Value of fabric softeners: feel, freshness, and static reduction.
Fabric softeners provide a means to impart a variety of desirable
characteristics to clothing, the most obvious being
improved feel or “hand” when the fabric is rubbed across
the skin. Through the use of perfume or masking scents,
they can also impart a perception of freshness. In addition,
they provide a delivery vehicle for attaching other consumer-
beneficial additives, such as soil release agents,
whitening agents, and anti wrinkling agents. Fabric softener
use has been documented to extend garment life (1).
They reduce drying time and thus extend garment life by
reducing interfiber friction and mechanically induced fiber
damage during the tumble-drying process. By virtue of
their lubricating properties, they can reduce the formation
of wrinkles and make fabrics easier to iron.
Fabric softeners reduce static electricity buildup (2).
When applied in the rinse cycle of the washing process,
they can provide a moderate reduction in static electrical
charge which occurs during the tumble-drying process
When applied in the form of a “dryer sheet,” a coated fabric
or foam substrate that allows the active ingredient to
melt and be transferred by mechanical rubbing in the tumble
dryer, almost total static remediation has been claimed
in a broad range of patents