In the laundry, most of us are prone to overkill. We want beautifully clean, brilliantly white, soft and fluffy laundry results. And we don't measure. We pour stuff out of jugs, straight into the washer, often adding a second big glug just to make sure.

We use liquid fabric softener by the gallon and dryer sheets by the hundreds because there's no such thing as too soft when it comes to towels and sheets. And when things come out looking gray and feeling stiff and crunchy, what do we do? More detergent, more softener and even more dryer sheets!

The problem is product buildup that never gets rinsed out. Every time you do the laundry, more and more product gets left behind. This buildup of detergent and softeners can make appliances stink, colors look dingy, whites gray and linens feel stiff and scratchy. But that's not the worst.

The medical website WebMD reports that the perfumes and additives in laundry products may cause skin problems. Fabric softeners are very allergenic and can cause eczema, which appears as dry, itchy skin.

Dryer sheets contain volatile organic compounds such as acetaldehyde and butane, which can cause respiratory irritation. Quaternary ammonium compounds, which are chemicals in fabric softeners, have been linked to asthma. Acetone, also used in dryer sheets, can cause such nervous system effects as headaches and dizziness.

Ironically, commercial fabric softeners — liquid softener you put into the washing machine and sheets that go into the dryer — are not the way to turn out beautifully soft, fluffy clothes, sheets and towels. They are in fact the problem! The more you use them the less satisfactory and healthy your results will be.

MEASURE DETERGENT. Check the owners manual to discover the right amount of detergent for your particular washer. If yours is a high-efficiency, or HE, machine, it uses very little water. This is the reason you do not want to add more than you know will be adequately rinsed away.

NO COMMERCIAL SOFTENERS. Stop using liquid softeners and dryer sheets. Enjoy the savings.

DOUBLE-RINSE WITH VINEGAR. If you're coming off a laundry product high, you may need to double-rinse for a while to coax all of the detergent and product buildup out of your laundry. Adding 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the final rinse (fill the liquid softener dispenser and it will release automatically) does wonders to rinse out detergent and other product buildup. Don't worry. You only notice the vinegar smell when clothes are wet, not when they're dry, even if dried on a clothesline.

DRYER BALLS. They don't contain toxic chemicals. They last for thousands of loads, get rid of static cling and wrinkles, soften clothes, and actually save time and energy by cutting down on drying time. Dryer balls are the solution!

Dryer balls of 100 percent wool are the best dryer balls of all. They mechanically soften your laundry without any of the harmful chemicals you find in fabric softener or dryer sheets. They lift up and separate laundry while drying, reducing both the drying time and wrinkling. Wool dryer balls also retain the heat, which they then transfer to your clothes as they tumble. This further speeds up the drying process, saving energy and money.

We have many choices in dryer balls; however, I have determined that the very best inexpensive dryer balls are wool dryer balls by Smart Sheep (http://www.everydaycheapskate.com/wooldryer, about $17). This set of dryer balls will last for years and years without deteriorating, falling apart or losing the ability to turn out beautifully soft clothes and linens. These come in a six-pack and are very large, at 9 inches in circumference each. As dryer balls go, these are perfect in every way.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at mary@everydaycheapskate.com or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.