to not use fabric conditioner?

[tobysmum77]

Seriously isn't it just a bit of a waste of money, well apart from a couple of dresses I have which go static without?

Is this just me (well and dm) ......... or not?

[CakeAndWineAreAFoodGroup]

Crikey, persuading OH to use the actual correct amount of washing powder was hard enough. He moved from a soft water area to a very hard water area and kept telling me that you don't need all that powder... as he never had to in his old house.

It wasn't until I sat him down to read the water company's website which stated that we are in a very hard water area that he actually listened to me (or believed it because it was on the internet?) and then suddenly clothes became clean once they were washed. Amazing.

I couldn't go through that trauma again to persuade him to use fabric softener too, I really couldn't take the stress!

[ToffeeCaramel]

I don't use fab co on towels and they are quite stiff, but I find they absorb water better without it, so I do them separately from the fab con stuff

[Mrsjayy]

I don't use it I was allergic to 1 brand couldn't be bothered to go through loads so don't bother my clothes are not stiff , I sometimes use bold if it is on offer thats a 2 in 1

[Mrsjayy]

I use white vinegar on the dogs bedding (mumsnet top tip) it smell clean and not wet doggy it is brilliant

[TattyDevine]

Love a scratchy towel

Generally other stuff is fine without, I used to use it for the nice smell but now use other things.

We are hard water which is artificially softened, which isn't the same as actual soft water but better than hard water

[ChippingInLovesChristmasLights]

Extremely hard water area here and I'm not ironing clothes instead. Nuts.

I use it in the clothes washes and bedding washes, but not the towels or tea towels.

Some give me. A headache though so I rarely change brand or fragrance.

[Mrsjayy]

Tbf we are in a soft water area so probably dont need it anyway

[ToffeeCaramel]

My favourites are Waitrose Cedarwood and Jasmine and Lenor cotton flower

[HomeyIDrankTheBeer]

Soft water area here, I switched to yellow ecover softener a couple of years ago after previously using comfort pure for everything except towels. I've since noticed a lot less holes in my clothes especially viscose type fabrics

The reason I switched was that I could not work out why my washing smelt of old fridges (slightly sweaty, oniony and just damp/musty) until I ran out of comfort one day, lo and behold the washing smelt fresh again. I was lured once by a comfort special offer during a tight budget week and the smell came back instantly, I had to give the bottle away, it was rank

I actually ran out of.ecover this weekend just gone, I kept on washing - clothes have smelt fine but a little stiff and DCs uniforms are.more creased. Was pleased to be able to buy some more today, but for the 2 loads I've done this evening, one of them I forgot to dose with softener anyway

[Summerisle1]

I don't use it. Horrible, over-fragranced chemical shit.

[Bunbaker]

Why are some people so smug about not using conditioner?

a) It isn't expensive
b) I like the smell of the one I use (Fairy)

[WhoKnowsWhereTheMistletoes]

We live in a very hard water area and never use it, I hate the fragrances and the way it makes the clothes feel all floppy. Only use half the recommended amount of (unfragranced) detergent too, everything still comes out clean.

[Eastpoint]

I've never used it, probably because my mother didn't & I don't understand what it does. Things seem to come out clean without it & that's good enough for me.

[ZanyMobster]

Personally I find things easier to iron if I use it but we are in a very hard water area so maybe that does make a difference.

You are not supposed to use fabric conditioner for towels anyway, they apparently lose their fluffiness if you do.

[PigeonPie]

Towels lose their fluffiness because the fibres are covered in chemicals from the conditioner which also reduces the absorbency as the fibres can't soak up the water; they then just act like a 'squeegee' pushing the water around rather than drying you off.

[tobysmum77]

Surely anything is expensive if you don't need it? Look after the pennies and all that. I honestly don't know how much it costs but the friend I was talking to mentioned this aspect.

But tbf the main reason I don't use it is I can't be arsed to open another bottle and tip it in the machine cos I'm slovenly

[londonrach]

Stamps foot!!! You need conditioner on towels or else they are stiff and feel like the 1980s.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

No if you use conditioner on towels they go all slimy and don't dry well.
And smell funny.

[Bunbaker]

My towels aren't slimy, and they smell nice.

[Fabulassie]

I used to work as a lab tech for P&G. One of my jobs was to make white cloth dingy so whitening agents could be tested. And one of the things I would use to make it dingy was fabric conditioner.

I never use it. For static (only a real problem in very cold climate) I use dryer sheets.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

Well, if fake "cotton flower" and "fresh mountain" or Lenor fresh is your idea of a nice smell, then I suppose they do.

[londonrach]

My towels are slimy and smell lovely and don't feel stiff! They also don't have that horrible stiff, cardboard strange feel when you touch them. (Stamps foot!!!!!!!)

[Hairtodaygonetomorrow]

I'm sorry to report to all the smug non-softener users that towels still absorb water just fine if you use a small amount of fabric conditioner, they don't just push the water round. How do you think we get dry with our daily showers, shake our bodies like a dog?!

I use one of those bottles every few weeks. I don't think £1 every 2/3 weeks or less is expensive.

When my children go to my mums to stay, they always mention hating the scratchy towels. I don't know if it is their age as well, but it is like drying with cardboard.

[londonrach]

Arent not are! (Im sure you realised that was a typo..throws ipad into washing machine without conditioner...that teach it!)

[londonrach]

Hair mine lasts 4-6 weeks (polishes halo)