What Does Fabric Conditioner Do? And Should I Use It?
I hear people on the internet recommend to not use Fabric Conditioner in their laundry to save the durability of the clothes. In my country, it was the norm to use Fabric Conditioner during laundry so I was at a lost.
Is it actually necessary?
It’s an acid that chemically breaks down the fibers in the cloths, this makes them softer. Some like the feel of it. However, it also weakens the fabric, causing the clothes ware out faster.
If you like the extra soft clothes, and don’t mind replacing them often, it’s fine.
If your clothes are rather expensive, and you want to keep them as long as possible, it’d be better avoid Fabric Softener/Conditioner. In fact use cold water, and Woolite Dark detergent (or whatever local equivalent you have) for maximum longevity of your cloths, color white or other.I got that advice from a metal music fan site, offering care instructions for collectable tour shirts that you want to ensure remain a black as your soul. They actually suggested using water form a Nordic iceberg, since that’s where all the blackest metal comes from anyway. It was very funny. I’ll try to see if it’s still online.
Edit: I miss remembered much of it, like the Nordic Ice. And the original appears to be gone. But someone else has clipped the important bit.
… for you, the truly elite metalheads, I am here to bestow the darkest secrets of Laundromancy upon thee. I have consulted tomes of ancient wisdom (i.e., I asked my mom) in preparing this guide. May it serve you well… in darkness:
- WOOLITE IST KRIEG. Your precious metal shirts are meant to be handwashed, so as to preserve the ink prints and the integrity of the fabric. Woolite is expensive, but it is an investment in your metal cred. In recent years, WOOLITE DARK has been introduced, formulated for dark clothes exclusively. USE IT! Immortal would endorse no less.
- COLD WASH ONLY. Allow your clothes to soak in waters as cold as the rivers of Blashyrkh itself, without agitation. HAND WASH, or use the “hand washables” cycle on your washing machine. Your precious metal shirts get enough violent agitation when you’re wearing them in the mosh pit.
- NEVER USE FABRIC SOFTENER ON METAL SHIRTS. “Softener” on a metal shirt? Are you kidding? Does the Snuggle bear really look like he knows the difference between Iron Maiden and Iron Angel? Not only should true metalheads welcome and relish Unsoftness, but fabric softener works by expanding the fibers of the fabric, thereby subjecting your battle armor to undue wear and tear. There’s time for that later.
- AIR DRY ONLY. Dryers are false metal. The cold north winds will serve you well. But keep them out of the sun’s rays! The sun, as always, is the enemy of darkness.
To add on to this:
General advice for clothing longevity is to always wash cold and hang dry. Taking it a step further though you can make sure all of your zippers are closed prior to going into the laundry so they don’t catch or scratch your other garments in the jumble. Extra sensitive clothings like athletic wear, lace, and other delicate fabrics can be placed into mesh bags for added protection (just search for “mesh laundry bag” at your preferred home goods retailer to find some). You can also wash garments inside out to mitigate wear on the outside surface or designs.
I second the woolite dark recommendation, and add that you really don’t need to use much in each load. Modern detergents and washing machines are pretty powerful, so less is more in this case.
If you don’t like how your clothing is a little crunchy after hang-drying you can toss it in the dryer on the tumble setting (or whatever the NO HEAT setting is called on yours) for 10-20 minutes and the garment will soften right up. This is generally more of a concern with natural fibers (cotton, wool, etc.) than synthetic (polyester, lycra, etc.).
If you don’t have time for all that drying, use the lowest possible heat setting on your dryer, and pull the clothes just before they are totally dry if you can. They don’t need to be damp, but even just letting them finish out the last 10% of drying in room temp can be beneficial as dryers tend to over dry clothes which can also be harmful to the garment over time due to applying heat to a dry garment much longer than needed. Depending on your dryer the “delicates” setting may also help to mitigate some of this.
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Great advise. I have always been into fashion and spend prefer to have excitement clothes albeit a lesser quantity. I’ve always washed cold and hang dried. It takes more effort, but I have some tshirts that have lasted 20 years.
This is good to know. I might get a small bottle of fabric softener just for items that I’d actually like to break down a little bit. Like new towels that aren’t as absorbent as old towels. Or brand new jeans that are too stiff.
Products like “Downy” and “Bounce”(in the US) add fragrance and a waxy coating to clothing to make it smell good and feel softer. Some people think the wax makes towels and washcloths less absorbent. Some also have said that the product builds up on clothing over time.
Found the Big Dryer Sheet guy! (/j)
but, seriously, the only people that don’t say that are the people making the dryer sheets… and they’re really not going to tell you not to use their product.
wax, historically, was used to weatherproof clothing prior to modern synthetics. It’s hydrophobic, meaning that it repels (or is repelled by,) water. applying that to a towel will absolutely make it less absorbent (and therefore suck at it’s job.)
And the wax can build up in the washer causing all sorts of issues, particularly in front loaders
I use vinegar instead
Same with great results! Especially if you have hard water.
Adds a great scent, too! I don’t need it though because the bacteria living on my feet already make plenty.
I do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets. I don’t need more chemicals or scents in my life.
If things have static after the dryer I rub then with a metal hanger.
I also use laundry powder. Hard to find but I found it at Costco business. No need to truck water all over hell when my machine adds water first thing.
I guess my next question would be about dryer sheets? why do we use them? why do we not need them?
Same reasons as laundry conditioner with the added benefit of removing static from clothing that’s been run through a clothes dryer.
This matches my understanding. Dryer sheets are fabric softener that works in your dryer and they also reduce static electricity.
You can remove static electricity from clothes via contact with bare metal. I use a metal clothes hanger because it is a convienient shape/size but any metal will work. I thought about removing paint from the front of my dryer and rubbing clothes on that. Or use bare electrical wire which you could connect to ground in an outlet.
Powder is mostly filler though
This is a pretty good summary:
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/what-is-fabric-softener-do-you-actually-need-it/100370322
I don’t think any of that is necessary. I was using hypoallergenic dryer sheets and found they temporarily plug up washcloths and towels, so they are way less absorbent. I bought a 6 pack of wool balls, and they don’t get everything as soft, but they do a decent job. With the balls, absorbency is back and no static cling. Buy one time.
We did exactly the same thing for the same reason.
Personal preference really. I don’t with soft water in Scotland. And generally wash at 40, air dry (dehumidifier a must for a family), and don’t iron. Using a non-bio powder. I also add a colour catcher though, which keeps those black metals blacker
Without it, my socks wear through very quickly.
