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While there’s nothing like the fresh clean scent from a dryer sheets, experts say they also may be hazardous to your clothes. Here are 10 alternatives if you decide to try something else:

1. Line Dry: Dry your clothes naturally on indoor or outdoor drying racks.
2. Remove While Slightly Damp: Dry clothes at a lower temperature and remove them from the dryer before they’re completely dry. This remaining moisture helps prevent static cling.
3. Shake, Shake, Shake: Once out of the dryer, giving your clothes a good shake helps remove any remaining static.
4. Separate the Synthetics: Launder natural and synthetic fabrics separately, as synthetics (nylon, rayon, etc.) are responsible for most of the static. A dryer full of natural fiber garments is less likely to come out all staticky—particularly if not overdried. Synthetics often air dry quickly.
5. Aluminum Foil: Several sources report that placing a wad of aluminum foil in the dryer with your clothes helps eliminate static.
6. Baking Soda: Baking soda works as a fabric softener by softening the water (changing its pH). Try adding one-quarter to one-half cup baking soda to your wash cycle.
7. White Vinegar: Vinegar can also work as a fabric softener, especially if you have mineral rich “hard” water. Try adding one-half cup to the wash or rinse cycle. In the rinse cycle, vinegar will additionally reduce static cling.
8. Vinegar and Essential Oils Spray: Fill a spray bottle with one cup of white vinegar and 1.5 teaspoons essential oil, such as eucalyptus. Shake well and then apply 10 to 15 squirts to your wet clothes before starting the dryer. The vinegar smell will be gone when the clothes are dry. Eucalyptus oil, geranium, citrus, lavender, mint, and pine are other options.
9. Homemade Dryer Sheets: It’s not difficult to make your own eco-friendly, cost-effective dryer sheets out of old dish towels, bed linens, t-shirts or other cotton fabrics. Visit View From the Fridge or Wellness Mama for instructions. There are also reusable, eco-friendly, static-eliminating dryer sheets on the market today.
10. Dryer Balls: Dryer balls made from natural fibers (typically wool) are a super cool option. They wick out moisture and create air space between your clothes as they tumble around, reducing drying time and lowering the electrical charge that accumulates when fabrics rub against each other, thereby reducing static cling. Just like with homemade dryer sheets, you can dab them with a few small drops of essential oil. Let the oil fully soak into the dryer balls for ten to 20 minutes before using them.

Encompass on Sept. 14 participated in a panel discussion entitled “Cost Management and the Supply Chain” at this week’s 8th Annual Extended Warranty & Service Contract Innovations event in Nashville. Encompass panelists included Stacy Golden, director of Operations and Compliance; Mark Frye, Customer Support senior manager; and John Sessions, TPA Development.

From left: Stacy Golden, Mark Frye, John Sessions

The discussion centered on how warranty companies and manufacturers may want to consider outsourcing parts supply to save on labor and infrastructure costs; minimize buyouts; expedite claims processing; and enhance customer service among many other benefits to consider.

Integrating systems with service dispatch, claims processor and field service networks was also explored as a complement to parts supply chain management outsourcing.

Special thanks to our valued business partner Centricity — a top service and protection plan provider — for sharing this opportunity with us!

Jeimy Arias and D’Armee White

Encompass is pleased to announce our latest Employees of the Month: Jeimy Arias, Accounts Receivable, and D’Armee White, Warehouse. Both are based at our Lawrenceville, GA headquarters facility.

Jeimy has been with Encompass since 2012 and is always willing to assist her co-workers to resolve any issues. She goes above and beyond to participate in activities and is currently a member of both the Safety and Spirit committees.

D’Armee has made his mark after being on the job for less than a year. He’s a dependable hard worker who continually seeks to learn new skills and problem solve.

Congratulations to both Jeimy and D’Armee! Thank you for all you do!

Encompass is pleased to announce two new significant hires in our Accounting and Operations teams. In addition, Stacy Golden has been appointed to the position of Director of Operations and Compliance responsible for both the Georgia and Florida warehouse teams. She will report to Senior Vice President of Operations Scott Cameron.

Brian Siegler recently joined the company as company Controller reporting to CFO Lanier Bivings. He has many years of experience within multiple industries, most recently frozen food manufacturing.  Brian is excited about the opportunity to provide guidance and value as we continue to grow Encompass.

Kristin Thomas has been hired as our first Import/Export Specialist reporting to Stacy Golden, who will maintain responsibility for Trade Compliance. Kristin has 10+ years of Import/Export Compliance experience having worked with importers and logistics and freight forwarding companies. She will be responsible for overseeing the import/export processes for our company locations with primary focus on ensuring compliance with all U.S. and foreign government regulations. One of her key tasks will be reviewing transportation documentation for accurate tariff classifications, country of origin and valuation.

Pictured above left is Eddie Cafferty with SVP Joe Hurley (left) and President & CEO Robert Coolidge. At right is pictured Jim Scarff with Joe and Robert.

Encompass is pleased to announce the Encompass Salesperson of the Year for 2016 is Eddie Cafferty! Eddie has been with the company since 2007 and focuses on Computer parts sales. He was instrumental in growing our partnership with Lenovo for parts support.

We are also excited to announce that Jim Scarff has been presented with an Operations Excellence Award for his efforts to improve efficiency and productivity across the organization.

Both men were recognized during Encompass’ annual Business Development meeting held this week in Ft. Lauderdale.

Encompass is pleased to announce our Employees of the Month for November and December: Dana Fordham, Florida Purchasing, and Valerie Christian, Georgia Accounting.

Dana has continuously excelled in all aspects of her job and has taken on more difficult roles since she has joined the Purchasing team in 2013. Valerie, who also joined the company in 2013, is a hard worker with a remarkable attitude who always strives to help not only customers, but employees within and outside her department.

Thank you both for all you do!

Dana Fordham

Valerie Christian with Service Solutions Director Tom Sutlive

Encompass is pleased to announce the company’s Employee of the Month for August is Suklall “Bobby” Itwaru, Georgia Warehouse. Bobby celebrated his 10^th anniversary with Encompass last month and is known for always being on time and rarely calling off.

He is a hard-working “Jack of all trades” who goes above and beyond to get the job done. He is said to be a “very innovative thinker” who is great at strategizing. He excels at multi-tasking and prioritizing, while always willing to lend a hand to a co-worker. While dedicated to his job, Bobby also has a great sense of humor and is fun to be around. As one co-worker so aptly put it, “At Encompass, everyone loves Bobby!”

Encompass has expanded our social media presence onto Instagram! We’ll be showcasing our team members who are working hard for our customers every day. We’ll also be giving you a tour of our facilities for those who can’t visit us in person. Please take a look and support our page — @encompassparts!

When Encompass Georgia staff take a break, they can relax in our Tiki Bar-themed break room!

Encompass Warehouse Manager Fuji Ramanan (left) presents a Supplier of the Year Award to Armor Packaging Rep Brian Jarvis

Encompass is pleased to present Armor Packaging with a Supplier of the Year award for going above and beyond to ensure all our packing material needs are met. Rep Brian Jarvis stops by several times a week to check on our supplies and see if we need any assistance. Armor helped us with the purchase of our new Priority Pak machine, which significantly increases our packing speed. They even volunteered their vehicles when we consolidated facilities in Lawrenceville, Ga. During our recent Family Day at a Gwinnett Braves game in Georgia, Armor was there tending to the grill on a 100-degree day.

Thank you, Armor, for your support and everything you do to help us serve our valued customers!