Cationic softeners bind by electrostatic attraction to the negatively charged groups on the surface of the fibers and neutralize their charge. Liquid fabric softeners may also be poured onto a piece of laundry to be dried, such as a wash cloth, and it will be distributed as the laundry is tumbled.įabric softeners coat the surface of a fabric with chemical compounds that are electrically charged, causing threads to "stand up" from the surface and thereby imparting a softer and fluffier texture. Liquid fabric softeners can be added manually during the rinse cycle or automatically if the machine has a dispenser designed for this purpose. Fabric softeners are usually either in the form of a liquid, which is added to the washing machine during the rinse cycle (either by the machine itself or through use of a dispensing ball) or as a dryer sheet which is added to the moist laundry at the beginning of the dryer cycle. Therefore, fabric softeners in the US are used rather to impart antistatic properties and a pleasant smell to the laundry. In the US, laundry is mostly dried in mechanical dryers, and the tumbling of the laundry in the dryer has its own softening effect. Adding a liquid fabric softener to the final rinse (rinse-cycle softener) results in laundry that feels softer. The fibers at the fabric's surface are squashed and frayed, and this condition hardens into place while drying the laundry in air, giving the laundry a harsh feel. Washing machines put great mechanical stress on textiles, particularly natural fibers such as cotton and wool. Ī wrinkle releaser is a similar, more dilute preparation meant to be sprayed onto fabric directly. In contrast to laundry detergents, fabric softeners may be regarded as a kind of after-treatment laundry aid. A fabric softener (American English) or fabric conditioner (British English) is a conditioner that is applied to laundry during the rinse cycle in a washing machine to reduce harshness in clothes that are dried in air after machine washing.
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