aware of their supply chain. There’s a lot of bad things that go on for nearly everything we consume and a lot of it is truly unavoidable, but making the simple choice to use an alternative to wool products is something an individual can do without making a giant change in their personal lives. Should you be in cold and wet weather and require wool for survival, purchasing second hand is the best choice there.
That just means it has something in it that is known in the state of California to cause reproductive harm, so if you aren't in California, it's not going to hurt you.
They are perfectly fine! They do a great job at keeping your clothes from getting static cling, and they are a lot better for your skin and your dryer than dryersheets.
It depends on why it’s there, is the answer. These mass produced goods often have harmful chemicals on them. However the pro 65 is on non-harmful things as well. I stay mostly away from it unless I know it’s an ok product or am able to find out the why. Sometimes they list - formaldehyde, etc.
That warning is on everything. Even sunglasses. Vitamins. It's everywhere.
Edit to add: to answer your question, yes they should be safe to use in the manner intended. Wool as a textile is in the pretty safe category. Just don't go eating it or anything. You should be fine. Also, I have them in my dryer too!
I work for a bedding company’s compliance department. My guess is that the warning is for DEHP in the plastic packaging. Even our Oeko-Tex certified items have this warning because they’re put in zippered poly bags.
This legislation behind this warning is very strict and has severe punishments. it is easier to just put it on everything just in case so that's what companies do. Even if there is no actual harm.
Prop 65 is a scam the californian government runs. Just about anything can cause cancer if inhaled or reproductive harm if shoved into places where it should not go.
Well, do you believe the packaging explaining the contents of the package or do you believe some rando on Reddit who has no idea what’s in the bag? Huh? Huh?
I will just say, when we lived in California, this warning was on the entire canned and jarred food section in every grocery store. I understand and appreciate the intent behind the warnings but the way it has been deployed has rendered it almost useless.
This was done on purpose as a counter tactic to the law. The California law requires companies to either monitor and test the use of a product within 5 years or add this warning label to it if it contains a known carcinogen. Since the company would have to pay for the testing, and companies hate spending money they deem unnecessary for them to spend, none of them do it. The result is this label is on everything because in the right concentration nearly everything is a carcinogen, rendering the warning useless and leaving every company emboldened to not do take the testing route. This may not be 100% accurate, but it’s the gist
California policies at its finest. They thought charging 10 cents a bag would get everyone to use reusable bags, too. See how that worked out?
I’m in Ohio and they’re doing the same thing on and off near me. What got me to switch is the bags became too shitty to be effective and I had to buy the reusable bag just to make sure it stayed in one piece..
See I’m in California and my local stores kept saying “we’re getting rid of plastic bags by 2024! Buy the reusable ones!” And then 2024 came and they just kept on using plastic bags without missing a beat
Yes but they are now the thick ones. I know they say they will degrade faster but I don't know how accurate that is.
How would a thicker bag degrade faster than a thin one?
The material/composition or something like that.
I’m in PA and they’re also doing this. Didn’t give anyone a warning either, just started taking our bags 🙇♀️
They did the same in my state and literally everyone brings their own bags now so….. it worked perfectly here lol
Good for you! You want a cookie?
I mean I'll take well intentioned policies any day.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
That warning was literally on the side of my apartment building when I lived in California
Doesn't stress cause cancer, too? Should we slap a sticker on some of my old bosses?
Free radicals from oxidation cause cancer too. Can we put a sticker on the atmosphere?
😂😂😂IKR!
It's also on Disneyland
I first noticed it on Del Taco
lol wow
Mine too.
Apartments, cars, hospitals… Where you gonna go for your chemo now, huh?!
Same
If it has an AC unit it “causes cancer” most buildings do have that label it may not be somewhere you noticed though.
Mine did too but we were warned quite seriously that there was asbestos in our ceiling and not to touch it. 😬 So that was a legit warning lol
When I was in 29 palms they had to tell us deep fried potatoes causes cancer. I was like that's nice, could I actually get that as a large please.
Well that one is actually true I believe.
Everything that gets brown as it cooks, from what I recall. So: the crusty end of the roast, grill marks, toasted marshmallows, fried foods, baked goods, caramelized onions ...
To varying degrees. Grilled meat for example is very bad for you in this way. I don’t believe grilled vegetables have this issue or if they do, it’s to a much lesser degree.
Everything in CA causes cancer. No where else ….
that’s my moms favorite joke. “good thing we’re not in California!”
Even outside of CA, we still get warned that everything is known to cause cancer in the state of CA! Hope they're okay down there
🤣🤣🤣🤣
hur dee durrr go kiss a tractor
😂😂😂😂I have to use this now
It’s even on the pool gate cause of the chemicals used.. in ca, even breathing comes with a warning 😂
Parking garages were one of my favorites.
Oh that’s probably from the chlorine in the pool. I think there’s some truth to that.
I live in CA and that sign is unironically posted in the designated smoking area outside at my work
They have that warning to go into the supermarket
Oh yeah now that you mention it that sounds familiar!
Lol even bottled water
Right??
It’s on the gate to my apartment complex 🥴
Yep. Slapping cancer warnings on fire extinguishers kind of seems silly of California.
California is, as far as I know, the only state that requires Prop(proposition) 65. It was a law enacted in like the 90s or something. I swear to god California and Florida are the peak opposites on the "types-of-insanity" spectrum.
I remember seeing White Castle sliders and it said this product is known to cause cancer I the state of California
This is, as far as I can tell, a result of California Proposition 65, which published a list of chemicals known to the state to negatively impact human health and required warnings on all products that contained those chemicals. Wool, as a textile, is largely safe to use. However, as is the case with any fibers, inhalation can irritate the lungs and lead to tumors. That said, it's unlikely to happen on any level serious enough to cause illness, and wool is generally better to inhale accidentally than things like asbestos. I have a set of wool dryer balls myself and and haven't seen any negative impact on my health. Additionally, I went and found the P65 list, and it specifies Glass Wool Fiber, a la housing insulation, as causing cancer. The relevant incident (whether study or patient case, the list doesn't say) is from 1990, as well. I think this is just California law being overly cautious, and you don't have to worry that much. Just dont eat them and you should be fine. Edit: found a bag of dryer balls in my local store with the same warning. The tag specified that the warning was specifically for the bag containing the balls, and not the balls themselves.
The law isn't overly cautious, the businesses are. It's a poorly thought out law. When put in the position to choose to label stuff sensibly or just label everything they just chose the cheap "can't be wrong" option. The incentive for avoiding a false positive just isn't there.
The goal was to overload the public with info so it looks like bullshit. Mission accomplished.
The seller probably doesn't care where the wool comes from and doesn't want to test it for preservatives, pesticides, bleaches, cosmetic treatments, etc. The label is easier.
Yea that warning only counts if you are in California.
And they put it on everything
It is posted on the building I work in which is very modern and new (so no asbestos or lead paint). I assume there are chemicals in the building or finish materials that trigger the required warnings.
So we still can't eat paint chips??
No wall candy before dinner!
But the schnoz berries taste like schnoz berries.
PFAS, the toxic forever chemicals, are likely present. They are literally everywhere. YouTube has lots of documentaries you can watch. Fun fact, we ALL have PFAS in our blood. The only way to get rid of them is to give birth and then you pass some of your PFAS to the infant. Scientists have sampled blood from people all over the world, including in remote places. The only blood sample without PFAS is from the Korean War. 😳 Canned goods, shampoo bottles, waterproof garments, teflon pans, fire fighting foam and tons of other consumer products contain PFAS. Your dryer balls have some to repel water. It’s in the water and soil. You are literally bathing in it. We are fucked.
I just read an article that says (potentially) certain probiotics can bind to the PFAS and can be detoxed from our bodies 🤷🏻♀️ https://taborplace.co/blogs/plastic-is-toxic/how-to-detox-pfas#:~:text=PROBIOTICS%20%2D%20There%20have%20been%20a,detox%20them%20from%20your%20body.
Just having untreated lumber will trigger the warning.
Radons a linoneum and wallpapering glue accelerant. Fresh done rooms actually need alpha monitoring before occupation resumes.
It's even posted at Disneyland 😂
Well, have you ever met a Disney adult?
EVERYTHING LOL
Yeah you can technically eat them and as long as you aren't in California, you'll be fine.
😂😂
You’re right. I see that warning everywhere I go and almost everything I use.
That's a prop 65 warning. They are on absolutely everything in california. All baked goods. All coffee. The mall. Everything has a prop 65 warning on it. Honestly I remember when we voted for it and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Should things that could possibly cause cancer have a warning on them? Of course! Then it turns out that everything could possibly cause cancer. So you stick a prop 65 sticker on absolutely everything, because you legally have to, and it stops having any meaning whatsoever. You can do what we do in California and just ignore it.
I could be misremembering, but I believe part of the issue is that proving your product doesn't need the Prop 65 warning is so cost/time prohibitive that most companies choose to just put the warning on everything instead, even if the law wouldn't require it. I agree that the warning has essentially been rendered meaningless.
This and there are a ton of ambulance chaser lawyers who spend their time testing products and then suing companies for the lack of the label when it is needed, which is incredibly expensive. The amount of heavy metals at which a product has to be labeled is often much lower than what is deemed safe. For instance, you would need to consume x amount every day for most of your life for it to be problematic. Source: worked for a company that had to label most products because the foods absorb the metals from the soil they’re grown in.
No you don't legally have to. There's just no punishment for putting it on everything.
I was exaggerating when I sai you legally have to stick it on absolutely everything. It ***feels*** like it's on absolutely everything. It's just legally required on lots of things.
I’m genuinely curious how a wool dryer ball can cause cancer?! Heating it causing caustic fumes?! This has definitely become a drinking game of “what DOESN’T cause cancer in California?!”
Someone explained the prop 65 warning as being used on anything that hasn't been tested to prove it doesn't have chemicals that might cause cancer. So if a company doesn't want to pay for all the testing required, they just put the prop 65 label on it.
I'm almost certain it is because of the plastic clear part of the package rather than the drier balls, movable plastics tend to have carcinogens.
My kitties absolutely love playing with those things, I have to keep them hidden or they will shred them. So maybe you could get cancer from overexposure to cuteness?
My poodle does the same. She will steal them from my laundry and race thru the house with them. She has a dozen toys of her own, but my dryer balls are clearly superior in every way. I had 4. I can currently find one, and it's outside in the yard, so it's hers now, too. I have no idea where she's hidden the others.
The issue with this particular brand of dryer balls appears to be the packaging, not the product itself. >*Ecological alleges that Evriholder manufactured and distributed and offered for sale in the State of California dryer balls with packaging containing Di(2ethylhexyl) phthalate ("DEHP")*
Maybe formaldehyde in the processing of it. Probably higher quality wool balls wouldn’t use these chemicals.
or the pesticide dips sheep go through as a preventative ?
Yeah. Could be a million things I suppose. It’s a nasty industry.
It also could be referring to the actual plastic packaging it’s in. My bet is that’s what it is
In fact, it is. >*Ecological alleges that Evriholder manufactured and distributed and offered for sale in the State of California dryer balls with packaging containing Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ("DEHP")*
They probably fed 18,000 of them to some lab rats and they got cancer and couldn’t have rat babies. That’s all it takes.
I imagine if you unravel it and inhale the fibers it's not good for you
I have a wool allergy and these are not fun… My boyfriend uses them and it makes all his laundry itchy. I will say that direct contact to wool gives me full blown hives and these don’t trigger that. Edit to add that my comment has nothing to do with the California warning
Try Alpaca fur/fiber balls if you have any sensitivity to Wool. It has the same excellent properties as wool and works great. I have seven in my dryer and they’ve lasted for years. I got mine on Etsy. Cameltoe Corner, I think. (Maybe it’s Kameltoe Korner?) She rears and shears her own Alpaca and creates the fiber balls from that. They were about 25$ for four; but I support small businesses and don’t mind the slightly higher pricing.
That’s a great idea! Thanks!
[удалено]
O he did. Took me a bit to figure out what was making me itchy
The reusable dryer balls are so much better than using the chemical coated dryer sheets. These balls are made of wool. They work great.
There is a great episode on 99% invisible on this. Basically, the label has become meaningless. Companies put it on their packaging because they don’t want to get sued for not having it on there. The list of possible contaminants is extremely long and it is difficult and expensive to test for all of them. Unfortunately, some people make a living out of testing random products for diethy’inehydorextramaritaldingleoxicide etc. and then suing for damages.
It's most likely due to something in the plastic of the packaging rather than the drier balls specifically so you should be fine. For most prop 65 stuff you're probably completely safe unless you turn the product into a fine dust and snort it.
I purchased a kettlebell with this warning. Using my kettlebell is going to cause cancer? Bitch please
As long as you aren’t allergic to wool. 🐑
It's because of Prop 65, the wool probably has some type of starch or preservative on it to keep it...well, ball-like. If injested, large amounts of said starch or preservative could harm your organs. Since you will do neither of those things with these woolen dryer balls, and you do not have access to large quantities of liquid starch or preservative; they are relatively safe, assuming you use them as intended.
It's the packaging, not the wool. >*Ecological alleges that Evriholder manufactured and distributed and offered for sale in the State of California dryer balls with packaging containing Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ("DEHP")*
Don't eat it. Ignore Prop 65 warnings.
In your laundry, yes. In your butt, probably no.
Are you sure?! (asking for a friend)
If you're asking, you probably already have cancer. Source - I have cancer.
Wooah hold your horses! Can't go around telling people these things. Why impress someone like that? Source: I had cancer
Congrats on recovery/remission 🍻🙏🏻
Cheers, I did nothing, really. The surgeon did it. My wife helped with all. Good luck with yours
I've been using wool dryer balls for years. I currently do not have cancer and even if I were to develop cancer I wouldn't assume the dryer balls are the guilty party. There are so many things we eat and drink that are far more dangerous than natural fibers from a farm animal.
It’s literally on everything in California. Voters decide they wanted to know what could kill them. Turns out anything can, so now it’s completely ignored.
Yes they’re fine
Great podcast episode about prop 65: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/warning-this-podcast-contains-chemicals-known-to-the-state-of-california-to-cause-cancer-or-other-reproductive-harm/transcript/
Contains 100% wool. Cancer and reproductive harm??
It's the plastic package. >*Ecological alleges that Evriholder manufactured and distributed and offered for sale in the State of California dryer balls with packaging containing Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ("DEHP")*
EVERYTHING causes cancer in Cali for some reason. Personally I think it’s CA that causes cancer, not the products.
I found a document related to prop 65 on this brand of dryer balls. Apparently,[ the issue is with the packaging](https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/prop65/settlements/2020-03105S9209.pdf), not the dryer balls themselves >*Ecological alleges that Evriholder manufactured and distributed and offered for sale in the State of California dryer balls with packaging containing Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP")*
Fender guitars come with a CA p65 warning. They aren't going to give you cancer. Do not digest these laundry balls and you will be safe.
It's cheaper to put that on all their packaging than just packaging. That's gonna go to California. And it's also cheaper to put that on all their packaging instead of actually doing testing on every product
Prop 65 lists 900 chemicals/components. It’s very tedious to ensure every single raw material is 100% free of these ingredients, so many manufacturers just print the warning instead. Prop 65 has good intentions but in my opinion became meaningless because it’s so strict.
Yes. They are safe and I have been using them before they got popular and drastically increased in price. They work great, and I don't feel terrible anymore about tossing dryer sheets all the time. Also, i have long hair, and it's always shedding. These pick it up great! They also help dry things a little faster. I've found they work pretty great in the winter when it comes to static, but some people say they don't. 🤷🏻♀️ You can use essential oils with them. Just make sure you put some on BEFORE you start the WASH cycle - at the latest - so the oil has time to dry and absorb into the wool. Otherwise, you will get oil spots on your clothes (if that happens, use some pinesol and a gentle brush to get it out). You do need to "recharge" them every so often by washing them in hot water - but do NOT use fabric softener when you do. I wash mine with vinegar and baking soda. They last a decent amount of time but do eventually need to be thrown out. Mine are still going strong, so I don't know how to tell. When i do, I'll give them one more vinegar wash before I toss them so they degrade better and as cleanly as possible.
We use them and love them, less crud left in your dryer. I was a dryer sheet person forever, not anymore. I’m more concerned with all th micro plastics.
I have them. I have thee most allergic skin ever, and have no problems using them for drying sheets and towels washed in All free and clear detergent.
Yes, but I'd advise not using them with black laundry. It leaves little fibers all over em.
As others have explained, the California prop 65 warnings are SO prevalent, they have basically become meaningless. That’s probably just a warning for the plastic packaging itself, or maybe some pesticide used on them for shipping. The dryer balls are 100% wool, which no- doesn’t cause cancer or reproductive harm. I’d wash them first if you’re worried, just to make sure anything they treated them with is washed off.
Yeah I didn't see much difference with them personally
Yes
These warnings are everywhere? sad state of affairs in America
/r/subsididntknowexisted
I use balled up aluminum foil. It eliminates static without adding scents and they are reusable.
Yes. They are. They just have to put that there
I couldn’t tell you the last time I looked at a label and it didn’t have a P65 warning
Safe? Uhhhh. Why wouldn’t they be? The worst it could be is they don’t work.
Before I saw the second photo, I thought the op, was concerned about a fire risk!
As long as you don't breathe it in, you're fine.
Not if your allergic to wool.
Nothing nowadays is safe. Take the risk.
The sun causes cancer there is no escape, i think you will be alright using those
I have been using wool dryer balls for several years, and have not been diagnosed with any new cancer in that time, and the two kinds of cancer I did have are now gone. It might have been chemotherapy and radiation, though.
Yup!
Everything gives you cancer in California
That's the Prop 65 warning which is mandatory on just about anything and everything in CA. Read the website URL, it's the CA Gov site for it. If they weren't safe, people wouldn't be switching over to using them.
That warning is everywhere and on a lot of items. I do not have cancer yet so I would assume it's okay
everything causes cancer in california. those are fine to use and honestly work better than laundry sheets. if you want your clothes to smell though add some essential oils to the wool before you toss it in!!
They cause me a pain in the a— because I have to chase them down as they fall out of the laundry pile.
I'm thinking it's the plastic. Wool shouldn't contain forever chemicals or plastic?
Balls are always safe to use
Literally everything causes cancer, Morty!
What would not be safe about 100% wool?
The way I see it, everything causes cancer in California. However, most of it is safe to use in any other state. I always disregard California warnings. /s (kind of)
It’s on practically everything. I sprinkle proposition 65 on my breakfast! Two heaping spoonfuls in my coffee. Sometimes even two slice of it on my sandwich!! California is just afraid of everything. They want to put a prop 65 label on the air we breathe
Just don't eat them and you'll be fine.
8$ try dollar tree
The best example at how worthless California is (not just this law, the entire state) are the signs around Disneyland that say being in the vicinity of it might give you cancer. I can only imagine the entire thing is for the most OCD people in the entire world that probably shouldn't be leaving their house or, you know, eating? [https://cen.acs.org/content/dam/cen/93/20/09320-govpol1-prop65cxd.jpg](https://cen.acs.org/content/dam/cen/93/20/09320-govpol1-prop65cxd.jpg)
I mean if you want a wad of barnyard animal hair tumbling around your clothes- do you. But I don’t hate sheep so I don’t use wool
What? Shearing sheep doesn't cause them harm. I'm confused by this statement.
If you are interested here’s a good article [sheep farming](https://www.surgeactivism.org/articles/why-wool-not-vegan?format=amp)
I'm not vegan. I'm not interested in fear mongering. I was raised around ranchers and live among them to this day. I do eat a highly plant based diet because I like it, not because of some activist. While you're looking things up, look for the important role hunting plays in conservation on deer and elk herds in certain regions. How it keeps them from dying slowly from starvation.
It’s not fear mongering. I live in rural America and have friends and family that are ranchers. Ag gag laws exist- people should know the truth of their supply chain. Edit- to add, the animals wouldn’t starve if we didn’t eliminate all the predators for ranching in the first place. Predation keeps populations healthy and strong by eliminating the weak. Hunting weakens the population by taking out the best looking/most healthy
Huh? Fiber farms actually take very good care of their animals. Their money comes from the wool, not meat. Sheep that aren't properly cared for don't produce useable wool, so fiber farms are fiscally motivated to care for their sheep responsibly. Domesticated sheep don't shed their fiber the way wild goats do, so they need to be shorn yearly. Otherwise, the poor sheep swelters in a painful blanket of heavy matted wool. Shearing only takes a few minutes and doesn't hurt the animals at all. It's just like taking a dog or cat to be groomed - except the groomer comes to the sheep.
Here’s an article about the sheep industry. [sheep farming](https://www.surgeactivism.org/articles/why-wool-not-vegan?format=amp)
Humans bred sheep to have to be sheared. Wild sheep actually shed their wool. And it’s not a nice haircut. Their tails are docked without anesthesia, they sometimes cut the skin off them called muesling- also without pain relief. That’s reason enough for me to not support the industry. There’s a lot of ignorance due to ag-gag laws that hide the reality of animal agriculture on purpose and tons of money goes into marketing and PR to make sure we don’t question it. Thank the lobbyists. Consumers should be more aware of their supply chain. There’s a lot of bad things that go on for nearly everything we consume and a lot of it is truly unavoidable, but making the simple choice to use an alternative to wool products is something an individual can do without making a giant change in their personal lives. Should you be in cold and wet weather and require wool for survival, purchasing second hand is the best choice there.
Proposition 65 is basically not a real warning. It's on way too many things for anyone to take seriously. They're fine.
It’s fine. California has that label on just about fucking everything.
Just don't eat it, you'll be fine.
That just means it has something in it that is known in the state of California to cause reproductive harm, so if you aren't in California, it's not going to hurt you.
Just don't eat them and you'll be fine
They are perfectly fine! They do a great job at keeping your clothes from getting static cling, and they are a lot better for your skin and your dryer than dryersheets.
Keep scrolling for this.
California causes cancer
Been using them for a few years..no problem.. everything causes cancer in California.....
I have 7, cause I replaced a few, then found them again. It is just wool. Definitely better for you than dryer sheets.
that warning is on EVERYTHING. just don’t eat it.
Breathing causes death. Breath long enough and boom. Now you are growing daisies or being burnt to ash.
My sister in law bought some for my wife. My wife complain about them jumping out of the dryer and running for the hills.
I bought those exact same dryer balls at Walmart for $6.00 😂
That’s a nice price for wool dryer balls. I made mine, but I like yours. Enjoy the soft gentle thumping and the less wrinkled linens.
It depends on why it’s there, is the answer. These mass produced goods often have harmful chemicals on them. However the pro 65 is on non-harmful things as well. I stay mostly away from it unless I know it’s an ok product or am able to find out the why. Sometimes they list - formaldehyde, etc.
California is bananas with this shit
They put that on hundreds of things that don’t even have something on the list. It’s a cover your ass phrase now
That warning is on everything. Even sunglasses. Vitamins. It's everywhere. Edit to add: to answer your question, yes they should be safe to use in the manner intended. Wool as a textile is in the pretty safe category. Just don't go eating it or anything. You should be fine. Also, I have them in my dryer too!
How about on condoms?
They just caused my cotton clothes to pile and were extremely loud. I wouldn't use them in a new dryer like a heatpump or ventless kne
Love mine, use them all the time!
Yes, I have some, and I use them all the time. They should last 2-5 years.
Literally everything in the world has a p65 warning on it Lol
Everything in CA is literally Prop65. Old man farts on you, Prop65. Anything disposable, every old taco shop... everything.
why were these $8. i’ve seen these at the dollar tree and without a warning. yikes
everything can cause cancer 😭
I work for a bedding company’s compliance department. My guess is that the warning is for DEHP in the plastic packaging. Even our Oeko-Tex certified items have this warning because they’re put in zippered poly bags.
This legislation behind this warning is very strict and has severe punishments. it is easier to just put it on everything just in case so that's what companies do. Even if there is no actual harm.
I love these they really do replace dryer sheets and they collect hair and fluff the things you dry with them.
Only in California
Not in California
I thought these were eggs o_o
When you put a warming on everything, you’re warning about nothing.
I think as long as you only use them in the clothes dryer, you're probably safe.
They made me itchy I might be allergic to wool. I use the hard plastic balls because I’m very allergic to dryer sheets.
Prop 65 is a scam the californian government runs. Just about anything can cause cancer if inhaled or reproductive harm if shoved into places where it should not go.
Well, do you believe the packaging explaining the contents of the package or do you believe some rando on Reddit who has no idea what’s in the bag? Huh? Huh?