No. It reduces absorbency and makes clothes more flammable, if then placed in tumble dryers. Most brands also contain palm oil and are tested on animals. Fabric conditioners simply contain positive ions to attract negatively charged static to ‘retain shape of clothes and speed up drying’.
One brand even claims their fabric conditioner is linked to ‘higher levels of confidence and happiness’. If that’s all it takes to make someone happy, they must have a blessed life! The same company then goes onto to say their products may contain animal ingredients, as there are no suitable alternatives?
One expert suggests never using fabric softener on clothing for babies and children. This is because it can reduce flame resistance of clothes that stop them catching fire. The CEO of Laundryheap say it can also irritate young skin. Flammability increases due to containing flammable emulsifiers and alcohol ethoxylates. Martha Stewart’s website reiterates this and also not to use fabric conditioner for many other types of clothing including:
- Delicate wools as they lose their texture, just wash with soap
- Not that we recommend down-filled coats and comforters for animal welfare reasons. But if you use them, using fabric conditioner coats and flattens feathers, so tiny air spaces are filled, to create waxy film.
- Swimwear and sportswear. These don’t absorb water, so fabric conditioners attract moisture, slow drying and create mould.
- Towels – become less absorbent. Same reason why fabric conditioner is never recommended for use with washable nappies or sanitary towels.
- Linen is naturally crumply and this is due to spaces between the threads to make it breathable, again using fabric conditioner coats them.
White vinegar is nature’s fabric conditioner. Just add half a cup to dispenser or final rinse cycle. The smell dissipates so your clothes won’t smell like a bag of chips! Or add half cup of bicarbonate of soda to rinse cycle or with the normal wash load.
To make homemade fabric conditioner, mix 6 cups of white vinegar with 1 cup of baking soda. Vinegar cuts through acid and limescale (run an empty cycle with white vinegar once month to prevent washing machine limescale).
