What Does Fabric Softener Actually Do?

Fabric softeners work in the rinse cycle to coat fibers with softening ingredients to make fibers feel soft and silky to the touch. The coating helps reduce static cling and most liquid fabric softeners also add fragrance to our laundry. While you may picture a big bottle of liquid when you think of a fabric softener, dryer sheets, and dryer balls also soften fabrics. Let's explore more about what fabric softeners do in the laundry room.

How Does Fabric Softener Work?

Liquid fabric softener, often called fabric conditioner, contains lubricating ingredients that coat laundry fibers so they feel silkier and softer to the touch. The coating also adds a layer of protection to fibers to help prevent fading, stretching, and pilling. The softener contains cationic, positively charged ions that help combat the static electricity that forms when clothes are tumbled in an automatic dryer. The static electricity forms in the dryer as loose electrons give clothing atoms a negative charge. The fabric softener helps balance the electrons and ions to prevent static cling.

Dryer sheets are made of non-woven synthetic fabric coated with fabric-softening ingredients manufactured with quaternary ammonium salt or oil-based silicone components. The heat in the dryer melts the fabric softener coating that is then transferred to fabrics to reduce static electricity and make them feel softer to the touch.

Benefits Of Using Fabric Softener

• Softer Fibers: Garments and linen treated with liquid fabric softener feel smoother and softer to the skin.
• Less Static Cling: Fabric softener or dryer sheets reduce static cling in clothes tumbled in an automatic dryer.
• Fewer Wrinkles: Because fabric softener or conditioner coats fabric fibers, they are less likely to have deep wrinkles.
• Fragrance: While there are unscented fabric softeners and dryer sheets, most formulas contain fragrances that remain in fabrics.

Considerations When Using Fabric Softener

One of the most important considerations when using fabric softener is proper dosage. Overdosing can leave so much residue on fibers that they can no longer perform as intended. Too much fabric softener can reduce the absorption or moisture-wicking factors of towels and athletic wear. Too much fabric softener can also trap odors and stains making them difficult to remove.

Residue from fabric softeners leaves a coating in washer and dryer drums that can cause issues with the appliances’ performance. The residue left in high-efficiency washers, especially front-load washers, that use lower levels of rinse water provides food for mold and mildew leading to odor problems. In the dryer, residue from dryer sheets and fabric softener-coated clothes can coat moisture sensors causing overheating issues.

How Often Should I Use Fabric Softener?

Fabric softener can be used in every load of laundry. However, there are exceptions, like children’s sleepwear, when it is not best to add fabric softener. You can alleviate some problems by reducing the amount of fabric softener used. To prevent overdosing, try using half of the recommended amount listed on the label. You may find that your laundry feels just as soft and you can increase the amount if you want to use more.

Can Fabric Softener Be Used On All Types of Fabric?

For safety and optimum performance, you should not use fabric softener when washing these items:

• Children’s pajamas or any flame-resistant clothing: Never use fabric softener because it reduces the self-extinguishing properties of the fabric.
• Water-repellent fabrics: It can damage the coating and reduce water resistance.
• Microfiber cleaning towels: The oils and conditioners in fabric softener bond with the synthetic microfibers causing a loss in absorbency. 
• Compression garments and synthetic fiber athletic wear: Reduces breathability and moisture-wicking.
• Microfiber fleece jackets: It leaves a coating on fibers that reduces breathability.
  

Alternatives To Fabric Softener

You can achieve many of the benefits of commercial fabric softeners with other products.

Distilled White Vinegar

Detergent residue and soil trapped in fibers leave clothes feeling stiff and not smelling fresh. Add 1/2 to one cup of vinegar, based on the size of the laundry load, to the rinse cycle to strip away the residue.

You can also make vinegar “dryer sheets”. Pour one cup of distilled white vinegar into a sealable plastic container. Add two or three thin, white cotton washcloths. Before each use, squeeze out the excess vinegar and toss the washcloth in the dryer with a wet load of laundry.

Dryer Balls

Wool dryer balls reduce static by equalizing electrons and ions in the dryer. They also speed up drying time by keeping clothes separated and help reduce wrinkles and stiffness caused by overheating fabrics.

Can Fabric Softener Be Used with Sensitive Skin?

To prevent irritation to sensitive skin, choose a commercial fabric softener that does not contain dyes or fragrances. These ingredients are the most common cause of skin irritation according to dermatologists.