to think fabric softener is a waste of money?

[k2p2k2tog]

Know MN loves a laundry thread....

We don't use separate fabric softener or fabric conditioner in the washing machine. My clothes don't seem to be crusty or stinky washed with normal powder or the capsules and nothing else. No complaints from the other people who live in this house. Also the marketing of those "unstoppables" things - who on earth would want to walk around smelling of washing powder or fabric conditioner? Isn't that what body spray and perfume is for? And those products to get bacteria out of clothes - totally pointless for a normal wash.

All those plastic bottles of fabric conditioner.

I haven't used it for 20 odd years, even though I live in a hard water area. My clothes are soft enough for me, still last for years (even cheap clothes from primark) and smell clean, especially when they're line dried.
Ilostit I think it does leave a slightly slimy feel. It goes in the final rinse, so presumably some of it remains on the clothes. I noticed when my Mum washed some things for me with conditioner. They felt different, and I didn't like it. I guess it's what you're used to though.

I only started using it because I bought some by mistake, then realised it DID make a difference. (No tumble dryer here, if anyone's doing a spreadsheet!)

Now I add soda crystals because I read that they soften the water - can I stop using conditioner? Should I add vinegar too?

I guess it's a matter of preference. I haven't used it in years and our clothes and towels are definitely not cardboardy. If anything, the towels are too soft for me.. I like my towels to have a bit -a lot- of scrubbiness to them. Mind you, if I could dry myself with sandpaper I probably would.

I hate it, it leaves an oily residue and causes blank gunk in the drawer of the machine

Incredibly hard water here - I couldn’t manage without fabric softener, but I only use it on towels every so often because of the absorbency thing.

It’s the concentrated ones that gunk up your washing machine. I get round that by topping up the compartment with water.

We don’t use it either, the lady that does my laundry doesn’t like it. She used bio powder soda crystals and white vinegar.

Most of my clothes are decades old hand me downs, my bedding is quite thick very old cotton stuff and my towels are incredibly old (I did get some new ones recently but I don’t like them as much as the old ones even tho they are the same make) nothings been ruined.

@WorldWideWanderer

"It has never prevented them from being absorbant in my experience."

Having used towels in other houses that clearly have had a good amount of fabric conditioner used while washing them and my own where a very small amount is used just to stop them being too scratchy I can say that it does reduce absorbancy.

I use fabric conditioner, but not very much - certainly less than the bottle says. I normally use half the amount of washing powder as well - I'm in a soft water area - and everything comes out clean.

I use it. I don't like walking around wearing cardboard.
It's ok saying air drying gets your clothes lovely and soft, not everyone has space outside to do this.

I quite like rough clothes and towels... ironed and neat but rough. I am odd though ha

I don't have a tumble drier and if I hang my clothes outside they are promptly stolen, so I use it to avoid the slightly stale smell from drying clothes in the house

I think that's dreadful that you clothes will be stolen #afishnotabird, what is the world coming to.
Up thread someone said that fabric conditioner is not needed in the same way that hair conditioner isn't. I beg to differ here. I can remember the days before hair conditioner existed. I have coarse thick hair, and I can remember the agonies during childhood of trying to get a comb through the wet tangled mass, hair conditioner does away with such agonies straight away.
And I must be odd because actually I like my towels crispy, even more so if they smell fresh air/line dried. I always feel, as they rasp over my skin, they are exfoliating wonderfully.

I never use fabric conditioner as want clothes, towels, sheets to smell of nothing. Detergent/artificial flower smells give me a sore throat and make me sneeze.
So laundry always gets vinegar and a double rinse cycle. Comes out reasonably soft, it helps that we've got a water softener.

Don't use it, don't need it - the smell is beyond vile. I use Fairy non-bio tabs and my washing comes out smelling clean and soft.

I don't have a tumble drier and if I hang my clothes outside they are promptly stolen

My god, that's terrible.

It's pointless. I stopped using it when DS was born as he had excema. I noticed no difference in how soft the clothes are.

I realize I may be opening myself to ridicule here, but how much white vinegar should I use, should I put it in every wash, and would anyone like a bottle of fabric softener? Thank you

I love It. I can defo notice a difference if I don't us it.

the smell is beyond vile that made me laugh SilverySurfer. I'm imagining you sniffing all the hundreds of softeners in the supermarket aisle and pronouncing them all Vile!

(there is a fragrance free one if you ever want to reconsider or the Pure Cotton one basically smells of nothing)

MiaowTheCat

We always use fabric conditioner otherwise our clothes feel hard. We used fairy with the LO and it was fine.

Oh. And I wash a lot of my clothes by hand.

Ha ha Miaow

I do quite like using fabric conditioner so do use a small amount. I don't like the feel of the clothes without it but I do admit it makes the machine gunky.

I did try using vinegar, only a little and I have to say I really did think it made everything stink of vinegar even when I used essential oils with it.

On a separate note I think white vinegar is an excellent cleaner and am even getting used to the smell in the house as I associate it with the house being clean now .

I don't think I've ever used it
I remember when we used to get handed down clothes for DCs, sometimes they would absolutely stink of FC which also aggravated their eczema, and it would take many (I'm talking 3-5) washes before they could be used.
I like my clothes to smell of nothing, or fresh air, not chemicals.