If you're looking for ease and combating
You do not need either one, and it's better to use neither. Both serve pretty much the same purpose - they give clothes a nice smell, make them feel softer (only super noticeable if you air dry), and reduce static. But they do this by coating the fabric in chemical surfactants.
Cons of Fabric Softener
Builds Up on Clothes: Over time, fabric softeners can leave a residue on clothing, affecting their absorbency and breathability.
While it may be tempting to wash or dry workout clothes with fabric softener, don't. If they're composed of moisture-wicking performance fabric, it may do more harm than good. "The coating that fabric conditioner leaves behind can harm the ability for these fabrics to wick," says Richardson.
Dryer sheets often contain a mixture of fragrances, softening agents, and other chemical compounds that can leave a residue on clothing. For individuals with sensitive skin or those prone to allergies, the residue may lead to skin irritation, redness, or itching.
Our best overall pick is Downy Ultra Liquid Fabric Conditioner, which has a robust formula that offers seven different benefits (like wrinkle reduction, color protection, and freshness).
Vinegar: White vinegar can act as a natural fabric softener and odor neutralizer. Adding half a cup to one cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle can help soften fabrics, reduce static cling, and remove detergent residues.
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.
Fabric softener is fatty and clumpy by nature, which could eventually clog your washing machine's pipes and collect in the fabric softener dispenser. If you do not remove the residual softener, you could begin to see or smell mold in your washing machine. Neither clogging nor mold growth are desirable for your washer.
Vinegar: The Natural Alternative
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.
Most people are unaware of the fact that fabric softeners can be extremely harmful to plumbing and washing machines. In fact, they are one of the leading causes of severe clogs in both systems. If you use fabric softener regularly, you could be putting your plumbing and washing machine at risk!
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.
Downy Free & Gentle offers conditioning sensitive skin benefits that can reduce friction between clothes and skin, while Bounce Free & Gentle further enhances the fabric care process with an anti-static treatment specially formulated to repel animal hair from clothes.
It's made to lubricate your fabric fibers and add softness and freshness to your clothes. It also helps to reduce static, eliminate wrinkles, and keep your clothes from looking worn by preventing pilling and stretching.
Use dryer balls infused with your favorite scented oils
Simply add a few drops of your preferred oil, toss them into the dryer, and voila! Your laundry will come out smelling like a field of lavender or a tropical paradise. Not to mention, it's a more eco-friendly alternative to dryer sheets.
Cons Of Dryer Balls:
Make a loud noise when drying clothes. Wool can fall off with extended use and move into the lint drawer. Not as effective with large loads of laundry.
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.
A: As a rule, the more balls you use the better they work. However, as a guide you really need a minimum of three wool laundry dryer balls for small to medium loads; five for medium to large loads; and up to a dozen for large to huge loads. Q: How long do wool dryer balls last?
“Dryer sheets may be better than liquid softener, but they can leave a residue on the dryer moisture sensor reducing its effectiveness,” he says. Instead of a dryer sheet or fabric softener, you can try a piece of aluminum foil compressed into a ball.
Additionally, fabric softener can be potentially harmful to clothes over time as it may leave behind residues that can reduce the absorbency of fabric and contribute to the breakdown of fibers, says Cohoon.
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.
If your clothes often feel stiff after coming out of the laundry, adding some vinegar to the load can help. "Vinegar softens clothes by breaking down excess detergent that makes clothes feel stiff," says Patric Richardson of The Laundry Evangelist.
Combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 20-30 drops of essential oil in a container. Store the mixture and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup to your laundry during the rinse cycle.
For super soft towels, add fabric conditioner to your load of laundry. Pouring a bit of liquid fabric conditioner like Lenor into your machine's dispenser drawer will prevent your towels from fading, stretching and bobbling during the wash, acting as a lubricant and helping to make them feel soft.