What Is Laundry Softener?
Laundry softener, also known as fabric softener, is a liquid or powder substance used in washing clothes to make them feel softer and smell fresher. Laundry softener doesn’t clean your clothes so you should use it alongside your normal washing detergent; it works by coating the fibres of your clothes to give them a silkier feel and reduce static.
Laundry softener has many benefits for your clothes, but when used on the wrong items, it can damage the material. So why should you use laundry softener and when should you use it?
Why Use Fabric Softener?
If you like your clothing to be soft to the touch, not wrinkle so easily, not build up static and smell fresh, then you should use fabric softener! For beginners doing their washing in a new machine or students who have just moved out of home, simply add the liquid or powder to the appropriate drawer in your washing machine at the start of your washing cycle, usually indicated with a flowery symbol, and start your machine.
Liquid laundry softener will come with a cup usually located in the lid so you know how much to use on a load of washing. But whether you use liquid or powder softener, there will be directions for use on the pack or bottle, so you know exactly how much to use and when to use the product to get the best results for your clothes.
Fabric softener is not the same as fabric conditioner, although they both make your clothes smell great and feel soft to the touch, so make sure you know which you need on your clothes before you use them. Fabric conditioners have the added benefit of helping to keep your clothes wrinkle-free and prevent your clothes from stretching by conditioning the fibres of your clothing. Fabric conditioner helps to keep your clothes in a better condition for longer, while still adding the fresh qualities of laundry softener.
Should You Always Use Fabric Softener?
But fabric and laundry softener aren’t always good to use on your clothing. Some people with sensitive skin find that the perfume in fabric softener irritates their skin, causing a rash, or flare-ups of existing conditions. Some women also prefer to avoid washing their underwear in fabric softener as it causes irritation, especially for those who are already prone to infection.
What’s more, certain materials don’t respond well to fabric softener, as the ingredients may negatively interact with the fibres, causing them to lose their effectiveness if they’re coated with the liquid softener.
Some items you shouldn’t wash with laundry softener include:
- Flame-resistant fabrics
- Water-repellent fabrics
- Towels
- Microfibre fabrics such as sportswear
Each of these materials is designed with a specific function in mind, whether it’s to effectively self-extinguish in a fire, repel water or absorb and evaporate sweat, and have been proven to lose their qualities with repeated washes with laundry softener.
However, you can use fabric softener on most natural fibre fabrics such as cotton as the ingredients don’t impact the quality of the fabric. Avoid use on wool, however, as the soft coating of the fibres can make the wool come apart.
Can You Use Fabric Softener Instead of Laundry Detergent?
Fabric softener is also not the same as laundry detergent and should not be used as a replacement. Laundry softener helps to make your clothes smell fresh by coating the material fibres in scented liquid, but it doesn’t release the grime and dirt from the clothing so doesn’t act as an effective cleaning product on its own.
If you don’t want to buy fabric softener and laundry detergent for your clothes or simply have had enough of doing your washing yourself, you should invest in a laundry service.
Can You Pay for a Laundry Service?
Washing clothes is a time-consuming chore as you have to separate your clothing into colours, and materials if you have delicate items, remove them from the washing machine when done and hang them out to dry or reload the tumble dryer before folding your clothes and putting them away, or ironing and hanging them. In total, this can take around 64 to 86 minutes a week, when you could be doing much more fun or relaxing activities instead. So why not save your time and pay for a laundry service?
While laundrettes still exist, they are becoming more sparse as people have washing machines at home. But now, with the appearance of online laundry services, the process of getting your washing done is even easier and affordable.
How to Use a Laundry Service
To use an online laundry service, all you have to do is download the laundry app, schedule a collection of your laundry at a time that suits you and get your laundry delivered back to your door, washed and folded.
Whether you’re at home, at the office or away in a hotel or rental property, your online laundry service can pick up your laundry from wherever it is and hand it back to you within 24 to 36 hours.
If you have special items, you can make a note in your order information or select the best option on the app to have your items cleaned properly. For example, if you have sensitive skin and want to ensure no scented products are used, add it to the note on your order. Or if you just have a single item with a stain, you can select this option when scheduling your laundry pick-up.
Do Laundry Services Use Laundry Softener?
Most laundrettes and online laundry services will use laundry softener or fabric conditioner to improve the feel and smell of your clothing and help keep creases out of your clothes. However, if you have any allergies or sensitivities, you can make the laundry service aware so they don’t use any products that may irritate your skin in your washing.
Why You Should Get Your Laundry Done Professionally
Most of the time, doing your washing yourself is the most economical option. However, when doing your laundry can take up so much of your time, especially if you have a large family, it’s not always the most cost-effective option, and it’s certainly not always the best use of your time.
Some of the main benefits of using an online laundry service include:
- Save yourself time
- Relieve yourself of a boring chore
- Get your clothes washed easily while travelling
- Have difficult items cleaned with care and expertise
- More convenient than using a laundrette
- Often cheaper than hotel laundry services
While away on a work trip or holiday in another city, you don’t always have access to clothes-washing facilities. So rather than wasting time heading to a laundrette when you could be exploring the town or conducting a meeting, it’s much more convenient and usually cost-effective to download a laundry app and have your clothes taken care of for you.
Plus if you just brought the one dress shirt or evening dress with you and spilled some red wine down it, you’ll need it professionally cleaned, which can be costly at a dry cleaner’s. Instead, simply schedule your item for collection, any stains removed and the item brought back to you the next day.
But sometimes people opt for laundry services instead of doing their washing themselves, as it saves them a lot of time during the week so they can enjoy their free time, concentrate on another project or go to work. Plus, with deals on some laundry apps like Love2Laundry that allow you to prepay for several loads of washing to be done within a specified time frame, you can save yourself some money, as well as your time.
Love2Laundry – Leave Your Laundry to Us!
Love2Laundry is an online laundry service available all over the UK. Save money on costly London laundrettes, or save yourself time and effort by downloading our app today!
