We know. You love how your laundry smells and feels after you use fabric softener or conditioner. We totally understand.
The problem is, they’re not that great for your clothing or your towels. Here’s why you should rethink using them in your laundry routine.
Fabric softeners / conditioners (yes, they’re the same thing) or any other chemicals, lubricate and soften garments by adding a layer of wax and chemicals. This keeps clothing soft, wrinkle free, static free and, in most cases, add a pleasant fragrance to clothes. You might have also noticed that after using fabric conditioners on your garments, they turn out to be fluffier. This happens because the chemical also separates the fibres, therefore making the clothes fluffier. However, these layers of chemical keep building over time, killing the moisture absorbent and fire resistant properties of the fabric since they block all the pores in the structure of the fabric. This is especially bad for active wear, napkins and towels that are meant to absorb moisture.
Similarly, using fabric softeners or conditioners on kidswear or baby clothing, will kill the breathability of fabric. Since, babies and children have sensitive skin, this can cause rashes and skin infections. This also applies in case of blankets, since these chemicals block pores of the fabric making them rather suffocating than warm.
Fabric conditioners also block stains, making them harder to wash and remove. Excessive use of fabric chemicals leave blue-ish grey stains on clothes or make whites look dull. Some laundry chemicals are excessively hard on fabrics and cause them to shrink, fade or get damaged.
In addition to that, these chemicals are highly dangerous for health. Some of the components of fabric chemicals cause skin irritation, respiratory problems or more severe health issues like asthma. They also have a harmful effect on the environment and aquatic life.
Here are some DIY replacements to these chemicals.
➢ Add a quarter of baking soda or distilled vinegar to clothes. This will make your clothes soft.
➢ Place a piece of wadded aluminium foil in dryer with clothes, to cut off static.
➢ Use less detergent for softer clothes.
➢ Try wool dryer balls instead.
➢ Use a mix of baking soda, epsom salt and essential oil for softer and wrinkle free clothes.
