Fabric Softener Makes Your Clothes LESS Absorbent #laundry

Did you know that fabric softener makes your clothing less absorbent? While the waxy coating is excellent at increasing surface area and making textiles soft, it also makes garments hydrophobic.

This is not ideal for garments who's main function is to wick away moisture (think undergarments, towels, workout clothing, and sheets).

More specifically, this is how fabric softener(s) works, "Fabric softeners coat the surface of a fabric with chemical compounds that are electrically charged, causing threads to "stand up" from the surface and thereby imparting a softer and fluffier texture. Cationic softeners bind by electrostatic attraction to the negatively charged groups on the surface of the fibers and neutralize their charge. The long aliphatic chains then line up towards the outside of the fiber, imparting lubricity".

For more cleaning/laundry tips and tricks feel free to throw me a sub here or on IG/TikTok @jeeves_ny

Happy cleaning :)

[sarag]

I have never found the need to buy an additional product, like fabric softener.
I just want my clothes clean. I don't want to buy something that has no purpose. I've always thought it was a bit of a racket

[jonlouis]

Ditching fabric softener years ago was a huge win. Who needs it? Vinegar in the rinse was a huge improvement.

[catabat]

When I lived in the dorms in college residents overused fabric softener and dryer sheets all the time, so it was inevitable that residue from those substances would end up on your clothes. Over the two years I lived in those dorms my towels became so hydrophobic I had to get new ones when I moved into my first apartment because they literally just smooshed the water around on my body after a shower instead of absorbing it 🥴

[DolphinTrashPrincess]

Hey this is a great thing for someone who works outside in the rain all the time

[amandaahlers]

Will you please do a video on the effects of scent boosters on fabrics? Love your channel ❤

[cuteologist]

I had to tell my mom to stop using fabric softener because I couldn't dry myself with our towels. I'd wipe my arm and it would still be just as wet.

[kirti]

I haven't used softener in forever, mostly because i just didn't really notice a difference in actual softness. Now i keep learning why that was a very good decision.

[artheaded]

Haven't use fabric softener in 20 years, don't miss it a bit, honestly don't think it was doing any thing!

[sombercat]

I got a secondhand shirt that I think was treated with fabric softener. How do you get fabric softener out of clothing?
Thank you for all your content. I've learned so much from your channel!

[tonystank_kick]

Im a dryclean owner crazy to see how big your company is you are world wide id love to know how that works

[massiepro]

After I stopped using fabric softener, my daughter’s eczema can be under controlled without steroids.

[landinxiii]

Hey! I just found your channel and it’s mad interesting! I doubt you’ll see this but if you do, do you have a guide on how to remove ink pen stains? Both my boyfriend and I work at a hospital so sometimes we end up leaving a pen in our scrub pockets and never realize ‘till all is washed and done! We have been struggling with this for ages! Thank you!

[rezzy]

For those genuinely wondering why underwear needs to be absorbent, it's because the vagina produces mucus to self-clean and you want that to be absorbed and not smoosh around and end up on your pants. This also applies to period blood, if you're not good with remembering the timing or tracking your cycle. And yes, it's kinda gross, but you do get used to it. Sort of. It's why if you're raised as a woman, you're taught to change your lower undies everyday. Bras, depending on how sweaty you are, can be stretched to a couple days just to prevent unnecessary damage from a washer.

[professorrosenstock]

This makes a lot of sense with my towels.

[BombasticSideEye]

Then you get my grandmother using sometimes as much as 2 cups of softener in her laundry 🤣🤣🤣

[DBJane]

Can I ask you a question? About sheets. I clean my parents airBnB and so often after guests leave, there are oilly imprints on the pillowcases and sheets.
My assumption is a combo of body oil, products applied before bed (oils/lotions), or some random thing I haven't thought of.
Please, before we have to throw out another set that isn't guest suitable, what should I do when I see oily looking spots on guest sheets?

[DeathyAS]

It also destroys your washer over time as it builds up.

[hanindhira]

could you do sodium percarbonate+hot water mix, and dish soap+citric acid mix to the test bcs this combo really common to do in my country.

[jonimather]

Now could you do the test after 3 hot washes and see what looks like, becuse i have used it forever off and on and not only are the towls etc. fluffier and softer; but they are more absorbent as well.

[britishfireworks]

Unrelated question but how come my cloths with logos ALWAYS crack after a few washes I’ve tried everything on Google but it still happens 😭😭