My mom can’t help but bring things over for Georgia. But she knows how frustrated I get with so much stuff, and that we really don’t need any more cheap 99 cent store toys that don’t get played with.

So now she brings over practical clothing items, or dress-up clothes -- which she has laundered. She must use some powerful laundry detergent, because, even after I’ve washed whatever she’s sent over, the scent still lingers. It’s perfumey, the scent of “clean.” It makes my mom happy, but it’s too strong for me. After a recent visit, Georgia asked, “Mommy, how come the clothes Gramma brings over smell pretty, and our clothes smell just plain?”

Well, at least she didn’t say our clothes stink! I’ve always thought that our clothes just smell clean. They don’t look that clean, as I am certainly no laundry goddess and Georgia is a self-described “messy girl” who likes to eat with her hands, paint with abandon and dig up bugs. I know the stains are clean, but long ago I gave up white whites over concerns about the use and manufacturing of chlorine bleach poisoning [1] the water supply.

I’ve always had a sensitive nose, but it seems like once I started on this greener path, my nose has been especially sensitive, particularly to strong, synthetic fragrance. Add to that the fact that I am a cheapo quite frugal, and you know why I usually cut my dryer sheets into small strips, which work just as well to keep down the static, while cutting some of the scent. Which also means they last a long time, and are something I rarely think about. But last week we were all out of dryer sheets so I was in the laundry aisle of the supermarket, with all the brightening, whitening promises of a gazillion dollar industry staring down at me from garish, colorful boxes and bottles.

I had a thought (no small task with a 4-year-old in tow)! They surely must have unscented dryer sheets, right? And yup, there, all fancily packaged, were some unscented dryer sheets. I checked the product information and had another “who knew?” moment. According to the clean team at Method [2], most dryer sheets contain animal ingredients! Animal ingredients in dryer sheets! Next you’ll tell me candy makers do animal testing [3]! But yes, they claim, the waxy stuff that keeps your clothes from attracting each other like a preschooler to princesses is animal tallow. OK, ewwwwwww. I don’t want to think of rendered animal products melting slowly all over my daughter’s footie pajamas. That doesn’t leave me feeling soft and cuddly.

I searched the internet for any other info about animal tallow in dryer sheets, and found that the major dryer sheet manufacturers are rather tight-lipped about their ingredients. Helpful scientist Frances Kozen [4] from Cornell University explains, “The fatty type molecules on dryer sheets may be quaternary ammonium compounds, sulfate compounds, or silicone derivatives.” That doesn’t sound like animal, so I don’t know what to think. I’m inclined to trust the people at Method, because they are saying the right words and making me feel good about buying their products. See? Clever environmentalists! They get me with their unscentyness and cute design, and after a glance at their web site I begin considering the Method method for all my cleaning needs.

I have to step back and remind myself I don’t really need all those nicely designed, comparatively green products, even if they do promise in their Humanifesto [5] that “once you clean up your home, a mess of other problems seem to disappear too.” It’s all so tempting, so hopeful. But for now, I’ll cut my new unscented dryer sheets into smaller strips and enjoy the illusion that I’m making the world a better place by doing laundry.