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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

fabric softener: yes or no?

50 replies

NumberFour · 19/09/2008 07:17

One of my childminded children left her school jumper here last Friday so I washed it over the weekend for her. During the week she commented that her jumper smelt "horrible" since I washed it.

I gree that the softener I use has rather a strong perfume. But what do you think of using fabric softener? Do you or don't you? If you don't, are your clothes not a bit squeaky and scratchy?

OP posts:

MerryMarigold · 20/09/2008 05:48

I use it for some thing, not consistently. Tell you what smells lovely, the new Fairy condensed liquid. You definitely don't want to use any softener with that (I can't anyway, eczema), but it's a really nice 'washing' smell.

I've tried adding a few drops of essential oil to the fab con drawer, and clothes smell lovely when you hang them out, but fades quickly.

nannyL · 20/09/2008 10:32

I dont use it

its a petroleum bi-product and i really dont like the idea of petrochemicals being all over my clothes. (I own ecover softern but dotn use it often)

if i remember i put a glug of white vinegar in the softener bit of the drawer though.

Cant believ they said jumer smelt horrible i mean how rude, you were doing them a favour after all

all of my clothes remain super soft without it, so i really dont see the need.

jellyforbrains · 20/09/2008 11:01

I don't use fabric softener, but I sometimes put a bit of tea tree or lavender oil in the softener drawer. I have this that I use occasionally, but only if there are no nappies, wraps or towels in the wash. So not often as I usually put the wraps in with my clothes not the nappies.

I do line dry when I can though (weather permitting!) which I think smells nicer than anything.

claireybee · 20/09/2008 11:22

I do for some things not for others. I like crunchy towels so never use it on those, nappies I don't obviously, dc's clothes sometimes but only a teeny bit of pure/sensitive as dd reacts to anything else. My and dh's clothes I generally do, we don't have a dryer and I try to avoid ironing and find a bit of softener helps with this. I definitely don't use as much as it says on the bottle though, things feel really greasy if I do and I hate it. My dad uses tons of fabric softener and things always feel slimey when they come out of the machine and the smell from the duvet cover/ pillowcases etc gives me a headache when we stay there. Now I tend to put our bedlinen in the machine when we leave so it gets washed without and hope noone else stays in the meantime
I prefer the smell of washing powder to the softener anyway, especially if it is line dried. I am very sad though and get excited about sun just because it means I can hang my washing out

Original poster

NumberFour · 20/09/2008 14:23

Okay, I will be brave and go without! Thanks so much again for everyone's input. I must admit to being ignorant about the petrochemical content of softener, though. I have also heard of the white vinagar trick and will use that instead.

I also try to line dry as much as possible because I hate tumble dried stuff. It's a gorgeous day today (well, here anyway in Woking) to hang stuff out on the line!

OP posts:

Original poster

NumberFour · 20/09/2008 14:24

Oh, and as for the comment by the school girl, she tends to be a bit obnoxious at the best of times! It was a case of taking it from whence it came.

OP posts:

MsPontipine · 20/09/2008 20:47

I LOVE LOVE LOVE it and hate the feeling of clothes if haven't used it - even if use 2in1 still use softener too.

I have about 9 different bottles various fragrances and brands on my side in the kitchen so I have a good choice depending how my mood takes me.

Got SO excited the other day as Lenor appear to have a new range of Infusions - "Barefoot in the grass" "Breath of fresh air" and something about sunshine. I love visiting other supermarkets so I can try their own brands too. I will confess I have an extremely keen sense of smell (runs in family I recently discovered - nana, cousin and ds has too) and I just love nice smells! Equally am appalled by horrible ones (smelly hair is the worst smell ever) Through the various stages of laundry - out of machine - up on line - down off line - putting away I can not resist having a damn good sniff!!! (DS does now too!) My clothes feel fine - never greasey and I love how the smell can last for months on put away bedlinen etc.

Mum thinks I am mad and slightly obsessed when she sees all the bottles but in true loving motherly style she did willingly and cheerfully join in a game of "name that softener smell" on recent holiday. Love her!!

Am I mad?? I am not harming anyone and I smell nice! Beats that vile rancid didn't manage to get this dry before it went mouldy smell any day!!

expatinscotland · 20/09/2008 20:50

claireybee you are not alone.

i love to peg the washing out.

i like to iron it with Vapouresse afterwards, with the blue lid.

damn there is no better smell in the world!

traceybath · 20/09/2008 20:56

I do use lenor but use asda supercheap laundry liquid which is about £1.60 for 2litres. My mum always used/uses lenor and to me it just smells like home.

Love the smell of freshly hung out washing and take a ridiculous amount of enjoyment in seeing my washing neatly fluttering in the breeze.

M&S do a nice linen water for ironing which is lavender and like the white company one but only £1 for a litre.

Have also got a new tumble dryer after going without for 3 months. I got the hotpoint aquarius and its fab - clothes are so soft when i take them out of it.

Ceolas · 20/09/2008 21:01

I do use it although about half the amount recommended on the bottle.

Ceolas · 20/09/2008 21:01

And not on towels or nappies. I hate the feeling of towels washed with fabric softener. So slippery!

TooTicky · 20/09/2008 21:07

No no no no no!!!! It does smell horrendous. People who use it are just so used to it that they don't realise.
It's also very ungreen.
And most of the big brands are tested on animals.
Yuck yuck yuck.

ecoworrier · 22/09/2008 08:29

TooTicky, I agree 100%!

Fabric softener is the work of the devil, it's really vile stuff. Either that or the people who use it over-use it, I haven't worked out which!

It smells so gross, and so strong. I literally get headachy or start to cough or sneeze if I'm near people who use some brands. One of my sons has a friend, I don't know what brand his family uses but I can tell within seconds if this friend is in our house - even I'm a couple of rooms away!

I just don't get it. My washing is lovely without it, so I can't see the need for it. The power of marketing I suspect!

I don't know how old the child-minded girl is, but it may just have been a gut reaction rather than out-and-out rudeness - if I had been given a jumper to wear that had had fabric softener used on it, that would probably have been my instinctive reaction, although I hope I would have had the tact not to actually say it!

My children have sometimes lent their friends clothes for various reasons (getting muddy in garden or whatever), and whenever the clothes have been returned we have invariably had to re-wash them until the overpowering smell has gone and the children could bear to wear them again!

sarah293 · 22/09/2008 08:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ErnestTheBavarian · 22/09/2008 09:14

mil used FS. All her towels were totally waterproof. Might as well have rubbed down with a carrier bag after shower.

FS is madness I tell you

FluffyMummy123 · 22/09/2008 09:15

Message withdrawn

justaflyingvisit · 22/09/2008 09:17

I don't iron so i tend to use it, but maybe i wont anymore - its quite expensive isn't it. I have just bought the ASDA cheapo one and just about to get a load of washing out. Ive gone all hollier than thou since my tumble dryer broke and i flatly refuse to buy another, much to my DPs consternation. SO, maybe its time to ditch the softener. Maybe i should go the whole hog and buy a wash board - nay, thats 100 steps too far.

justaflyingvisit · 22/09/2008 09:18

I used to be a vet nurse and we would spray febreeze on ourselves whenever we got weed on - to be honest, i think i prefered the smell of piddle.

UpSinceCarpOClock · 22/09/2008 09:20

Stopped using it and use these instead. They are great and cut down drying time too (live in a flat so drying outside not an option for us)

Countingthegreyhairs · 22/09/2008 09:24

never use it
never understood why its needed tbh
waste of money
more detergent in to our water ways
I loathe all artificial scents though (scented candles I find particularly barf-some)
nearest I get is a vinegar rinse ....and a line dry

purpleflower · 22/09/2008 09:28

UpSinceCarpOClock, do you find those balls really noisy. I had to stop using them as they were so loud. The tumble drier is in the kitchen and I couldn't hear the TV in the living room.

UpSinceCarpOClock · 22/09/2008 09:38

purpleflower - yes I do, well quite noisy (not as noisy as my 2 year old though ). To be honest though, I think it's worth it for me. Our tumble dryer is in our bathroom so I just shut the door and I only need to use it for about 45 minutes (so clothes almost dry but not entirely), and then I hang the clothes on the clothes horse overnight and they're ready to put away in the morning, so I don't have a clothes horse cluttering up the flat all day

Without the dryer, it can take up to 2 days to dry a load of washing on the clothes horse in the flat, without the dryer balls, it would take almost an hour and a half to get the clothes to the same level of dryness, so for me I can def put up with the noise for 45 mins!

zippitippitoes · 22/09/2008 09:42

i hate it it smells vile and feels slimey on the clothes...they dont feel clean

and i hate the smell on people

who wants to smell of cheap scent

and like cheap scent the smell is even worse once the clothes have ben in a drawer all musty and yuk

purpleflower · 22/09/2008 10:24

I might try them again. They really annoyed me last time though.

UpSinceCarpOClock · 22/09/2008 10:49

Definitely not the nicest background noise, grant you that. Do you have an hour slot in your day where you have wild dc's running round creating a mega din? (Or is that just my family?!) Maybe do it then and you wouldn't even hear it

Also helps if you have a full load in the dryer as then it's more of a dull thud, otherwise they really rattle around and clunk if you only have a few bits and bobs in there.

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