What Happens if I Use Too Much Fabric Softener?

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Fabric softener is like a conditioner for your clothes. Like conditioner for your hair, too much fabric softener can damage your hair.

For better understanding, I’m going to compare fabric softener to hair conditioner a little bit. What happens when you put too much hair conditioner on your hair? It becomes weak and thin and eventually starts to fall. 

That’s why hairdressers and hair experts say to apply conditioner from the middle to the bottom of your hair but never to your roots. When we talk about fabric softeners, there’s no middle, bottom, or root of our clothes. 

You can also read: How Long Does Fabric Softener Last

What Happens if I Use Too Much Fabric Softener?

If you use too much fabric softener, it can harm your clothes, health, and also your washing machine. You should be careful while using fabric softener. 

Here are the side effects of using too much fabric softener:

• Skin irritation: If sensitive, fabric softener can irritate your skin. Fabric softeners are made with harsh chemical ingredients that can harm your skin if used incorrectly. So, you must add the correct amount of fabric softener otherwise, you are going to end up in a pretty bad situation.

• Clothes stiffen and don’t absorb moisture:  Using an excessive amount of fabric softener on your clothes will make it difficult to wash them the next time as it will leave a lubricating coating. When you apply too much fabric softener to your clothes, it leaves a lubricating coat on your clothes which makes your clothes hard and doesn’t absorb moisture. 

• Yellowish tint in the long run:  Using too much fabric softener also leaves your clothes with a yellowish tint in the long run. 

• Unwanted marks and stains: Excessive use of fabric softener will leave unwanted marks and stains on your clothes. 

• Not good for your washing machine and damages the plumbing system: If you use too much chemical-based fabric softener it is not good for your washing machine as well. Too much chemical-based fabric softener damages the plumbing system of your washing machine. 

How to Use Fabric Softener Correctly?

Now that you know the pros and cons of fabric softener and what can happen if you use too much of it, you should know how to properly use it. Using fabric softener is not as hard as it sounds. There are not many places where you can make mistakes when using fabric softeners.

You just need to read the instructions carefully and wash. If you are not using a washing machine and hand washing your clothes, you can use fabric softener as well. You just need to mix the fabric softener with the water. 

Usually, when you use fabric softener, you should put one or two tablespoons of fabric softener per load in your fabric softener dispenser considering the recommendation of the instructions. You need to put the clothes on the side of the top.

And mix 1 tablespoon of fabric softener and mix it with a cup of water and pour it into the tub. Stir the fabric softener with the rinse water and rinse the clothes in that water and keep for two to three minutes. And there you have it.

And if you are hand washing your clothes then mix one or two tablespoons of fabric softener per load into a bucket of water. And rinse your clothes in the mixture. And proceed to wash. It’s that easy. But make sure to not pour too much. 

Commonly Made Mistakes Using Fabric Softener

Using fabric softener is pretty easy. However, there are a few common mistakes that people usually make while using fabric softeners. I am going to talk about a few common mistakes in using fabric softeners that you should avoid.

So, what are the common mistakes that we usually make while using fabric softeners? There are a few major mistakes that we make while using fabric softeners.

• One of the major mistakes that we make while using fabric softener universe is using it on any type of fabric. Fabric softeners are not meant to be used on every type of fabric. There are specific fabrics that do not go well with fabric softeners. You cannot pour the fabric softener each time you run the washing cycle.

• Certain fabrics react very poorly with fabric softeners that you should avoid. You should not use fabric softener while washing towels, wicking sportswear, water-resistant wear, fire-resistant wear, babywear, and synthetic fabrics. If you apply fabric softener to these fabrics, it may smell nice but it will reduce your fabric’s effectiveness. This will happen due to the ingredients that are used in the softener that works opposite to your clothing design.

• If you use fabric softener on your towel, it will make it more soft and fluffy but on the contrary, it will make it less absorbent. And the fire-resistant and water-resistant fabric will become less effective due to the use of fabric softener. And it can irritate babies’ skins if used on babywear. 

• Another major no goes while using fabric softener is pouring the fabric softener directly into the clothes. You should never pour fabric softener directly into your clothes as it will damage the clothes. It will leave oily stains and spots all over our clothes.

• Many of the fabric softeners that we use contain waxy ingredients. And when we pour the fabric softener directly into the cloth, the waxy ingredients harm the clothes greatly. So, you should never pour fabric softener directly into your clothes.

Using too much fabric softener. I’m not going to describe this topic as I’ve already described this before. 

Alternatives to Using in Place of Fabric Softener

There are a few alternatives that you can use in place of your fabric softener.

• Vinegar: The best alternative to use in place of fabric softener is vinegar. To be specific, it has to be white vinegar. Using distilled white vinegar is the best alternative to a chemical-based fabric softener. Vinegar is also a very safe product to use as it is less likely to cause any irritation or itching to the skin. And vinegar works magically. It removes adamant stains and odors.

• Tennis ball: Another thing that you can use in place of fabric softener is a tennis ball. A clean tennis ball will go a long way in reducing wrinkles, eliminating statics, and softening clothes. They also fluff up stuffed items and speed up the dry times.

• Hair conditioner: Hair conditioner is another alternative that you can use in place of fabric softener. You can’t use hair conditioner only. You need to mix six cups of hot water and two cups of conditioner. You need to stir until the mixture is smooth but you also have to make sure that you don’t over-stir and create any foam. After that add a bit of vinegar and store. Use this mixture as you would use fabric softener. 

These were a few alternatives that you can use in place of fabric softener. 

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about fabric softeners answered for you.

Conclusion

Now you know what will happen if you put too much fabric softener on your clothes and how to use fabric softener correctly.

This article contains everything you need to know about using fabric softeners and alternatives that you can use in place of fabric softeners. I hope this article was helpful to you.