Our survey found that 53.9% of Millennials do not purchase fabric softener for themselves or their household, with the main reason (35.8%) being that they simply do not find fabric softener necessary for doing their laundry.
Effect on Fabric Performance: Fabric softeners can reduce the absorbency of towels and other fabrics, which is undesirable for items like bath towels or athletic wear. Cost: Fabric softeners can add to laundry costs, and some people may prefer to save money by not using them.
Some 58 percent of respondents stated they use fabric softener. The Survey Data Table for the Statista survey Cleaning Products in the United States 2018 contains the complete tables for the survey including various column headings.
“Overuse of fabric softeners over time starts to build a film and deposits [that] start to slow down drain time. It can actually start to fill the drain lines and then you get other dirt, debris, grime and things from the clothes that we pick up from the environment [that] start to cling even more,” Copeland explains.
As of 2009, nearly 80% of households in the United States had a mechanical clothes dryer. Consequently, fabric softeners are primarily used there to impart anti-static properties and fragrance to laundry.
The short answer is no, fabric softener is not a necessary component of washing your clothes. It's an additional substance with lubricating ingredients that help coat and soften fabric fibers and reduce static cling.
Distilled white vinegar has become our go-to natural fabric softener that also tackles laundry odours with ease. As a green alternative, it softens our clothes without the need for the harsh chemicals found in commercial fabric softeners.
It Can Cause Odors on Clothes
If it builds up too much, your clean laundry might start smelling like mold and mildew. If you are washing sweaty clothes like your gym wear, fabric softener can make the sweaty smell stick to your clothes.
If you have sensitive skin or allergies, you may want to avoid using dryer sheets. Chemicals and fragrances added to dryer sheets have been known to irritate skin, cause headaches, and even trigger asthma. Environmental concerns may also deter you from using dryer sheets.
Scent boosters give your clothes a stronger, longer-lasting scent after washing, whereas fabric softeners coat fibers to help soften clothes and reduce static cling on garments. Scent boosters do not leave residue on clothes.
Athletic or Performance Wear
The coating that fabric softeners and dryers sheets leave behind, lock sweat into the fabric and keep it from drying. This often leads to permanent odor from the bacteria locked in the fabric. Yuck!
Synthetic and water-resistant materials.
Fabric softener can wear down the effectiveness of water-resistant materials and synthetic fabrics such as polyester. A garment made with elastane, like spandex, can lose its ability to stretch and reshape itself.
The number one purpose is obviously to soften fabrics. You may live in a hard-water area and hate the roughness of freshly washed towels, you might dislike the way your cotton T-shirts feel when they've been dried on the line or maybe you simply prefer the smooth touch of sheets that have been washed with softener.
Baking Soda: Baking soda is another natural alternative that can help soften fabrics and eliminate odors. Adding half a cup to one cup of baking soda to the wash cycle can help soften clothes and neutralize odors. Wool Dryer Balls: Wool dryer balls are a specific type of dryer ball made from natural wool fibers.
Quats coat fabrics, smoothing fibers and making them feel softer to the touch. “Softener also may keep clothes looking better longer, because it reduces friction during drying. That helps prevent fibers from fraying,” says Jessica Ek, senior director of digital communications at the American Cleaning Institute.
Distilled White Vinegar Rinse
Adding one cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse cycle can give your clothes and linens the softness you desire without using dryer sheets. The mild acetic acid in the vinegar cuts through any detergent residue left in the fibers that makes the fabric feel scratchy.
Vinegar, especially white vinegar, has been a go-to natural cleaning agent for generations. When used in laundry, it acts as a fabric softener deodorizer and can even help remove soap residue. It's a natural way to soften clothes without introducing additional chemicals.
For example, dryer sheets can remove soap scum and hard water stains from bathroom and kitchen fixtures, wipe up problematic spills, and eliminate pet hair, dust, and lint. Scented dryer sheets can serve as makeshift deodorizers when placed inside smelly shoes, trash cans, gym bags, luggage, and camping gear.
“Not only can it irritate sensitive skin, but it can also leave a layer of residue on your clothes and reduce the absorption of your towels,” he told us. Fabric softeners work by depositing a layer of electrically charged chemical compounds on fabric.
Best Smelling Fabric Softeners on the Market
Downy Infusions Calm with lavender and vanilla is everyone's favorite because it has the relaxing fragrance, while Gain's Moonlight Breeze gives you fruity, exotic infusions in the laundry. Snuggle Blue Sparkle offers clean, fresh scents fit for every day.
Use baking soda and white vinegar to get rid of smells
A cup of baking soda is a great way to get rid of odors - in fact, it's one of the best. It absorbs smells by using its porous structure and neutralizing them. Distilled white vinegar is also an excellent substance when it comes to getting rid of nasty smells!
Wool dryer balls are made of all-natural products, last longer than dryer sheets, and are compostable when they're no longer being used in your laundry routine. They cut down on the amount of electricity you'll be using and don't contain harmful additives or single-use packaging.