What does fabric softener do?

Question

I have some, but I don't use it.

Answer 1

Certainly helps keep down on the static electricity, clothes are softer, smell good.

Answer 2

It softens your laundry. And makes them smell great (depending on what your idea of a great fragrance is), I like it, but that isn't very relevant for you.

Use it, your tees, jeans, sheets, towels, and evrything else will feel wonderful. If they don't feel very soft, you may want to add an extra capful or two. Jeans sometimes need extra, and it won't hurt anything else.

Be careful with your towels. If you use too much they will no longer be absorbent. If this happens, wash them in detergent and don't use any fabric softener at all. Your towels will absorb again.
You can continue to use fabric softener on them, but less than before.

Also, if you dry your laundry on a very high a setting (not really good for your things anyway, since this causes additional wear on your clothes) you may not notice any difference.

I learned a lot of these through my own trial & error over the years.

Bonus: If you put in to much detergent, fabric softener causes the suds to decrease. Try one capful, wait about 5 minutes. If you think you still have more suds than should be in the machine, add a second capful. Two should be more than enough. Don't panic, if the suds decrease significantly. Your detergent is still there, and your laundry will still be cleaned.

You can also go to downy.com and contac them with your questions.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Fabric Softener works a lot like hair conditioner. It adds non-aqueous based condtiioner to the fibers of your clothes (kinda-like lotion aound the fibers). This conditioner keeps them from storing a static charge (keeping them from static cling), it makes the clothes feel softer and more maleable, and can help protect them from the friction of wearing them making them last longer and preserve their color longer. There are some drawbacks. For most household fabrics, it is great but the conditioners will remove the chemical treatment that increases flame-retardency on children's clothing and furniture covers and it will reduce the ability of towels to absorb water (washing them once or twice with 1C of vinegar and no softener will bring them back). Fabric softener isn't a good idea for plastic mattress and pillow covers either but for everything else its awesome (it can actually help make your cloth tableclothes more water resistant and help them to repel spills a little better).
Hope that's what you needed.

Answer 4

Yes, clothes may be softer and smell good, but fabric softener removes fibres from cloth - and towels don't dry you so well after your bath.

Answer 5

The only time I find it useful is when drying permanent press clothes. It keeps the static electricity out. And I only use the sheets that you throw in the dryer.