I have heard of this but in my expierence no one thing works for everyone and them pesky deer like to change things up so what works this year may may not next. Good luck.

Don't know if you have it from using LFS or something else. However, a flashlight can go a long way in helping you to see what the outer tub of your machine looks like..(pop your head inside and shine light thru holes in inner tub and try to see the outer tub). My outer tub is made of some type of white plastic so would be easy to see any mold/mildew in that area. (Thankfully, I dont' see any). If you do a search on this forum regarding FLs and mold, you can find some really nasty pictures.

Vinegar is a good fabric softener by itself (use white vinegar) and it's also an excellent odor remover. When vinegar dries the smell is gone. Back when I used to use softener, I'd I started to dilute the softener, put it in a spray bottle and use a washcloth rather than use dryer sheets. Give it a couple sprays and toss it in the dryer. But since I learned to not overdry the clothes, static isn't an issue of any consequence and half a dozen dryer balls fluff and soften towels, jeans and the like. Plus not overdosing with detergent makes a big difference too. I'm getting more and more sensitive to chemical smells. I get a headache going down a laundry aisle these days. Then there's the ones who are in competition with themselves... the smell from the laundry, then they marinate in cheap perfume or cologne, then add a powerful hairspray and deodorant to top it off!

All fabric softener, whether liquid from the clothes or dryer sheets will coat the lint filter and sensors in a dryer. If you truly must use fabric softener all you need to do is take some alcohol and wipe the sensors every few months and pull the lint filter and clean it with a soft brush and some dish soap and water. Make sure the water runs through it easily and you're fine. Actually, even if you don't use softener you should occasionally wash the filter from the lint dust and such. And you should regularly clean the vent and the dryer of lint and buildup. You'd be amazed how many house fires start every year because of this negligence, which of course raises insurance rates for everyone. If you're a camper save some of the lint for starting fires and you'll understand why so many houses go up in flames. For years I used a washcloth and softener in a spray bottle diluted about 1:4 with water. I also would use just a part of a dryer sheet and yes even reuse the sheets several times. Worked fine. The sheets that have little cuts in them at a couple inches or so worked fine to just tear into strips, otherwise, I'd just cut them up. I don't like the smell of softener nor the feel. After dumping out bottles of the stuff and it plugged up my drain so the pipes had to be replaced (it was like concrete in there) I quit and never looked back. What does that do to humans? I don't like my clothes to smell. When they smell, it's time to wash them in my opinion. If you have static problems, you're overdrying the clothes. Cut the drying time and you save energy costs and costs of softener... AND eliminate the static! Vinegar is a good option since vinegar will help cut the excess soap out of the clothes. Although, if you don't overdose your laundry detergent, and so many way overdo it, you wouldn't have much trouble. But it also helps in the northland in the winter when the water temps are lower. Making powdered laundry detergent isn't as difficult as making liquid/gel. But I usually get detergent cheap enough that it doesn't pay to bother making it. I think people too often get so hung up on we've ALWAYS done it this way and get brainwashed by commercials that they lose site of the objective. For me, I want my clothes clean. I don't need a $3000 washer and 17 different chemicals to accomplish this.