Cost per wash: 5p | Number of washes: 166 | Litres: 5L | Brand: Ecover | Format: Liquid | Scent: Apple and Almond | Skin type: Sensitive | Feature: Palm oil free, vegan-friendly, dermatologically tested What we love Before shops existed, people of old would use natural products to soften their clothes to make them a little nicer to wear. Even a medieval knight couldn’t put up with a scratchy jumper! Soganics was founded by a small group of friends with a common problem; easily irritated skin. They came up with a fabric softener perfect for their sensitive skin and the skin of people like them. Seventh Generation’s fabric softener is made from plant-based ingredients, resulting in a softening effect that is cruelty-free. It is a USDA-certified biobased product that is biodegradable and free from dyes and synthetic fragrances.

Specifically with things that stretch a lot, knits and cotton T-shirts, it can help retain the shape of the collar and the shoulders and where the underarms, the armholes and the cuffs, and the hem...because those tend to get kind of stretched sometimes after a few wears," she says. "With sweaters, when you have the friction between your arm and the body of the sweater and then [friction] with linen pants with between the legs. You might find that there's a lot of pilling that would go on, and the fabric softener/conditioner would help with that." Non-ionic softeners were obtained in the process of the condensation of fatty amino acids with ethylene oxide. With some exceptions, non-silicone softeners are a group of compounds based on fatty amino acids (stearic C 17H 35COOH or palmitic C 15H 31COOH) [ 4, 12]. Non-ionic softeners have the general chemical formula R(OC 2H 4) nOH, where R = alkyl group. They contain many kinds of non-ionic active ingredients: fatty alcohols, ethoxylated fatty alcohols and amines, paraffins, or oxidized polyethylene waxes, and can be easily blended with other active agents. They are thermally resistant and hardly turn yellow. These compounds are ideal for optically finishing brightened white fabrics or knitted fabrics [ 4, 8]. Emulsions of polyethylene softeners in a water bath are stable due to the presence of alkaline additives. A typical composition of such a composition is as follows: polyethylene wax 20%, emulsifier 5%, KOH 0.5%, and water 74.5% [ 4]. Aside from the extensive scent selection, we love that this eco-friendly fabric softener is biodegradable and made using a cruelty-free formula. Plus, it makes your laundry soft, fluffy, and static-free load after load. While a little goes a long way with this product, the bottle can only handle up to 32 loads, which is smaller than some of other selections. I have tried to be more environmentally friendly for a few years, but it’s not always possible. I use Method washing liquid, fabric softener and cleaning products.” (Brand recommended by Mumsnetter Raisinandcheese) Our verdict

What is fabric softener?

Soganics eco-friendly fabric softener comes in a recycled plastic bottle and refills pouches. You can save 90% on plastic, water, and energy. The fabric softener comes in a concentrated form, averaging 42 loads of laundry per bottle. Just a few drops are enough for a wash cycle. We recommend getting a chemical-based softener if you’re all about the scent and want a strong-smelling fabric softener. These fabric softeners often have stronger scents that last longer. For example, Lenor fabric softeners and conditioners can last up to a week after an item of clothing has been washed. How much fabric softener should I use? The chances are if you’re a fan of soft, scented, clean clothes then you already know what fabric softener is, although you may also have heard of it being referred to as fabric conditioner. Some people even call it fabric enhancer. Read on if you want to know how to use fabric softener… What is fabric softener?

This brand is one of the best eco-friendly alternatives for people who like strong-smelling fabric conditioners. ECOZONE liquid fabric softeners feature a variety of scents, varying from lavender, rose, lily, and jasmine-based scents. To a certain degree, due to their chemical structure, softeners are similar to surfactants. Almost all surfactants can cause less or better softening of the textile, but not all commercial softeners can be detergents. The softeners for textiles are used as water emulsions containing 15% to 25% of an active product. Currently, apart from the group of classic compounds obtained in the condensation processes of the aliphatic derivatives of fatty hydrocarbons, multifunctional silanes and silicones form a newer group of softeners that is gaining more and more use, especially in the recent two decades. Silicones are also used as additives to other softeners. Moreover, different functional silanes and silicone rubbers are also often applied as modifiers of textiles properties [ 4, 13, 15]. Instead, Ecozone use natural plant extracts and avoid using any synthetic dyes or petrochemical ingredients and they never test on animals. We spent hours scrolling through our Mumsnet forums to find the best fabric softeners that are reliable, practical and effective at softening your clothes and giving them that fresh laundry smell that we all long for. Many of these fabric softeners have been tried, tested and rated by Mumsnet users, which is why you can be sure that these products work. Expert opinions Despite the promise of DIY fabric softener, making it is not a common practice. This may be because of the extra work required to produce it, or perhaps people are not aware that they can make it at home. The Daily Express recently did a story where laundry experts shared easy ways to do it.There are so many greenwashed fabric softeners in the market, making vague claims of being environmentally sustainable. We have combed through all the noise to bring you the best eco-friendly and natural fabric softeners. Among the classic agents, cationic softeners are distinguished by the best softening of the textile material and relatively good durability in washing. Their softening properties result from the structure based on high-molecular fatty acids in combination with amines. They are soluble in water and also show antistatic properties, with a predominance of hydrophobic properties and good distribution over fiber, and even antibacterial effects. They are characterized by very good smoothing properties and, due to their substantivity to fibers, they are useful for almost all types of textiles, especially those composed of cellulose fibers, giving good results with very small concentrations. However, they can reduce the fastness to light of direct and reactive dyes and increase the susceptibility to soiling [ 4, 13, 14]. The FREY brand offers liquid fabric conditioner and dryer sheets. Both products are made with natural ingredients and blended with essential oil. They come in sandalwood and rose/jasmine scents. Dropps is partnering with Oceana, an international ocean conservation organization. Their goal is to prevent habitat destruction, overfishing, and threats to natural marine life. You could be a partner, too, while using this natural fabric softener.