I stopped using it. It clogged up in the machine. I found it isn't necessary.

I always do an additional rinse. I have a top loader which I prefer.

I can open the lid and add detergent if I need to.

I never use fabric softener or dryer sheets. "If" I wash a down comforter, which creates lots of static, I have wool tennis balls I put in the dryer.

Eld, I also prefer a top loader and that's what I have. I do think i need something in cold weather for static, as I have many items that don't go in the dryer (with my dryer balls).

@nicole___ dryer balls are great for your comforter! They "plump" it!

Never. I don't understand the purpose of it.

Long ago, when we were staying with relatives and they graciously offered to do a load of wash for us, our clothes came out feeling positively greasy. I later learned this was from putting in too much fabric softener.

I think I need to rename this post and just ask what to use for static haha! @Bookwoman the purpose (for me) is to reduce static in my laundry. I don't have a terrible problem, and it's mainly only in winter, but I hate static in my clothing! I have many items I don't dry. I don't use fabric softener in all loads, but mainly some of my clothing. As of now, no more fabric softener (unless I try some of the eco friendly), and I suppose I'll try baking soda in a load and see how it works.

Not in the washer i don’t. Occasionally i use a half of an unscented dryer sheet (if drying something in winter that is really static-y) or wool dryer balls. I air-dry a lot of stuff too.

Tina,

Perhaps post this in the Laundry Room forum. Dadoes, over there knows everything this is to know about F&P washers and can also advise on how to achieve your goal without gumming up your newly refurbished washer.

I wish I could help you out a little more...we don't use liquid fabric softener here for all those above reasons. Don't have any in the house. But we have bad static from our low humidity levels year round. I have to use the dreaded dryer sheets in the dryer to keep that in check. For the things that don't go in the dryer, I'll put them into an already in use dryer that is nice and warm that has a dryer sheet in there for about five minutes. This seems to help with static on the air dry items we have and it wasn't long enough in the dryer to ruin the items.

I've never used fabric softener for all the reasons you've decided to stop using it. I used to use dryer sheets for static but they would leave spots on some clothes so I stopped that as well. I did buy some recently and was going to use for loads that wouldn't matter if they got a spot but never remember to throw one in. We have terrible static in MN in the winter. I just live with it for the most part. I do spray Static Guard on my cashmere sweaters because the cling is horrendous.

Ran out years ago, did a few loads without it and never looked back. I don't have a problem with static. I've always thought it was because our clothes are practically all natural fibers. Have never missed it and now my daughters don't use it either.

I never use fabric softener or dryer sheets, either.

I'm w Bookwoman. I am not sure what they are for.

I also use unscented detergent and a lot less than they say to use, and only cold water. Seems ok to me!

Tina, I do use it because of unbearable static esp in winter. Not for towels and items that do not cling. I buy Downy unscented and water it down. I keep an empty bottle fill, fill it about half and add water. I cannot stand that gummy residue either. A repairman told me he can tell when someone uses sheets in the dryer - the lint screen has residue all over it.

This repairman also said most people use way too much DW detergent (not much is needed to get dishes clean).

I only started using D0wny fabric softner two months ago because our towels had become crunchy - welcoem to Florida! I am allergic to dryer sheets. My mother was highly allergic and fought skin issues for a decade AFTER she stopped using. IMO, they are the devil.

I buy the bottles of washing maching cleaner and use every 2 to 3 months. Hopefully it helps.

Ya'll are killing me! Static! That's what I use it for. Thank you Sea, you are very kind and I will check that out. 2katz, I do use static guard on some things. I can't stand to have clothing cling to me. I do wear mostly natural fibers but it seems some of the lighter weight things especially, will have static.

I never use dryer sheets as I have been told they can be a fire hazard. I also use unscented detergent (and my softener was unscented also). I use mostly cold water, but there are some loads that NEED hot water. But I digress, that has nothing to do with the static/fabric softener. LOL

Thanks for your input.

I use dryer sheets because of static, which I hate. I never run my dryer if I'm out of the house.

@Bunny, I don't run my washer or dryer if I am not there either, but I will not use dryer sheets. I am afraid of the fire risk, even if I am there. As mentioned, they also leave a residue. : (

@Allison0704 crunchy towels? I've never heard of or experienced that! Have you tried the dryer balls? I clean my washer and my dishwasher with baking soda and vinegar.

@Arapaho-Rd that's an idea! I'm going to try the baking soda and/or the eco packs first. I'd rather ditch the softener if I can.

Thanks for your input! I am making myself get up and get something done! LOL

@Tina Marie, it's not because of dryer sheets. I'm afraid of lint trap fires so I clean mine religiously.

I've never had a problem with static, maybe because I don't use central heat so the humidity levels in my house are high enough to avoid it. I wonder if it would help to use a cool air humidifier in the area where you hang dry your clothing.

A couple of suggestions from the Internet:

1. While you are washing, you can add a little bit of vinegar to your load of clothes. Take note to not mix it with bleach, as harmful gas may be formed. Along with the vinegar, add a piece of tin foil rolled into a ball. Do not put the tin foil into the dryer.

2. Electrons are the cause of the static charge on your clothes, and metal is a good conductor. A metal hanger is a great tool to help sweep away the electrons that are causing the charge. The steps are easy and not at all complicated.

You just need to run the metal hanger along the inside of the clothing. This method works well with silk! You can run a metal hanger before or after you wear the clothing so the static is controlled.

I don't use liquid fabric softener and generally have no issue with static. I do use dryer sheets but only for very specific items and only a 1/2 sheet . When I wash dog bedding (and then have to immediately clean the washer!) a dry sheet helps pull the fur off and I'm sure that's static related. I also air dry a large % of my clothing but often will first run things in the dryer for a few minutes. The tumbling action helps fluff things and get them back into normal shape before I either hang or put on a rack

Ok. I might have exaggerated a bit, but they were not soft anymore.

I use a dryer sheet in every load to prevent static.

I don;t use softener in the washer. I have a spray bottle w/ a little liquid softener and a lot of water. If I have something going in the dryer that might create static, I put the items in the dryer, shake the bottle and spray a few spritzes inside. I only dry my clothing except for socks) for a few minutes to knock out the wrinkles, then I hang on hangers or drying racks to air dry. Bed clothes and towels are dried completely in the dryer (no clothesline).

When our dryer went out a month ago I hung clothes on a drying rack. We have hard water and they dried hard as a rock. Even if I didn't have hard water, I love the softness of Bounce or Downy. It hasn't killed me yet. ;)

I recently started using Alpaca dryer balls. (Yes, Alpaca dryer balls!) They were a gift from a friend who lives near the farm. They are not quite as effective as 1/2 of an unscented dryer sheet but much more fun to use.

https://alpacasofmontana.com/collections/home/products/alpaca-felted-dryer-balls

I have never in my life used fabric softener. I used to use one half of an unscented fabric softener sheet for static. I bought some of those wool balls a few years ago and use those. They aren't as effective as sheets but I am allergic to everything so I use them instead of the sheets. I do use a sheet for dog bedding as it helps get rid of the loose hairs.

@deegw i love my wool balls, but i need to replace them. I”ve never heard of alpaca ones!! We have an alpaca farm nearby.

@Oakley the fabric softener could hurt your washer/drain/pipes. Im nit aware of risk to people.

For 20 years I used softener in the washer and the pipes are good, and the past 20 years I've been using dryer sheets and everything is fine. I do think people can get paranoid over such things. Not you, but if things were that bad it'd be on the news, which is what I've always thought. :)

@Oakley i never thought about it until we saw the slimey built-up goo inside and underneath the agitator. I should have taken a picture 😳

I use vinegar instead of softener. Never did use it in the washer--used dryer sheets then developed an allergy to them. Use All-Free for soap. It's all the extra stuff that gunks up i.e fragrance, softening agents etc.

I use dryer sheets because we have hard water, along with a static electricity in the winter. I never use liquid fabric softener in the washer. I've used it in the past and seen what a mess it can make and what it does to a washer.

Bookwoman, I have the same problem with my DDIL. She puts liquid fabric softener in the wash and sometimes adds scent bead as well, then puts several dryer sheets in the dryer. Towels especially feel greasy and I can hardly bear to touch them, plus the scent will nearly knock you out. Her mother does laundry the same way, so I know where she learned it. They're such sweet people, I just wish they would back away from the fabric softener.

I've never used fabric softener or dryer sheets, and I never have static cling - even in the desert, where the humidity is generally around 10-15%. We do not use heat very much and even use A/C sometimes in January.

The washer that came with the house in Cathedral City had fabric softener build-up in it, and so I cleaned that out. I do use Borax, and I think it has a nice fragrance, but I only buy scent-free detergent - both for the washing machine and the dishwasher.

I also have no clothes that are polyester or nylon, and I mostly have silk and wool dry cleaned, although I have very little that is wool. I do wash some shirts that are a silk blend, however, but most of my shirts are linen or cotton or linen/cotton blend. I think the fiber content has a lot to do with static cling.

BTW, do not use Borax with Oxyclean (which I sometimes use instead of Borax) as this combination will turn the water red, although it does make the clothes red.

@Lars that's very interesting! I don't use Borax, but I do occasionally use Oxyclean. I'm with you on polyester/nylon! Most of my clothing is natural fibers.

I bought the 2lb. box of baking soda and ordered some Dropps brand pods, that I will only use on certain items. We will check the machine in a few weeks or so and see if there is any build up.

Another vinegar user here. I use it with every load in the washer in places of fabric softener. We're on a well, and our water is also hard, hard, HARD.

I do use fabric sheets, but am about to stop that as well. The fibers in the stupid things are sticking to everything!

Years ago, when I have to have our agitator washer repaired and the guy pulled the agitator out, I nearly barfed at the slime that was built up in the washer. (from Downy) I haven't used it since!

@pudgeder I read baking soda or vinegar would work. I so hate the smell (and taste for that matter) of vinegar, I just cannot bring myself to use it on laundry. Been there, done that, with a well. Yes! It was pretty bad (the slime).