In the EU, phthalates are banned in ALL products made for children under 3, so I was shocked to find that it is everywhere in the US: teethers, lotions, shampoo, baby bottles, toys, etc. The factories in China have two productions of toys; one with phthalates for the US and one without destined for the EU (Europe)!
(And don´t get me started on parabene preservatives in baby care products…)

If you are not sure, whether the toy is phthalate free: don´t buy SOFT plastic toys, unless it says “phthalate free” on the packaging. (Or let your kiddoes play with the dryer balls, haha)

Anyway, back to energy saving solutions:
We bought energy efficient (HE) front loader washing machine and dryer when moving here (the only kind available in Denmark, where I am from. Sorry – I will stop my European propaganda . They are XL and for a family of 5, I only wash about 4 loads a week. I wash one day a week, so our XL dryer is only on two cycles.

I save energy by only washing if clothes are soiled. Duh, but really: I teach my biggest to do the “smell-test” and check for stains. (She is the typical 9-year old, who changes outfits several times a day)

I don´t use fabric softener or drier sheets (or chloride), because I am trying to stay away from perfume while the kids are small and more prone to develop allergies.

If you are worried about static cling, avoid polyester and other synthetic materials all together – or drape them over the dryer, they will dry in no time.

I have experimented with using the “Express Wash” setting on the washer – and it gets just as clean in half the time (28 min. vs. 54min.) The same goes for using half the detergent recommended on the bottle!

PVC’s are bad because of the toxins released into the environment during production, the lack of recycling facilities (although I did find that all of our surrounding counties accept #3 plastics), and because of the plastic softeners (plasticizers or phthalates) often added to create soft plastic products like baby toys, shower curtains, drinking straws, vinyl flooring, and much more. The phthalate used in the dryer balls is dinonyl phthalate which appears thus far to be relatively ‘safe’. We’re going to continue to look for a similar product that is not made with PVC. If anyone finds one, please let us know.

We do have another product which serves as a dryer sheet substitute (lasts for 500 loads). It does not have the benefit of reduced drying time, but it does help to reduce static cling without the chemicals. It does not work as well for me as the dryer balls, but it might be a good option if you want to completely avoid PVC.

We’ll also be on the lookout for a good dryer rack as the old-fashioned way of drying clothes is the best solution of all.