# Fabric softener/conditioner...yes/no? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 16, 2017, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabric-softener-conditioner-yes-no/779962 "2017-02-16T05:45:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabric-softener-conditioner-yes-no/779962/21 "2026-10-04T16:31:46Z")
Speaking of dogs; Bayliss loves his blankie to smell like Snuggle fabric softener. He’ll roll on it for 15 minutes when it comes out of the dryer. I thought it was the warmth. But it don’t matter. Even if it comes out cold, the same. Rolls, anywhoo. We have decided the ingredients must smell like rabbit poop to him. As rabbit poop is his next favorite thing to roll in. Dryer balls lasted about a week around here. Haven’t seen them since. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabric-softener-conditioner-yes-no/779962/22 "2026-10-04T16:36:28Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > They’re coated with a waxy substance that will clog your dryer filter and your dryer vent hoses. Citation needed. Yes fabric softener is basically wax, but I’ve never heard of them being a factor in clogging dryer filter/vents. You’re supposed to clean the lint filter after every load anyway. I use Bounce dryer sheets. I like the subtle fragrance, and even though it makes my towels a little less absorbent (at least at first), it makes them less scratchy. Same for the rest of my clothes. My dryer lint filter doesn’t get clogged either. In the winter time, if I forget to use a sheet, my clothes come out all staticky and I get shocks and they attract lint and cat hair right away. Laundry detergents and liquid fabric softeners are way over perfumed. Woolite is ok, but I generally buy unscented detergent. I also don’t put any of my sportswear in the dryer. You’re not supposed to use fabric softener on that sort of clothing because it coats the fabric making it less water absorbent and also less breathable. Plus those fabrics are damaged by the high heat of the dryer, so I just hang them up. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabric-softener-conditioner-yes-no/779962/23 "2026-10-04T17:24:47Z")
What?? There’s no lingering vinegar smell. There is a final rinse. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabric-softener-conditioner-yes-no/779962/24 "2026-10-04T18:52:51Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > Citation needed. Yes fabric softener is basically wax, but I’ve never heard of them being a factor in clogging dryer filter/vents. This is well-known and has been for years. Repairman talk about it a lot. Google claims it’s #6 in household fires after cooking, heating, electrical, etc. Of course you’re _supposed_ to clean the lint filter, but many people don’t. The bigger problem is the waxy lint sticking to the passageway leading from behind the filter inside the dryer to the outer vent, and then on the inside of the vent leading to outside. Who cleans those? They sell cleaning brushes to remove this, but I don’t think most people think much about it. A lot of people have flammable plastic vent hoses instead of the metallic ones. Dryer fires are a common cause of house fires. There was one a few miles from me a week ago that sent 6 firefighters to the hospital. [Dryers are responsible for approximately 13,820 fires annually](https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/how-many-house-fires-are-caused-by-dryers.html). > **National Fire Protection Association** data shows U.S. fire departments respond to roughly 15,000 to 16,000 home fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines each year, with dryers accounting for about 92% of them. [[1](https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/research/nfpa-research/fire-statistical-reports/home-fires-involving-clothes-dryers-and-washing-machines), [2](https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/verify/verify-yes-clothes-dryers-are-a-leading-cause-of-house-fires/291-620980774)] > **[The biggest laundry mistake you're probably making - CNET](https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/stop-using-fabric-softener-or-dryer-sheets/)** > > Dryer sheets and fabric softener smell good, but they are not good for your clothes or dryer. [Residue Build-Up](https://www.vanvreedes.com/blog/dryer-sheets-pros-cons-tips) > The coating on dryer sheets can accumulate on your lint filter, moisture sensors, and inside the drum. This can reduce your [dryer](https://www.vanvreedes.com/appliances/laundry/dryers?page=1&limit=12)’s efficiency, interfere with drying times, and even pose a fire risk if the lint filter isn’t cleaned thoroughly. > **[Dryer Sheets—Safe for Your Dryer, or No? | Dryer Vent Wizard of Massapequa](https://www.dryerventwizard.com/locations/massapequa/blog/dryer-sheets-safe-your-dryer-or-no)** > > There have been some questions in recent years about whether dryer sheets are harmful to your dryer or not. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabric-softener-conditioner-yes-no/779962/25 "2026-10-04T19:15:15Z")
I’m not challenging the notion that dryer lint causes fires, that’s well-known. I’m challenging the notion that fabric softener is a contributing factor, and the Consumer Affairs article doesn’t mention fabric softener at all. The CNET and Dryer Vent Wizard (really?) articles only say that fabric softener _can_ clog the lint filter, with no relevant evidence. In practice I’ve never seen that happen either in home laundry or shared apartment laundries that get a lot of use and abuse. Lint itself is going to clog the filter and cause problems before any waxy coating .The Dryer Vent Wizard article also reeks of “hurr durr chemicalz bad” fear mongering to drum up business. Not an impartial source of information. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabric-softener-conditioner-yes-no/779962/26 "2026-10-04T21:37:48Z")
Well, you can go old school for fabric softening. My Granny would hang her towels, on a clothes line in the evening so dew fell on them. She swore her towels and dainties were soft as “butta”. Hey, I got a new possum tshirt. It’s kinda scratchy, I will try this and report back. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabric-softener-conditioner-yes-no/779962/27 "2026-10-05T00:27:11Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > Lint itself is going to clog the filter and cause problems before any waxy coating We’re talking the fabric softener sheets, not fabric softener in general. The waxy coating reduces the size of the mesh holes in the filter. Some sites suggest seeing if water will flow through the filter anymore. And the wax is also flammable. People can clean the filter, but the waxy coating also gets behind the filter into the walls of the dryer vent passageway. Where it collects more lint. Just google “do fabric softener sheets leave waxy coating on your lint filter”. Google: > [@](#): > > Yes, fabric softener sheets do leave a waxy coating on your lint filter. [[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSBCl_qGFqU)] > > **How the Residue Builds Up** > > - **Chemical transfer:** Fabric softener sheets use heat to release softeners and fragrances made with fatty, waxy ingredients. [[1](https://www.vanvreedes.com/blog/dryer-sheets-pros-cons-tips)] > - **Mesh blockage:** As the hot air and lint pass through the trap, this melted residue sticks to the fine wire or plastic mesh of the [Asurion](https://www.asurion.com/connect/tech-tips/dryer-sheets-bad-for-dryer/) lint filter. [[1](https://www.asurion.com/connect/tech-tips/dryer-sheets-bad-for-dryer/)] > - **Airflow restriction:** Over time, the buildup blocks proper airflow, which makes your clothes take longer to dry and forces the appliance to work harder. [[1](https://www.facebook.com/FWBlackappliancesltd/videos/did-you-know-dryer-sheets-are-full-of-wax-that-wax-leaves-a-film-over-your-lint-/1539734423371998/), [2](https://www.facebook.com/airductinfo/videos/did-you-know-if-you-use-dryer-sheets-to-make-your-clothes-smell-good-you-could-b/2746641058801798/)] > > etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabric-softener-conditioner-yes-no/779962.md?page=1)