Talk:Fabric softener

No Downy site? Dang, I'm going to have to write that one. uriah923^(talk) 18:54, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

Do it, please. And if you can, include its chemical composition, if it is written on the bottle or known to you other way. --Shaddack 19:47, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

• My wife uses Both liquid and dryer sheets, or she will put it in with the soap at the begining while it is filling up with water. Why should she or why should she not?
• how does it work? 17:09 10 Jun 2006

I assume it works by adsorbing to the surfaces of the fibres and creating a mildy charged surface which causes adjacent fibres to repel each other. This means that static cling is reduced and the cloth has a more spongy, soft feel to it. This would work best by adding at the end of the wash as their is less chance of the material becoming desorbed by subsequent washing and detergent action. Don't know about dryer sheets. Again I'm only assuming, but I would imagine they contain a volatile surfactant type material that vapourises in the dryer and therefore is able to adsorb to the fibre surfaces as they tumble around in the dryer. Probably no point in using both liquid and dryer sheets.

I cannot see how vinegar would function as a fabric softener. The only thing it may do is remove a small amount of "hardness" from water by reacting with dissolved alkaline materials in the water. This may make the detergent work a little better, but I can't see how it would have the same effect as a first-intention fabric softener.SimonUK 11:11, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

Health Risk Update

Would you rather die from the chemicals in fabric softener? I would prefer to use vinegar and/or baking soda (no bleach mixed with vinegar because it makes toxic fumes) as an alternative to absorbing the chemicals I have listed at the bottom of this page under Health Effects. ~~ musephil2006 ~~

Poor Sourcing

The source cited for the "Risks" section (http://www.ourlittleplace.com/notice.html) seems pretty poor. It's a personal home page, and many of the conclusions that it makes seems spurious or unsubstantiated. I didn't remove any of the material, but if there aren't any better links, there's a lot of basically un-sourced content in that first paragraph. -Kadin2048 02:52, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

Added the {{unreferenced}} and {{verify}} tags. --Jtalledo (talk) 00:40, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

Risk Page

I have seen reference to the risk page, but am unable to find it. Was it taken out? --Jdjkz 19:31, 1 December 2007 (UTC)

I'd say whoever put up the Risks section never verified their information with reliable sources. Well, how about these two pages? I'd say those look like more reliable sources. Anybody think so that might put up a section about this? YAOMTC (talk) 16:33, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

Health effects

Here are 2 chemicals that are present in fabric softener and their effects:

BENZYL ACETATE:

(in: perfume, cologne, shampoo, fabric softener, stickup air freshener, dishwashing liquid and detergent,soap, hairspray, bleach, after shave, deodorants) - Carcinogenic (linked to pancreatic cancer); "From vapors: irritating to eyes and respiratory passages, exciting cough." "In mice: hyperaemia of the lungs." "Can be absorbed through the skin causing systemic effects." "Do not flush to sewer."

BENZYL ALCOHOL

(in: perfume, cologne, soap, shampoo, nail enamel remover, air freshener, laundry bleach and detergent, Vaseline lotion, deodorants, fabric softener) - "irritating to the upper respiratory tract" ... "headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drop in blood pressure, CNS depression, and death in severe cases due to respiratory failure."

ETHANOL

(in: perfume, hairspray, shampoo, fabric softener, dishwashing liquid and detergent, laundry detergent, shaving cream, soap, Vaseline lotion, air fresheners, nail color and remover, paint and varnish remover) - On EPA Hazardous Waste list; symptoms: "...fatigue; irritating to eyes and upper respiratory tract even in low concentrations..." "Inhalation of ethanol vapors can have effects similar to those characteristic of ingestion. These include an initial stimulatory effect followed by drowsiness, impaired vision, ataxia, stupor..." Causes CNS disorder. [Note: this refers to denatured ethanol, which is commonly used in the cosmetic industry, not to drinking alcohol.]

LIMONENE

(in: perfume, cologne, disinfectant spray, bar soap, shaving cream, deodorants, nail color and remover, fabric softener, dishwashing liquid, air fresheners, after shave, bleach, paint and varnish remover) - Carcinogenic. "Prevent its contact with skin or eyes because it is an irritant and sensitizer." "Always wash thoroughly after using this material and before eating, drinking, ...applying cosmetics. Do not inhale limonene vapor."

LINALOOL

(in: perfume, cologne, bar soap, shampoo, hand lotion, nail enamel remover, hairspray, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, Vaseline lotion, air fresheners, bleach powder, fabric softener, shaving cream, after shave, solid deodorant) - Narcotic. ..."respiratory disturbances" ... "Attracts bees." "In animal tests: ataxic gait, reduced spontaneous motor activity and depression ... development of respiratory disturbances leading to death." ..."depressed frog-heart activity." Causes CNS disorder.

~~ musephil2006 ~~

Here are several websites citing the dangers of fabric softener:

http://www.naturalnews.com/002693.html

http://www.ourlittleplace.com/notice.html

http://www.life.ca/nl/110/softener.html

http://www.ghchealth.com/forum/post-325.html

http://www.cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/health/softner.htm

http://www.cleanyourhomewithoutchemicals.com/FabricSofteners.htm

== This website specifically tells what chemicals are in what products, including fabric softener, perfumes, shampoo, etc: ==

http://www.immuneweb.org/articles/perfume.html

~~ musephil2006 ~~