Posted By: Truly Free Home
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Posted On: 8/18/2025
If you’ve ever used an older washing machine, you know that a separate compartment for fabric softener is a modern upgrade older models are missing. That means if you want to include fabric softener in a load, it takes strategy and attention.
The water gushing sounds of the rinse cycle are a cue to mad dash into the laundry room, pause the machine, pour a cap of fabric softener into the load, and close the lid to resume the cycle. If you miss it, that’s it—no snuggly blankets, linens, and clothes.
Growing up, this task fell to me on Sunday laundry day. And, more often than not, I failed at my fabric softener duties. Turns out, I may have accidentally been doing myself and my family a favor.
Conventional fabric softeners, I later found out, aren’t good for your clothes or your health. Some of the toxic ingredients in fabric softeners may even be harming your hormones.
Fabric softeners promise to make blankets, towels, and bedding plush and snuggly, and clothes smooth and buttery, all while reducing wrinkles, static, and pilling and making your laundry smell like a mountain forest or wildflowers. We’ve all been duped.
Fabric softener doesn’t soften clothes at all. What it actually does is coat fibers with a waxy silicone substance and other toxic chemicals that give the illusion of softness. So while you snuggle up in your favorite blanket, you’re actually wrapping yourself in toxins that can be absorbed by your skin and disrupt your hormones.
In the U.S., companies aren’t required to disclose the ingredients in fragrances. So despite including “phthalate-free” on the label, many fabric softeners still contain hormone-disrupting phthalates that are hidden behind the term fragrance.
Phthalates help synthetic scents last longer—they’re also known endocrine (or hormone) disruptors that block or mimic hormones, impacting their natural functions in the body. Studies have linked phthalate exposure to reproductive problems, developmental issues, and increased risk of certain cancers.
Fabric softeners also include softening chemicals known as Quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATS), preservatives like benzyl alcohol and benzyl acetate, and synthetic dyes, all of which can disrupt the endocrine system and throw hormones out of balance.
Luckily, you don’t have to expose your family to hormone-disrupting fabric softeners to get comfy, cozy fabrics. Simply switch to Truly Free Home Softening Rinse.
Unlike conventional fabric softeners that coat fabrics in waxy silicone and toxic chemicals, Truly Free Home’s plant-based fabric softener formula neutralizes hard water, so your fabrics come out naturally soft, breathable, and safe. It also helps reduce static cling, shortens drying time, and gently loosens clothes that bunch together—so your laundry feels fresher and lighter every time.
And because Truly Free Home Fabric Softening Rinse is biodegradable, dye-free, and hypoallergenic, it’s gentle enough for sensitive skin, babies, and pregnancy, while still delivering that cozy, just-washed feel.
Choosing a fabric softener alternative that protects your family’s health and the environment doesn’t mean giving up comfort. Try Truly Free Home Softening Rinse and experience the difference this simple swap can make.
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