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gelaundry4ever

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Unbelievable! This guy claims that using fabric softener ruins your washer. If this is the case, then why are they selling it? I don't believe this crap! I don't want my clothes smelling like vinegar! I find that fabric softener is the only thing that makes my clothes smell fresh and feeling soft!
God! What is this guy thinking? Are we that stupid? I've used fabric softener in COUNTLESS machines, and I have yet to have an issue. If anything, I believe it is the machines themselves.
Any thoughts?
P.S. This is OUTRAGEOUS!!!! My clothes aren't perfect without it. They're addicted to fabric softener and the proper amount of laundry detergent.
And besides, who uses only an ounce of laundry detergent? Everything this guy suggests is just a big farce! Don't believe the hype! Let me calm my nerves. I am agitated. No pun intended. I bet he dumped an entire jug of it and just let it set just to make like so. Seriously![this post was last edited: 7/12/2023-15:48]

 
Actually, I do agree with this guy. I've never used fabric softener before but shortly after I've discovered his YouTube channel, I did a little more research and found out that fabric softener can do more harm than good. They are flammable, they can trigger asthma and skin allergies, they are toxic to wildlife in the water, they can build up in both the washer and the plumbing, etc. I've also read that the more amount of times you use fabric softner, the laundry would become less absorbent like towels for example. I could see some states like Idaho and Colorado outlawing them because I know they're very strict with what goes into their water. I've used vinegar in my washer before and they DON'T smell like vinegar afterwards. I've also tried baking soda before and it works. And I use dryer sheets which helps for removing lint out of the traps afterwards. I will never use fabric softener in my lifetime, not even if somebody paid me to.
 
washers lasting

And I've had machines that lasted for 17+ years all while using fabric softener. It made my clothes soft and killed the suds during the final rinse in the GE. I'm not convinced that vinegar works as a fabric softener alternative. I have had firsthand experience. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Sorry, but I'm sticking with my trusty laundry detergent, fabric softener, and bleach for whites from here on out. And, even if I didn't have an oversudsing problem, I still used it to make the clothes smell fresh and feel soft. When my mom got her lg back in 2007, she also used fabric softener which she still does to this day. It absolutely made the clothes feel soft to the touch and smell fresh to the senses. Again, no issue. Prior to these 2 machines, we used fabric softener in my GE filter-flo with the downy ball. Guess what? Zero issues. Your mileage may vary. This is my firsthand experience.[this post was last edited: 7/12/2023-13:23]
 
Oh dear

You’ve declared on two threads now that you use fabric softener to kill suds. This alone shows what a total bag of shite that your washing machine is. If it can’t rinse cleanly without relying on fabric softener then the machine isn’t capable of cleaning your clothes properly.

Funny how it’s also a top loader too. We’ve always known in Europe that topload American machines were f*cking useless but this just adds extra evidence to this.
 
I’ve been using fabric softener for years in my machines, never had any issues with buildup etc. I think what causes build up in machines is when you don’t use a quality detergent like Tide powdered combined with only using cold water. Rinsing in cold is fine, but only using cold water will cause issues down the road.

Reply #4, are you sure American top loading machines are useless? Been using for years and never had a issue, always use warm or hot (very rare for me to use cold), use quality detergent like Tide powdered, separate clothes by soil level, and set the correct time for that particular load of clothes. It’s usually user error that gets top loading machines a bad wrap.
 
And on top of that...

I make sure to take advantage of all temperatures available. If I use cold water for washing, I reserve that temperature for darks. Warm and hot is for everything else, particularly lights and whites separately. Again, no harm done. all the laundry detergent, fabric softener, and chlorine bleach is all high quality. And I make sure to use the heavy soil setting on the Speed Queen Equipment on the normal cycle for the best results.
 
I disagree that top loaders are useless. Sure they use more water, electricity, and have lesser capacity but they do in fact work. The only ones that I don't personally care about are the HE top loaders with an impeller instead of an agitator. But if I had very small loads like socks, impellers can still work for me.
 
washers

I've mainly used traditional top load and HE front loaders and they did fine with softener. The last front loader which I used was the Speed Queen Horizon and not an issue. I also used the Kenmore Elite with softener. In fact, I've used softener in various machines. It all comes down to water coverage and dilution. The worst top load washers I used for fabric softener was the GE hydrowave. You have to run it a second time for it to be mixed through completely. The Speed Queen I use does mix it well on heavy.
 
Laundry detergent tends to be basic and so the addition of a little vinegar (or fabric softener) to the rinse water will help to neutralize any detergent residue left over from the wash cycle I believe. Its common for wringer washer users to add a bit of vinegar to the rinse water for this purpose as I understand.

I have used vinegar in the rinse water before and I have never noticed any vinegar smell afterwards but I suppose it would depend on how much you use.

I've read on threads here that fabric softener residue can accumulate over time in washing machines. I think its also become much more concentrated in recent years and so some of the problems may be related to improper dosage. I think if I were going to use it these days I would likely dilute it before putting it in the washer.
 
 

Never had issues with liquid fabric softener either, personally. Whether in pipes or asthmatic irritation or infernos.

 

But... I do agree we're all welcome to our own opinions on it, both for and against, I know plenty of people that never use it and just as many that do.

 

Vinegar odor is fully dissipated with heat. Whether or not it works as a softener as suggested, I don't know, but it won't leave your clothes smelling like it. The heat of the dryer or the hot summer sun, out on the line, will remove any traces of smell, if there even is any fresh out of the washer, if one tries that route.

 

I'm all for being environmentally friendly definitely, but the argument that it messes up the earth is weak in this case if you just cut out the softener but still use detergent and stain products, because we know that just like softener, detergents, even eco friendly types, are similarly harmful to wildlife, there have been studies that show the big three alternatives Baking Soda, Vinegar, and Lemon Juice are still harmful to aquatic life. There's also the carbon footprint's associated with mining Soda Bicarbonate, and growing/processing Apples and Lemons.

 

It's crazy because try as you might to be better at being environmentally smarter there's always someone saying "But what about this aspect" so if someone cuts out softener for that reason they should go full turkey and just not use anything... but then there's that whole water debate, or energy consumption, so maybe just go down to the creek with some rocks.. haha.

 

No but seriously, baby steps are better than nothing, definitely, and do help, but it's a cop out to mention you're avoiding using it for environmental reasons and not mention the whole laundry process in that regard, if you're going to go there I mean.

 

On that note: Dryer sheets contain the same chemical makeup as the liquid stuff, it's literally the liquid infused into a fiber cloth, that's why it feels tacky like that. Yes it might spare pipes from possible harm and all that, but it's still going on the clothes. So if flammable, it's just as likely to go up in flames as if it were the liquid in the rinse cycle. Similarly it's still being breathed in by you when you're folding it or wearing it on your body, so the asthmatic possibilities still exist, plus, it's still pumped out into the air through your dryer vent, and then moldering away in a landfill when it's been used up via the environmental argument.

 

Years ago I read something about towels becoming less and less absorbent with every wash when you use fabric softener, so I bought some of those wool ball things to dry my newly purchased towels and washcloths with. To be perfectly honest I didn't notice any difference between the older, fabric softener washed towels and the new untainted ones. I mean yes they were less threadbare and had a fuller pile, but that was age related, there was no real difference as far as being able to dry off with after a shower or mop up a mess.

 

 
 
asthmatic

As an asthmatic, I use strong fabric softeners. The only thing that triggers my Asthma is the weather. But then again, everybody is different. I'm just speaking from experience. And it really made no difference if I used it or not. Now off my soapbox.
Before I get off, I have something to say to Derrickwith2rs. Use fabric softener properly, and you will have zero issues.
 
to Sean A806

You're definitely spot on. Have you seen the video where he claimed that softener leads to machine failure? I completely disagree. I've used Speed Queen Laundry, and they're still running even when softener is used. I not only use cold water, but also warm and hot as well. I have three washers and 4 dryers in my apartment, so doing my three weekly loads isn't an issue.
 
Oh dear God it’s him again

“Softener kills everyone and everything you love” honestly the people who say that I kind of flat out ignore their advice, a lot of people Also are saying “all the reason why that you use large cups are is that way you use more detergent so Them detergent companies can sell more of their product to you”

Get real, fabric softener doesn’t kill machines, and the reason why they include those damn cups is because that way you actually have the proper dilution ratio of water to detergent, those are the kinds of people that I think would benefit from a Meiele twindos system
 
Standard fabric softeners use grease, oil, and wax in their product and that WILL cause buildup in the long run, especially when cold water washes are frequently used. I use a plant based softener and no signs of build up yet but lots of 120F warm and 160F washes are the norm.
 

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