Ah yes, the “fresh” smell of Bounce dryer sheets… brought to you by a chemical cocktail that could be giving you migraines.

That clean laundry scent? It’s actually volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—a fancy way of saying toxic air pollution. One study even found over 25 hazardous air pollutants wafting off scented laundry products.

(PubMed ID: 21350597, in case you thought I was just being dramatic.)

These little fragrance bombs are linked to headaches, asthma, hormone disruption, and a general feeling of “why do I feel like garbage every time I do laundry?”

And get this—“fragrance” can legally hide hundreds of chemicals. No label transparency. Just vibes and VOCs.

Brett and I ditched fabric softener over 5 years ago, and honestly? We don’t miss it one bit. Our laundry’s still clean, our noses don’t burn, and our house doesn’t smell like a synthetic flower trying too hard.

Ditch the Bounce. Get some wool dryer balls. Smell like nothing. Live longer.