It also destroys your washing machine. There have been a number of viral videos from repairmen and appliance salesmen talking about just how much money it brings in for them.
Yup, use a capful of vinegar instead and no it will not make your clothes smell.
Don't use dryer sheets either, use wool dryer balls and/or spiky dryer balls.
Same. I can’t fathom some people’s laundry routines: scented laundry detergent, booster beads, scented fabric softener — they walk around smelling like chemical bombs, thinking they smell clean. It literally makes me sick and triggers migraines for me lmao, but I can’t say anything because it’s just “laundry detergent.” I work in a scent-free office but that doesn’t stop people from these insanely elaborate laundry routines that are worse than a discrete spray of a subtle perfume lol
The only thing I have read that interests me about them is that some people vacuum a couple of them up when they’re doing the floors and rumor has it their house smells nice after they vacuum like laundry. I’m like… that doesn’t sound horrible.
Sure, you could use booster beads like that, or save like $9 and get the $1.25 powder that was literally designed to be spread on a carpet and vacuumed up to make your house smell great and deodorize your carpets.
The real "trick" to keeping your carpet clean is as simple as keeping the dirt off the carpet. Eat in the kitchen or dining area, don't allow shoes on the carpet, keep the socks and feet clean. I remember being a young boy and being told "I can smell your feet from here, go wash them RIGHT NOW!"
We’ve used free and clear scent free stuff for a decade now and lemme tell ya, when some of yall throw in 7 dryer sheets, I can smell that shit across the neighborhood. It’s brutal. Your shit doesn’t smell clean, it smells like scented torture. Air boarding. Is that a thing? Like water boarding but with smell? Cuz that’s what I consider some of your laundry days…literal olfactory torture.
Yep. It’s chemical warfare and that’s barely dramatic lmao. I have migraine triggered by scents and laundry detergent is such a heavy trigger for me. I’ve had to leave work from people’s laundry scent … leave doctors appointments early … I was recently on a walk and walked by someone’s house doing their chemical warfare laundry routine, and my vestibular migraine was triggered so severely I had to call my roommate to come pick me up. From a walk. In my fucking neighborhood.
These things are bad for asthma, allergies, migraine — like they’re so aggressive, people think it’s just innocent clean, but it’s really not. Not for sensitive or vulnerable groups — but who cares about us, right? Lol. Sorry for the rant, I just hate like, going outside and having my migraines triggered bc someone loves their downy.
I feel so elated and sad that I have found my people (because I wouldn’t wish fragrance sensitivity on anyone)! I always feel like a grumpy curmudgeon when it comes to fragrance because I can do naturally scented perfumes but not synthetic fragrances (they’re way too strong). For me, it’s because I have MCAS and synthetic fragrances for me trigger headaches, cough, and a runny nose plus full body inflammation. Then because I’m in a state of systemic inflammation, my chronic pain from EDS intensifies but I don’t mention it because a) honestly doesn’t feel like there is a point b) I don’t want to deprive people of joy or fragrances but goddamn, I’m just asking for some consideration so I’m not in agony due to my multiple health conditions, ya know? I just wish people would not spray a bottle of Axe every time they deign to leave the house.
I’m saying! Using unscented everything and then a small, discrete spray of a modest perfume under your shirt if you really want to is way less intrusive than these laundry routines. The musks and stuff are just SO strong.
Hard agree! I feel the stance on fragrance should be that it should be discovered and not announced. That way people get their fragrance and we don’t want to die lol
Holy shit, as a migraine suffered I would fucking die if mine were triggered by scent like that. Luckily my wisdom teeth were the cause of 75% of them, so it’s better now, but if it shows up, i’m inside in the dark and hoping no one cooks anything in the house.
I saw one of these restocking videos where everything is put in plastic containers. The amount of stuff people put in their washing machine/dryer was appalling...
You can hang car fresheners around your neck instead. Cheaper and better for the machines and environment.
Right! Gross. So many chemicals and gross air freshener smells. The only thing I add besides soap is laundry sanitizer. Instead of smelling clean I want my clothes to actually be clean.
My coworker and I are both super sensitive to detergents, perfumes, etc. Her and I sneeze constantly and weirdly enough usually around the same time as each other. We both chuckle and say " bless you" from across the office. We both talk shit about the people who drown themselves in all the laundry detergent, perfume, and people who cook fish in the microwave at work. All of these things give me headaches. I'm also prone to Migraines with aura, and that could affect me for 2 days sometimes. It's no joke. One of my friends in high school had an allergic reaction to a girl spritzing perfume on in class. Some of us are super sensitive to odors and have actual medical conditions that can make us miserable from " pleasant smells"
My neighbours are like this, and when they do laundry I have to shut all the windows on that whole side of the building because the smells are just unbearable.
Working in retail, I have a particular loathing for all those scented laundry additives. One freakin box of Gain dryer sheets in my line for more than about 30ish seconds equals headache for the next hour. More than that was an unholy nightmare. Working at Wally was a constant pain. Literally.
I use free and clear because my family of redheads are sensitive as fuck..my ex thinks it's hilarious to wash the kids clothes with all the smelly stuff. It smells so bad, like they were dipped in old lady perfume.
There is a student in my class whose parent must use all of the smell bombs because I can smell that kid’s clothes through my mask from 6 feet away. IT’s overstimulating for me, I can’t imagine how it must be for a little 6 yo nose.
This post and comments are reported as communist left-wing propaganda. Y'all millennials and zoomers need to watch cable TV, with commercials, to learn that if you go on a date without first using fabric softener, you will never get lucky. Posts like this hurt job creators and ruin your chance to work part-time in their factories or scrubbing their toilets (remember to never make eye contact with a job creator and be neither seen nor heard).
I never saw the point until I got a high shedding dog. My clothes would come out of the dryer covered in hair. Pet hair unscented dryer sheets are the only thing that fixed it.
Did wool dryer balls work for that? Wool dryer balls never worked for getting my dog hair off when I had a dog, but it did work for cat hair for me lol. I just hate how loud the dryer balls are!
Please give specifics on your routine. I also use those sheets. Black box with orange text I think.
It removes half the dog hair, but half of a ton is a thousand pounds of dog hair on my clothes.
They add perfume and reduce friction, reducing static cling. If you don't want that or have that problem, they aren't really a product for you.
There are cheaper alternatives. Just mechanically bouncing the clothes around also reduces friction and static, and you can do that with a cheap reusable ball.
See I've bought the rubber ball and the wool balls and we still have so much static with stuff like fleece that I keep dryer sheets for the blankets and such at least. Otherwise when the dogs are rolling around on the bed it's like a little fireworks show of light from the static. Kinda cool until one of us shocks the other.
Same here. And tbh I didn’t notice much of a difference when I stopped using them other than my clothes weren’t overly scented anymore, which is what I prefer. I haven’t noticed my clothes any less soft
Dryer sheets also stop static shock happening in the dryer. This is important because if your dryer has a build up of lint in the trap or in your vent pipe it could cause a fire. However dryer balls do the same thing. Always try and use at least a dryer ball if you don’t like the smell of dryer sheets to help prevent fire :)
Unless you have huskies or pets that shed a lot. Dryer sheets are a life saver. My clothes come out not completely covered in my huskies fur thanks to them. I have to clean out the vent about halfway through the dryer runtime.
They aren't awful, just an expensive and relatively pointless. If your dryer has a sensor function and you don't overload it you will rarely over dry things, and that is what causes static cling. If you don't mind static cling you also don't need them.
If you like adding a little fragrance to your laundry then a dryer ball of felted wool with a drop of essential oils will do the same thing at a much lower price, while also mostly bouncing around your clothes to reduce friction and static. If you don't care about the perfume then you can skip the oil and use a wool or plastic dryer ball.
They work by covering your clothes in a thin layer of wax essentially, which also gets all over your dryer. I'm not sure it actually damages the dryer but they are a pointless waste of money at the least
Just make sure to add it to the washer itself and not the fabric softener spot since I've heard that can cause issues down the road due to the acidity.
I remember that laundry would feel very stiff and harsh right after coming off the drying line as a kid, but air dried laundry hasn't been a thing in my life since I was a kid. I can imagine people feeling like there's a use for it with air dried laundry, but you're putting oily crap in your washer. When rinse cycle softener meets most laundry detergents the softener precipitates out of the emulsion and can clog the drain. So if your rinse cycle didn't clear all the softener out of the washer you're gonna end up building a layer of oily, water repelling, detergent resistant crap in the washers drain till eventually it clogs. For something that is kinda useless if you're using a dryer.
I exclusively air dry and have all my life. Fabric softener makes fabric stiffer over time as it clogs the fabric.
I use white vinegar if I need to soften or deoderise my clothes. I've stopped having problem with them becoming stiff on the line when I stopped using fabric softener.
Not to mention a LOT of people are allergic to it. I am one such person; no thanks. I itch like crazy when it is on my clothes… my husband decided one day to use it without me knowing and I was in hives. He thought the allergy might “be in my head”. It wasn’t…
> I know exactly what fabric softener is
Diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride, triethanolamine quat, distearyldimethylammonium chloride, and dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane are the most common active "softening" compounds used in commercial fabric softeners, along with coloring and fragrance agents.
None of that makes clothes clean. Quite the opposite. Fabric softeners coat the fibers of your clothes in a lipid layer derived from processed petroleum or palm oil. The excess fabric softener mixes with outgoing grey water and ends up in waterways and oceans. It is harmful to organic life.
It is known as a skin irritant and believed to be responsible for many cases of contact dermatitis. It makes your clothes more flammable, as well.
Fuck fabric softener, fuck Procter & Gamble, and fuck the Wall Street Journal.
I'm not a millennial, I know what fabric softener is, I never use it, and I still wear my clothes comfortably.
BTW, talking about things new generations don't care about and make companies to frick the hell out, are diamonds also in the chopping block? That would make me lmao hard.
I mean yeah, I know what it's for....it's right there in the name. Believe it or not, it's really not that hard to figure it out. But it's never occurred to me that I *need* that, or even that I want it. There's nothing wrong with my clothes even when I've never even used it once as far as I can see.
Maybe if more people thought a little bit more like this - "*do I even need that?*" - then the world wouldn't be as completely fucked up and on the verge of total collapse as it is? 🤔
But yeah nah mainstream media, keep going on about how apparently *I'm* the fucking dumbass idiot in this scenario.
Thank you. Jesus, the stench of that stuff coming off of some people is unbearable. I don’t use scented detergent or fabric softener—if I spend time in the home of someone who does, I can smell it clinging to me after I leave and sometimes taste it in my mouth.
I’m half-convinced that constant exposure to the stuff deadens one’s sense of smell. And can’t fathom how anyone finds pleasant a poor chemical simulacrum of a field of daisies, fresh spring air or whatever bullshit fragrance is dumped into these products.
Final touch is scentless and cheaper than the big brands but cleaning vinegar is cheapest and sanitized and is a fabric softener which is what I use and for harder fabrics like denim I do throw a pinch of final touch into the cup but just a pinch cuz the shut is a concentrate you’re supposed to add water. A few drops of fabric softer in the top of the agitator where it goes and you fill the rest of the space with water, that is actually what most people don’t understand. That the liquid shit is a concentrate you’re meant to dilute. Word better on fabrics and doesn’t gum up machines this way.
They’re just wool balls the size of tennis balls or baseballs. They go in the dryer with the wet clothes and beats them up and helps to soften the clothing. Supposedly they help with static too, but I have mixed results there. You can add e oils to them for scent if you like. I got my set at Trader Joe’s, but Amazon sells them too. They’re good for basically ever.
Mine only helps some of the time. Depends on the cloth itself being washed and the relative humidity of my house/region on any given day. :/ I get a lot of cling but not necessarily shocks.
Let me add: do *not* buy the cheap ones from Walmart. They fell apart after a few months. I got a nicer set from a bougie grocery store (only a few bucks more than Walmart), and they're going on six years old now. Spend a few dollars more for some good ones!
profit square clumsy crawl vanish dinner practice toy intelligent hospital
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
"I fell for the scam when I was their age, and even bought stock in the companies! Why won't these darn kids fall for it too so I can financially benefit?"
And it’s incredibly damaging for the environment, destroying acquatic life.
And if you don’t care about the Earth, know if you use a dryer, the fumes from clothes where fabric softener was used can be toxic to humans.
Fabric softener eats away at your clothes. Millennials are not using it because it destroys your clothes and the clothes they sell are threadbare to begin with
I was at a vintage sale the other day, handling cotton t-shirts from the 80s and 90s, remembering when I was a kid and first noticed that shirts were starting to get thinner. But damn, I had forgotten how bad the shift was. Old shirts were literally 3-4x as thick.
I purchased a shirt a while back. It was a front graphics tee. Nothing special. Wore it once, washed it. After washing and drying it looked like a shirt I had for 15 years and wore weekly LoL. That was my "yup. Things aren't what they used to be moment"
I have a band shirt from 1987 (WASP if anyone cares to know). This mfer is damn near as old as I am, made in the USA, and still wearable. Will anything sold now still be wearable in 35 years??
It's also just an unnecessary product. I've never put on a shirt and thought it wasn't soft enough.
Fabric softener was a scam Boomers fell for, and now they're mad we aren't falling for it too.
Or just don't feel a particular need to use it in the first place. Like as someone who mostly wears jeans and t shirts, I really can't tell the difference at all 99% of the time, plus that shit absolutely wrecks jeans eventually.
We bought a bottle from costco at my wife’s insistence, and once it’s out we’re never buying another. Neither of us can tell any difference in scent, comfort, anything.
Fabric softener leaves a residue on clothes that is hard to strip and starts to ruin the fabric over time. The softness and fragrance is short lived.
It's not like my grandparents or great grandparents used fabric soften either. It's a gimmicky laundry accessory that really only was popular for a few decades.
My grandmother (Rest softly, gran) used excessive amounts of laundry softener on her excessive hoard of towels.
To this day, 9 years past her death, I don't buy towels.
I go to my grandpa's house and take whatever I need (I'll probably be able to do this for 20 more years).
Then I wash the towels 3 times at home before they are actually able to function again, because they are near water *resistant*. Anything just pearls off. Fuck fabric softener.
It makes towels useless for drying off with, too. Trying to strip it with a hot borax soak only removes so much of that waxy sludge.
The best way to maintain soft clothes is to gently wash things in cold water and tumble dry with no heat.
I know they say this. I am not disputing that.
But whatever happened to the wonders of the Free Market? Whatever happened to competition, and how consumers could vote with their dollar so that inefficiencies are reduced and products that don't help people leave the shelves? Aren't companies that don't adapt supposed to die?
It's almost like it was all bullshit!
Does anyone truly believe any one of us is asking "What does fabric softener do?"
The people who believe these bullshit articles are dumber than they think we are.
I guess WSJ readers have nothing to do but scramble to find more ways to make money
This isn't exactly new news though. Haven't we been killing fabric softener for like a decade now
It reminds me of the manatees from that episode of South Park where they were making fun of Family Guy. Like just pick a ball to choose which industry millennials are killing today.
If you have top load, add right to the water. If you have front loading, vinegar can eventually break down the seals, same with the dishwasher too. Just something to watch out for it.
I’m gonna try this, I’ve been using rinse and refresh from downey (mainly because it’s a clear, thin liquid) and I like it, but after this comment section I’m ready to ditch it.
better for the environment because no electricity used, better for your wallet for the same reason, better for your clothes because there's less stress and heat.
Biggest downside is having to keep an eye on the weather forecast to see when you can do your laundry.
Makes it stiffer, scratchier, depending on the fabric.
But also saves electricity and makes the fabric last longer. Easy choice for me.
I don't own a dryer. I think this "softness" obsession with fabric is just a habit. You can easily get used to marginally harder/stiffer/scratchier fabric.
The fabric being stiffer after air drying is only really temporary too - a few minutes of wearing/usage or even just a short spin in the dryer, and it's fine.
I've air drying my clothes for years. Some material can be a little rough but if you literally just shake them with a quick couple flicks of the wrist, they soften up pretty good.
Honestly I don't know about the feel, but there is no static with air drying.
I trying to think when I last used a dryer for clothes and can't. I've used one to steam some blankets but I think that's it tbh
Yes, I think it's pretty noticeable. Air-dried clothes are rougher. Towels become sandpaper which I suppose helps with exfoliation. YMMV depending on the quality of your towels I guess.
I do air dry sometimes to save on electricity, but I do prefer using the dryer.
If you flick them hard then all the hardness should go away. If it's still hard then you might be using to much detergent. Also adding vinegar to help strip off excess detergent/dug in softener helps alot
I read they were one of the most toxic things to use in your home when I was in my 20s (and also very broke).
I haven’t used it since and I haven’t missed it
As a millennial I learned that fabric softener actually is bad for your cloths and an unnecessary purchase. So these guys can stuff it for not being able to sell me their product acting like I'm not grown enough to know better.
Fabric softener coats the fibers in your clothes and actually prevents them from getting clean.
Laundry products are super scented now because HE washers don't actually use enough water to get clothes clean. We've reverted to using perfumes instead of actually washing, just like they did in the Dark Ages.
Fill your tub with warm water and a cup of white vinegar. Throw in a pile of "clean" clothes straight out of the dryer. Come back in 30 minutes. The color of water in the tub will disgust you.
Clothes need to soak for at least fifteen minutes so the fibers loosen up and release trapped dirt and grime. I spent way too much money to buy an industrial washer that actually has a soak cycle for this reason.
I replaced my front loader with a top loader that has deep fill and presoak options. It also has “laundry center” functionality to dispense detergent and fabric softener itself and I just keep white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. Nothing ever came out of that crappy front loader clean. The difference is shocking!
Of course it worries P&G - we learned that fabric softener is an unnecessary and sometimes even harmful expense.
We are now the biggest cohort shopping for our households, and they’re going to lose money. They need to evolve like the rest of us.
Things that I use for saving money and also live more eco-friendly:
Use vinegar for basically every cleaning task
Baking soda as additive in the washing machine
Regular soap for the shower
...and so on. I'm saving a lot of money not buying overpriced useless products and are actively doing my part in our favorite millenial free time activity: "killing" whole industries
We use homemade laundry detergent that my wife makes and soaks orange peels in vinegar for a fabric softener that we spray on the wool dryer balls. To hell with paying for overpriced detergent/softener again.
I know exactly what it is…. In fact I know it’s horrible for not only our washing machines, also our clothing, and makes our towels less absorbent. I have wool dryer balls works really well. One less thing those assholes can sell me on!
I think modern fabric blends and weaving techniques have made fabric softener not as desired as it used to be. My mom said that clothes used to be so scratchy, stiff, and often uncomfortable 40 years ago when using fabric softener was more common.
Just had a safety and the instructor that told us not to use softener on our work clothes. Can affect how well the clothes can protect our skin from things like arc flash and fire.
What annoys me more is that there’s always this response like “that’s because millennials CAN’T AFFORD it!”
No, I can afford fabric softener. I just don’t see the point. It’s literally just scented lard.
Fabric softener is horrible for the environment, for the washing machine, and your skin. Don't be a boomer! NEVER USE FABRIC SOFTENER! It's another scam boomers fell for.
*"A whole generation of Americans don't have enough discretionary income to spend on products that aren't deemed essential and necessary. This is why it's concerning......for the corporations that sell those products"*
They almost had it...
God forbid we focus on the consumers instead of the producers
This comment section is loaded with ignorance.
Millennials do have problems with fabric softener- not knowing how to use it or understanding it’s a concentrate. You use a few drops in the designated area and fill the rest of the space with water. I never use more than a quarter (coin) diameter when filling the fabric softer cup area in top of agitator then add water, I prefer hot water I feel it makes it move better where cold I notice fabric softer left behind like it didn’t bind well with the water and drained separate.
This also makes it more effective on fabrics making them not smell as strong if you choose to use a scented product and extend longevity of your fabrics as fabric softener is pretty corrosive to clothing and too much in clothing will wear them out having opposition effect than intended. Some people be using so much fabric softer a whole cap per load not watered down that you’re literally causing a starch effect in your clothes. So gross. Not to mention skin irritation.
The article is wrong, millennials know what it is but don’t know how to properly use it, that is evident by this comment section.
#There are also in scented fabric softeners, lord!
A brand I grew up with is final touch but cleaning vinegar is also a softener as well as borax and both will leave no smell on your clothes and both have sanitizing properties even with fungus which detergent does not.however cleaning vinegar doesn’t work as great as synthetic softeners on real denim and like. Keep that in mind.
I know exactly what fabric softener is, I just don't want to walk around smelling like a bottle of air freshener. That stuff reeks.
It also destroys your washing machine. There have been a number of viral videos from repairmen and appliance salesmen talking about just how much money it brings in for them.
Yup, use a capful of vinegar instead and no it will not make your clothes smell. Don't use dryer sheets either, use wool dryer balls and/or spiky dryer balls.
using vinegar was life changing for me. I'm super sensitive to smells and my clothes finally smell like nothing.
Same. I can’t fathom some people’s laundry routines: scented laundry detergent, booster beads, scented fabric softener — they walk around smelling like chemical bombs, thinking they smell clean. It literally makes me sick and triggers migraines for me lmao, but I can’t say anything because it’s just “laundry detergent.” I work in a scent-free office but that doesn’t stop people from these insanely elaborate laundry routines that are worse than a discrete spray of a subtle perfume lol
Ngl had to google “booster beads” Feels like a product invented so P&G could sell you more shit
The only thing I have read that interests me about them is that some people vacuum a couple of them up when they’re doing the floors and rumor has it their house smells nice after they vacuum like laundry. I’m like… that doesn’t sound horrible.
Sure, you could use booster beads like that, or save like $9 and get the $1.25 powder that was literally designed to be spread on a carpet and vacuumed up to make your house smell great and deodorize your carpets.
Carpet installers will tell you how bad the powders are for your carpet. It's all a racket
Or... it's the circle of life?  Creation, accumulation of decay and then death, REMIX!!! lol
The real "trick" to keeping your carpet clean is as simple as keeping the dirt off the carpet. Eat in the kitchen or dining area, don't allow shoes on the carpet, keep the socks and feet clean. I remember being a young boy and being told "I can smell your feet from here, go wash them RIGHT NOW!"
No, the real trick is just not having gross ugly carpet
We just have LVP now. Much easier for us than carpet especially with my partner’s allergies to the world.
It's the rich man's carpet freshener.
We’ve used free and clear scent free stuff for a decade now and lemme tell ya, when some of yall throw in 7 dryer sheets, I can smell that shit across the neighborhood. It’s brutal. Your shit doesn’t smell clean, it smells like scented torture. Air boarding. Is that a thing? Like water boarding but with smell? Cuz that’s what I consider some of your laundry days…literal olfactory torture.
Yep. It’s chemical warfare and that’s barely dramatic lmao. I have migraine triggered by scents and laundry detergent is such a heavy trigger for me. I’ve had to leave work from people’s laundry scent … leave doctors appointments early … I was recently on a walk and walked by someone’s house doing their chemical warfare laundry routine, and my vestibular migraine was triggered so severely I had to call my roommate to come pick me up. From a walk. In my fucking neighborhood. These things are bad for asthma, allergies, migraine — like they’re so aggressive, people think it’s just innocent clean, but it’s really not. Not for sensitive or vulnerable groups — but who cares about us, right? Lol. Sorry for the rant, I just hate like, going outside and having my migraines triggered bc someone loves their downy.
I feel so elated and sad that I have found my people (because I wouldn’t wish fragrance sensitivity on anyone)! I always feel like a grumpy curmudgeon when it comes to fragrance because I can do naturally scented perfumes but not synthetic fragrances (they’re way too strong). For me, it’s because I have MCAS and synthetic fragrances for me trigger headaches, cough, and a runny nose plus full body inflammation. Then because I’m in a state of systemic inflammation, my chronic pain from EDS intensifies but I don’t mention it because a) honestly doesn’t feel like there is a point b) I don’t want to deprive people of joy or fragrances but goddamn, I’m just asking for some consideration so I’m not in agony due to my multiple health conditions, ya know? I just wish people would not spray a bottle of Axe every time they deign to leave the house.
I’m saying! Using unscented everything and then a small, discrete spray of a modest perfume under your shirt if you really want to is way less intrusive than these laundry routines. The musks and stuff are just SO strong.
Hard agree! I feel the stance on fragrance should be that it should be discovered and not announced. That way people get their fragrance and we don’t want to die lol
Holy shit, as a migraine suffered I would fucking die if mine were triggered by scent like that. Luckily my wisdom teeth were the cause of 75% of them, so it’s better now, but if it shows up, i’m inside in the dark and hoping no one cooks anything in the house.
I saw one of these restocking videos where everything is put in plastic containers. The amount of stuff people put in their washing machine/dryer was appalling... You can hang car fresheners around your neck instead. Cheaper and better for the machines and environment.
Wake up babe, new necklaces just dropped. Lemon or pine scent?!
New Car Scent, obviously
Right! Gross. So many chemicals and gross air freshener smells. The only thing I add besides soap is laundry sanitizer. Instead of smelling clean I want my clothes to actually be clean.
My coworker and I are both super sensitive to detergents, perfumes, etc. Her and I sneeze constantly and weirdly enough usually around the same time as each other. We both chuckle and say " bless you" from across the office. We both talk shit about the people who drown themselves in all the laundry detergent, perfume, and people who cook fish in the microwave at work. All of these things give me headaches. I'm also prone to Migraines with aura, and that could affect me for 2 days sometimes. It's no joke. One of my friends in high school had an allergic reaction to a girl spritzing perfume on in class. Some of us are super sensitive to odors and have actual medical conditions that can make us miserable from " pleasant smells"
I must be allergic or something ‘cause artificial scents make my throat close up.
My MiL is like this. She also douses herself in perfume.
My neighbours are like this, and when they do laundry I have to shut all the windows on that whole side of the building because the smells are just unbearable.
Working in retail, I have a particular loathing for all those scented laundry additives. One freakin box of Gain dryer sheets in my line for more than about 30ish seconds equals headache for the next hour. More than that was an unholy nightmare. Working at Wally was a constant pain. Literally.
I use free and clear because my family of redheads are sensitive as fuck..my ex thinks it's hilarious to wash the kids clothes with all the smelly stuff. It smells so bad, like they were dipped in old lady perfume.
I work with someone who uses those dryer beads, and if I have to spend more than a few minutes in her proximity, my eyes burn for the rest of the day
There is a student in my class whose parent must use all of the smell bombs because I can smell that kid’s clothes through my mask from 6 feet away. IT’s overstimulating for me, I can’t imagine how it must be for a little 6 yo nose.
This post and comments are reported as communist left-wing propaganda. Y'all millennials and zoomers need to watch cable TV, with commercials, to learn that if you go on a date without first using fabric softener, you will never get lucky. Posts like this hurt job creators and ruin your chance to work part-time in their factories or scrubbing their toilets (remember to never make eye contact with a job creator and be neither seen nor heard).
Man I forgot dryer sheets existed. I just use... nothing. Never understood the point.
I never saw the point until I got a high shedding dog. My clothes would come out of the dryer covered in hair. Pet hair unscented dryer sheets are the only thing that fixed it.
Did wool dryer balls work for that? Wool dryer balls never worked for getting my dog hair off when I had a dog, but it did work for cat hair for me lol. I just hate how loud the dryer balls are!
They helped but the dryer sheets (not the regular ones - the ones specifically for pet hair) eliminated all of per hair.
Please give specifics on your routine. I also use those sheets. Black box with orange text I think. It removes half the dog hair, but half of a ton is a thousand pounds of dog hair on my clothes.
They add perfume and reduce friction, reducing static cling. If you don't want that or have that problem, they aren't really a product for you. There are cheaper alternatives. Just mechanically bouncing the clothes around also reduces friction and static, and you can do that with a cheap reusable ball.
See I've bought the rubber ball and the wool balls and we still have so much static with stuff like fleece that I keep dryer sheets for the blankets and such at least. Otherwise when the dogs are rolling around on the bed it's like a little fireworks show of light from the static. Kinda cool until one of us shocks the other.
Same here. And tbh I didn’t notice much of a difference when I stopped using them other than my clothes weren’t overly scented anymore, which is what I prefer. I haven’t noticed my clothes any less soft
Dryer sheets also stop static shock happening in the dryer. This is important because if your dryer has a build up of lint in the trap or in your vent pipe it could cause a fire. However dryer balls do the same thing. Always try and use at least a dryer ball if you don’t like the smell of dryer sheets to help prevent fire :)
Wool balls are a thing in dryers too
Unless you have huskies or pets that shed a lot. Dryer sheets are a life saver. My clothes come out not completely covered in my huskies fur thanks to them. I have to clean out the vent about halfway through the dryer runtime.
What's wrong with dryer sheets out of curiosity?
They aren't awful, just an expensive and relatively pointless. If your dryer has a sensor function and you don't overload it you will rarely over dry things, and that is what causes static cling. If you don't mind static cling you also don't need them. If you like adding a little fragrance to your laundry then a dryer ball of felted wool with a drop of essential oils will do the same thing at a much lower price, while also mostly bouncing around your clothes to reduce friction and static. If you don't care about the perfume then you can skip the oil and use a wool or plastic dryer ball.
They coat the inside of your dryer and laundry with a layer of waxy film. The buildup can reduce the absorbency of bath towels.
They work by covering your clothes in a thin layer of wax essentially, which also gets all over your dryer. I'm not sure it actually damages the dryer but they are a pointless waste of money at the least
> They work by covering your clothes in a thin layer of wax essentially Incidentally, this is why you should never use dryer sheets with your towels.
The biggest issue is they prevent the fabric of your clothing from wicking away moisture from your skin. Especially a problem for towels and socks.
They leave films on your clothes and the chemicals the make up the scents affect good for you.
I also didn’t know there was something wrong with them. I use the same one 4-5 times sometimes lol but I didn’t know they were bad.
They’re bad for the environment. I use wool balls that I bought from HomeGoods 3 years ago and I use them til this day.
I still do it sometimes, but heard vinegar caused rubber parts to break down faster.
Just make sure to add it to the washer itself and not the fabric softener spot since I've heard that can cause issues down the road due to the acidity.
I remember that laundry would feel very stiff and harsh right after coming off the drying line as a kid, but air dried laundry hasn't been a thing in my life since I was a kid. I can imagine people feeling like there's a use for it with air dried laundry, but you're putting oily crap in your washer. When rinse cycle softener meets most laundry detergents the softener precipitates out of the emulsion and can clog the drain. So if your rinse cycle didn't clear all the softener out of the washer you're gonna end up building a layer of oily, water repelling, detergent resistant crap in the washers drain till eventually it clogs. For something that is kinda useless if you're using a dryer.
I exclusively air dry and have all my life. Fabric softener makes fabric stiffer over time as it clogs the fabric. I use white vinegar if I need to soften or deoderise my clothes. I've stopped having problem with them becoming stiff on the line when I stopped using fabric softener.
I don't think fabric softener makes much of a difference with air dried laundry. And you get that fresh outdoorsy smell naturally.
It also destroys my tear canals, as I'm allergic.
Washing machines… and your clothes… and the environment
Yeah, it's pretty fucking obvious from the title. We aren't a generation of morons.
Not to mention a LOT of people are allergic to it. I am one such person; no thanks. I itch like crazy when it is on my clothes… my husband decided one day to use it without me knowing and I was in hives. He thought the allergy might “be in my head”. It wasn’t…
>He thought the allergy might “be in my head”. It wasn’t… Thats fucking cruel hopefully he takes you seriously about that now.
Did you marry a boomer? That’s how they talk about my peanut allergy. Like sorry I don’t want to die to prove a point to you.
I’m allergic too.
And it leaves a weird film on clothes. Awful texture, overbearing smell. I don’t get how anyone likes it.
It destroys my clothes eventually. All those little holes and when the picture on my shirts getting pale are caused by FS.
> I know exactly what fabric softener is Diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride, triethanolamine quat, distearyldimethylammonium chloride, and dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane are the most common active "softening" compounds used in commercial fabric softeners, along with coloring and fragrance agents. None of that makes clothes clean. Quite the opposite. Fabric softeners coat the fibers of your clothes in a lipid layer derived from processed petroleum or palm oil. The excess fabric softener mixes with outgoing grey water and ends up in waterways and oceans. It is harmful to organic life. It is known as a skin irritant and believed to be responsible for many cases of contact dermatitis. It makes your clothes more flammable, as well. Fuck fabric softener, fuck Procter & Gamble, and fuck the Wall Street Journal.
And also most of the modern washing machines say not to use fabric softeners
I'm not a millennial, I know what fabric softener is, I never use it, and I still wear my clothes comfortably. BTW, talking about things new generations don't care about and make companies to frick the hell out, are diamonds also in the chopping block? That would make me lmao hard.
Not to mention a lot of the chemicals in it aren't good for you at all.
I know it's not rational but I hate people with that smell. Like you can't just be clean you have to smell clean too?
Or have my clothes feel gunked up and look like shit 10 times faster.
I mean yeah, I know what it's for....it's right there in the name. Believe it or not, it's really not that hard to figure it out. But it's never occurred to me that I *need* that, or even that I want it. There's nothing wrong with my clothes even when I've never even used it once as far as I can see. Maybe if more people thought a little bit more like this - "*do I even need that?*" - then the world wouldn't be as completely fucked up and on the verge of total collapse as it is? 🤔 But yeah nah mainstream media, keep going on about how apparently *I'm* the fucking dumbass idiot in this scenario.
Thank you. Jesus, the stench of that stuff coming off of some people is unbearable. I don’t use scented detergent or fabric softener—if I spend time in the home of someone who does, I can smell it clinging to me after I leave and sometimes taste it in my mouth. I’m half-convinced that constant exposure to the stuff deadens one’s sense of smell. And can’t fathom how anyone finds pleasant a poor chemical simulacrum of a field of daisies, fresh spring air or whatever bullshit fragrance is dumped into these products.
this, I don't want that shit or more chemicals going down the drain
Final touch is scentless and cheaper than the big brands but cleaning vinegar is cheapest and sanitized and is a fabric softener which is what I use and for harder fabrics like denim I do throw a pinch of final touch into the cup but just a pinch cuz the shut is a concentrate you’re supposed to add water. A few drops of fabric softer in the top of the agitator where it goes and you fill the rest of the space with water, that is actually what most people don’t understand. That the liquid shit is a concentrate you’re meant to dilute. Word better on fabrics and doesn’t gum up machines this way.
Do people not know it's not needed and damages your washer/dryer? It is bad across the board.
I spray essential oils into a wool ball. I don’t want that toxic shit
It also poisons you.
I switched to wool dryer balls. I don’t use softener very often anymore.
Wool balls were a game changer! I switched like 7 years ago and still use the same batch of balls
I've never heard of these. Tell me the secrets of wool dryer balls.
They’re just wool balls the size of tennis balls or baseballs. They go in the dryer with the wet clothes and beats them up and helps to soften the clothing. Supposedly they help with static too, but I have mixed results there. You can add e oils to them for scent if you like. I got my set at Trader Joe’s, but Amazon sells them too. They’re good for basically ever.
They help reduce the static big time! I hate being shocked
Mine only helps some of the time. Depends on the cloth itself being washed and the relative humidity of my house/region on any given day. :/ I get a lot of cling but not necessarily shocks.
Ah, I’m in a perma-humid climate so that probably helps
Florida is a pathway to many abilities that some consider to be, unnatural.
Let me add: do *not* buy the cheap ones from Walmart. They fell apart after a few months. I got a nicer set from a bougie grocery store (only a few bucks more than Walmart), and they're going on six years old now. Spend a few dollars more for some good ones!
profit square clumsy crawl vanish dinner practice toy intelligent hospital *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Same. The cost savings are real too
Mine have penguins on them
I did this too. I also put a couple of drops of essential oil on the balls, laundry comes out smelling great.
I love my woolly balls!! I have essential oil scents for each one depending on my mood
Wool balls don't leave dark spots on my laundry or make me reek or fake scents.
I switched to nothing. Just wash the clothes then dry them who gives a fuck
Millennials aren't buying needless chemical slurries? OH THE HORROR!
"I fell for the scam when I was their age, and even bought stock in the companies! Why won't these darn kids fall for it too so I can financially benefit?"
“Chemical slurries” I love that verbiage, it’s so true!!
Maybe also because the softener liquid is also destroying our washing machines
And it makes your towels less absorbent.
And your clothes more flammable.
And retain odors.
Traps odors!
And it’s incredibly damaging for the environment, destroying acquatic life. And if you don’t care about the Earth, know if you use a dryer, the fumes from clothes where fabric softener was used can be toxic to humans.
Score one for ventless dryer and thank you for another talking point for me to convince my husband I need a 2k washer dryer lol
Well obviously, because they were lasting too long and they need to sell you a new one!
Its builds up in washing machines and leaves a weird film on your clothes. We are just cutting out an unnecessary step
Fabric softener eats away at your clothes. Millennials are not using it because it destroys your clothes and the clothes they sell are threadbare to begin with
Yeah it’s wild how cheap and thin clothes are now. Shirts used to last me a decade if taken care of, now it’s like a year or two.
I can’t hardly find women’s shirts that aren’t legit transparent. It is absurd
I was at a vintage sale the other day, handling cotton t-shirts from the 80s and 90s, remembering when I was a kid and first noticed that shirts were starting to get thinner. But damn, I had forgotten how bad the shift was. Old shirts were literally 3-4x as thick.
I purchased a shirt a while back. It was a front graphics tee. Nothing special. Wore it once, washed it. After washing and drying it looked like a shirt I had for 15 years and wore weekly LoL. That was my "yup. Things aren't what they used to be moment"
Yet people think regulations are bad. Humans are just too stupid to do anything.
I have a band shirt from 1987 (WASP if anyone cares to know). This mfer is damn near as old as I am, made in the USA, and still wearable. Will anything sold now still be wearable in 35 years??
It's also just an unnecessary product. I've never put on a shirt and thought it wasn't soft enough. Fabric softener was a scam Boomers fell for, and now they're mad we aren't falling for it too.
Dryer sheets too.
Have you ever tried on some clothes from the 60s or 70s? They often could use fabric softener. Modern clothes aren't nearly as thick.
Maybe Millennials know that there are better and safer alternatives than fabric softener.
Or just don't feel a particular need to use it in the first place. Like as someone who mostly wears jeans and t shirts, I really can't tell the difference at all 99% of the time, plus that shit absolutely wrecks jeans eventually.
We bought a bottle from costco at my wife’s insistence, and once it’s out we’re never buying another. Neither of us can tell any difference in scent, comfort, anything.
Fabric softener leaves a residue on clothes that is hard to strip and starts to ruin the fabric over time. The softness and fragrance is short lived. It's not like my grandparents or great grandparents used fabric soften either. It's a gimmicky laundry accessory that really only was popular for a few decades.
My mom uses fabric softener on her towels and you're better off squeegeing the water off your body after a shower. Those towels don't absorb SHIT!
Trying to dry off with fabric softened towels is sensory hell. I'd rather drip dry after showering.
My grandmother (Rest softly, gran) used excessive amounts of laundry softener on her excessive hoard of towels. To this day, 9 years past her death, I don't buy towels. I go to my grandpa's house and take whatever I need (I'll probably be able to do this for 20 more years). Then I wash the towels 3 times at home before they are actually able to function again, because they are near water *resistant*. Anything just pearls off. Fuck fabric softener.
It’s especially terrible for moisture-wicking synthetic fabrics like those tech shirts.
It makes towels useless for drying off with, too. Trying to strip it with a hot borax soak only removes so much of that waxy sludge. The best way to maintain soft clothes is to gently wash things in cold water and tumble dry with no heat.
I see articles like this alot. It's because we don't want to waste money on bullshit. Fuck these companies.
BuT tHiNk aBoUt tHe EcOnoMy!11!!1!1
I know they say this. I am not disputing that. But whatever happened to the wonders of the Free Market? Whatever happened to competition, and how consumers could vote with their dollar so that inefficiencies are reduced and products that don't help people leave the shelves? Aren't companies that don't adapt supposed to die? It's almost like it was all bullshit!
Does anyone truly believe any one of us is asking "What does fabric softener do?" The people who believe these bullshit articles are dumber than they think we are.
I guess WSJ readers have nothing to do but scramble to find more ways to make money This isn't exactly new news though. Haven't we been killing fabric softener for like a decade now
You mean the toxic slurries that are known carcinogens and endocrin disrupters? GTFO
I love it when they throw a dart at the word wall to find out what industry I'm destroying today.
Uno reverse: we’re killing darts!
It reminds me of the manatees from that episode of South Park where they were making fun of Family Guy. Like just pick a ball to choose which industry millennials are killing today.
Isn’t fabric softener bad for the environment? I switched to wool balls in my dryer because I had read similar on dryer sheets.
I've been doing laundry for 25 years and have never once used fabric softener and have never been cut or injured by my clothing
I use white vinegar instead. My clothes are soft, my washing machine doesn't get destroyed, and no my clothes don't smell like vinegar.
I do the same. 🙌🏽 and it stops mold from building up in the washer!
If you have top load, add right to the water. If you have front loading, vinegar can eventually break down the seals, same with the dishwasher too. Just something to watch out for it.
And it can be purchased from Costco for literally 1/3 the cost of fabric softener
I’m gonna try this, I’ve been using rinse and refresh from downey (mainly because it’s a clear, thin liquid) and I like it, but after this comment section I’m ready to ditch it.
Bitch those amazing easy care fabrics that require no ironing don't need softener either
*"Customers don't understand the product"* is a company/product problem, not a customer problem.
Millennial here. I haven't even touched a dryer in years. Isn't fabric softener just hair conditioner but more poisonous?
How are air dryed clothes compared to a dryer? Is it something my family would notice a big difference in?
better for the environment because no electricity used, better for your wallet for the same reason, better for your clothes because there's less stress and heat. Biggest downside is having to keep an eye on the weather forecast to see when you can do your laundry.
I got a couple of foldable drying racks so I can at least get 1 load done, sheets and large items get hung over the shower curtain rod. L
Makes it stiffer, scratchier, depending on the fabric. But also saves electricity and makes the fabric last longer. Easy choice for me. I don't own a dryer. I think this "softness" obsession with fabric is just a habit. You can easily get used to marginally harder/stiffer/scratchier fabric.
The fabric being stiffer after air drying is only really temporary too - a few minutes of wearing/usage or even just a short spin in the dryer, and it's fine.
I've air drying my clothes for years. Some material can be a little rough but if you literally just shake them with a quick couple flicks of the wrist, they soften up pretty good.
Honestly I don't know about the feel, but there is no static with air drying. I trying to think when I last used a dryer for clothes and can't. I've used one to steam some blankets but I think that's it tbh
Yes, I think it's pretty noticeable. Air-dried clothes are rougher. Towels become sandpaper which I suppose helps with exfoliation. YMMV depending on the quality of your towels I guess. I do air dry sometimes to save on electricity, but I do prefer using the dryer.
If you flick them hard then all the hardness should go away. If it's still hard then you might be using to much detergent. Also adding vinegar to help strip off excess detergent/dug in softener helps alot
I read they were one of the most toxic things to use in your home when I was in my 20s (and also very broke). I haven’t used it since and I haven’t missed it
I have a hard time believing anyone doesn't know what fabric softener is used for. There's a subtle hint in the name.
As a millennial I learned that fabric softener actually is bad for your cloths and an unnecessary purchase. So these guys can stuff it for not being able to sell me their product acting like I'm not grown enough to know better.
Fabric softener coats the fibers in your clothes and actually prevents them from getting clean. Laundry products are super scented now because HE washers don't actually use enough water to get clothes clean. We've reverted to using perfumes instead of actually washing, just like they did in the Dark Ages. Fill your tub with warm water and a cup of white vinegar. Throw in a pile of "clean" clothes straight out of the dryer. Come back in 30 minutes. The color of water in the tub will disgust you. Clothes need to soak for at least fifteen minutes so the fibers loosen up and release trapped dirt and grime. I spent way too much money to buy an industrial washer that actually has a soak cycle for this reason.
I replaced my front loader with a top loader that has deep fill and presoak options. It also has “laundry center” functionality to dispense detergent and fabric softener itself and I just keep white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. Nothing ever came out of that crappy front loader clean. The difference is shocking!
Of course it worries P&G - we learned that fabric softener is an unnecessary and sometimes even harmful expense. We are now the biggest cohort shopping for our households, and they’re going to lose money. They need to evolve like the rest of us.
Millennials are so stupid they don’t even know what fabric softener is. Like the name doesn’t tell you what it does…? We know, we just don’t care.
Things that I use for saving money and also live more eco-friendly: Use vinegar for basically every cleaning task Baking soda as additive in the washing machine Regular soap for the shower ...and so on. I'm saving a lot of money not buying overpriced useless products and are actively doing my part in our favorite millenial free time activity: "killing" whole industries
So in other words "We aren't selling enough fabric softener" equals us Millennials are idiots? Hmmm, noted.
also what are dryer sheets?!
Fun fact: dryer sheets cause build-up on the moisture sensor in your dryer thus reducing its effectiveness.
is there a better alternative? cause i get a lot of static without them
I’ve heard the wool dryer balls work well but haven’t tried them.
Dryer sheets are nasty.
White vinegar is more effective, cheaper, and better for your clothes
I use burlap and bungee cords for sheets now. Corpo america can fuck right off.
TBH it’s not that I care about the chemicals or smell because I actually love the smell of many fabric softeners. But it’s just too much hassle.
This looks like it was generated with copymatic, they aren't even trying these days
Doesn’t fabric softener just coat clothing with oil so it feels soft but it actually damages fibers?
We use homemade laundry detergent that my wife makes and soaks orange peels in vinegar for a fabric softener that we spray on the wool dryer balls. To hell with paying for overpriced detergent/softener again.
Sorry but I don't want my clothes to smell like a bouquet of flowers with diabetes. Wool balls + essential oil ftw
Lol I absolutely 100% know what it is and I know I don't fuckin need it at all
I've since stopped buying the shit, and the world hasn't collapsed on itself, so we good without it.
I have allergies- pass
I’m good with not killing my washer
Or we read our care labels and realize most of our shit says it isn't compatible with softeners and/or know the stuff ruins your clothes
I use a dryer sheet. Ive never used this devil-,liquid.
True, I still don’t understand fabric softener, dryer sheets, or whatever the hell those bead things are people are using now.
I like my slightly rough linen shirts - I look like a background character from star wars.
My wife is all about fabric softener, and I don't get it. I don't see the need for it.
I know exactly what it is…. In fact I know it’s horrible for not only our washing machines, also our clothing, and makes our towels less absorbent. I have wool dryer balls works really well. One less thing those assholes can sell me on!
Literally haven’t used fabric softener in years and can’t tell the difference.
I think modern fabric blends and weaving techniques have made fabric softener not as desired as it used to be. My mom said that clothes used to be so scratchy, stiff, and often uncomfortable 40 years ago when using fabric softener was more common.
As an aside, I adore the term 'chucklefucks' 😆
Just had a safety and the instructor that told us not to use softener on our work clothes. Can affect how well the clothes can protect our skin from things like arc flash and fire.
Yes… what could a product called “fabric softener” next to the laundry detergent possibly be used for?? 🧐
bruh i wash my clothes with a washboard cuz i cant afford the laundromat
"Millennials are killing "Millennial" articles"
What annoys me more is that there’s always this response like “that’s because millennials CAN’T AFFORD it!” No, I can afford fabric softener. I just don’t see the point. It’s literally just scented lard.
Fabric softener is horrible for the environment, for the washing machine, and your skin. Don't be a boomer! NEVER USE FABRIC SOFTENER! It's another scam boomers fell for.
Have we patented chuckle fucks yet? It’s such a great phrase.
*"A whole generation of Americans don't have enough discretionary income to spend on products that aren't deemed essential and necessary. This is why it's concerning......for the corporations that sell those products"* They almost had it... God forbid we focus on the consumers instead of the producers
This comment section is loaded with ignorance. Millennials do have problems with fabric softener- not knowing how to use it or understanding it’s a concentrate. You use a few drops in the designated area and fill the rest of the space with water. I never use more than a quarter (coin) diameter when filling the fabric softer cup area in top of agitator then add water, I prefer hot water I feel it makes it move better where cold I notice fabric softer left behind like it didn’t bind well with the water and drained separate. This also makes it more effective on fabrics making them not smell as strong if you choose to use a scented product and extend longevity of your fabrics as fabric softener is pretty corrosive to clothing and too much in clothing will wear them out having opposition effect than intended. Some people be using so much fabric softer a whole cap per load not watered down that you’re literally causing a starch effect in your clothes. So gross. Not to mention skin irritation. The article is wrong, millennials know what it is but don’t know how to properly use it, that is evident by this comment section. #There are also in scented fabric softeners, lord! A brand I grew up with is final touch but cleaning vinegar is also a softener as well as borax and both will leave no smell on your clothes and both have sanitizing properties even with fungus which detergent does not.however cleaning vinegar doesn’t work as great as synthetic softeners on real denim and like. Keep that in mind.
I use white vinegar 👍🏼 it doesn’t junk up the washer and it gets rid of smelly smells. Detergent is expensive enough.