Can You Mix Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener?
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Most people dread doing the laundry. If you’re one of these people, you might wonder whether you can mix laundry detergent and fabric softener to save time. Learn everything you need to know in this article.
Can you mix laundry detergent and fabric softener?
You cannot mix laundry detergent and fabric softener together at the same time. The cleaning agents in the detergent will wash away the fabric softener during the wash cycle, rendering it useless.
Because fabric softener works by coating the clothing fibers with oils, wax, or both, mixing the two can also inhibit the laundry detergent’s ability to do its job well. Please use them separately.
What happens when you mix detergent and fabric softener?
Laundry detergent and fabric softener are like water and oil – they do not mix. The chemical reaction between the two would render one of them useless. Please use them separately and avoid mixing them together.
Whenever you mix laundry detergent and fabric softener in the wash cycle at the same time, the detergent will wash away the fabric softener. As a result, the wash water will become “sticky” and your clothes won’t become as clean as you would like them to be.
This is the reason why modern washing machines have separate compartments for detergent and softener. These compartments are designed to release the detergent and softener into the drum at different times.
What goes first: detergent or fabric softener?
Always use fabric softener after using laundry detergent. The cleaning agents in laundry detergent are strong enough to wash the fabric softener off your clothes if it's added any sooner than the final rinse cycle.
Think of laundry detergent and fabric softener as shampoo and conditioner. Shampoo is the cleansing agent that helps remove oil, sweat, dirt, and environmental pollutants from your hair, just like the detergent.
Conditioners, on the other hand, contain natural oils, proteins, and botanical extracts that help keep hair soft, shiny, and smooth, just like how the fabric softener keeps your clothes smooth and wrinkle-free.
How and when to use fabric softener
If your washing machine has an automatic fabric softener dispenser, you can add it before starting the load. If it doesn't have an automatic dispenser, the fabric softener should be added during the final rinse cycle.
Fabric softener can also be used if you’re hand washing your clothes. Add the softener to the clean rinsing bucket, swirl with your hand to mix, and rinse your clothing in the solution for soft, smooth results.
Can I wash clothes with just fabric softener?
You cannot wash clothes with just fabric softener. You’ll need laundry detergent, which contains a combination of chemicals and enzymes to remove stains and odors from dirty clothes.
Fabric softener, also known as fabric conditioner, only softens and protects clothing fibers. It is unable to clean dirty piles of laundry due to the lack of important cleaning chemicals and enzymes.
Can you mix laundry sanitizer with fabric softener?
For those who don’t know, laundry sanitizer is an additive to detergent that is designed to kill 99.9% of bacteria. When you wash your clothes in cold water, bacteria can still survive. This is where laundry sanitizer comes into play. It contains no bleach so it is safe to use with both whites and colors.
However, you should not mix laundry sanitizer with fabric softener. The ingredients in the fabric softener might reduce the effectiveness of the laundry sanitizer. Please use them separately.
Use 2-in-1 detergent and fabric softener to save time
If you want to save time, you can simply use a 2-in-1 laundry detergent and fabric softener. Instead of adding laundry detergent and fabric softener separately, these all-in-one products combine the best of both.
One of the best 2-in-1 laundry detergent and fabric softener products is the Tide + Downy laundry detergent. It offers Tide’s powerful cleaning and freshness plus the color protection of Downy. The combination is loaded with softening ingredients that add a smooth layer of comfort to the fibers in your fabrics.
- Tide + Downy liquid detergent offers Tide’s powerful cleaning and freshness plus the color protection of Downy
- Loaded with softening ingredients that add a smooth layer of comfort to the fibers in your fabrics
- With a more concentrated formula, you get more cleaning agents and less water in every drop. *vs. previous formula
Alternatively, you can also use fabric softener balls. The Downy Ball Fabric Softener Dispenser, for example, makes adding fabric softener easy. All you have to do is to fill the ball with fabric softener and place it directly into the drum of your washing machine, then let it do its magic!
- Makes softness simple.
- Dispenses automatically during the rinse cycle.
- Easy to pour, easy to measure, easy to clean.
Key takeaways
Now you know that you should never mix laundry detergent and fabric softener together. The cleaning agents in the detergent will wash away the effects of the softener. Use them separately instead.
Alternatively, you can use a 2-in-1 laundry detergent and fabric softener combo to make life easier for you, especially when doing laundry. Not only will your clothes become clean, but they will also become smooth.
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