wash clothes It’s packed with science and insight into the importance of achieving optimal results. Filling the washing machine is not enough, add detergent and fabric softener and wait. We’ve already seen that detergent has a very interesting chemical composition, and fabric softener is not far behind. If we study this chemistry fabric softener We’ll see why we love the way it looks on our clothes, but we’ll also see that there are probably a lot of things we’re doing wrong.
Let’s start with the fact that you don’t always need to use it. It’s often said that it’s not good wash the towels with fabric softener, although the reasons are not clear to us. Just in case, some people do without this product when washing towels, but perfumers replace it. The result is towels with delicious aromabut the same question is worth repeating again. Is this really necessary?
When washing clothes, as with many other things in life, the principle “less is more” applies. It is very possible that you are consuming foods that you don’t really need, causing harm. your clothes, your pocket and the environment. We explain the reasons.
Machine or air dry
To understand how fabric softener works, we must first understand why freshly washed clothes are sometimes so harmful. rough and dry. This is due to a process that occurs while it is still wet.
A significant part of the fabrics that make up our clothes contains cellulose. This plant-derived molecule is stabilized by combining its atoms through hydrogen bonds. The stronger and more bonds, the stiffer the fabric will look.
If we touch a damp cloth, it will be very soft to the touch because the cellulose molecules they swell and many of these links do not work. However, this is a reversible process. As the water evaporates and the clothes dry, the bonds form again. Here is an important parameter that we must take into account. You’ve probably noticed that air-dried clothes tend to be stiffer than clothes dried in a machine. Especially with fabrics like cottonvery rich in cellulose.
This is because the clothes inside the dryer are constantly moving, so as they form, many of the hydrogen bonds are broken again. The end result is the formation of molecules with fewer and weaker hydrogen bonds. On the other hand, clothes on the street are static. At best, it can be moved by the wind. In this way, stronger and stronger connections are formed.
We might think that then we should always dry our clothes in the machine. It’s softer that way. No fabric softener required. But it’s not that simple. The problem is that the dryer doesn’t provide all the benefits. Apart from the obvious problem electricity consumptionClothing that is in constant motion acquires static electricity because fibers rub between them again and again. The friction leaves behind negatively or positively charged molecules and a series of interactions occur that ultimately damage the clothing. Plus, taking your favorite sweater out of the dryer can cause spasm. Fabric softener also combats this static electricity, as does air drying harshness.
How does fabric softener work?
In the beginning, fabric softener consisted of a mixture soap, water and oils it gave it softness. However, over time, more chemically complex molecules were tested. This is, for example, the case quaternary ammonium cationsbetter known as quats. They are composed of ammonium salts with positively charged nitrogen inside and are associated with four different organic compounds. On one side there is a hydrophobic side that repels water, and on the other there is a hydrophilic side that mixes with it for better penetration into tissues. In addition, this penetration is optimized by emulsifying agents.
The part that penetrates the clothing contains positively charged nitrogen. It interacts with those atoms that have become negatively charged due to friction, stabilizing them and reducing static electricity washing machine. But that’s not all. The hydrophobic part is deposited on the fibers, providing a lubricating effect that reduces the feeling of stiffness when air drying.
All that glitters is not gold
The most traditionally used quat was DHTDMAC. It performs its function very well, but also degrades very slowly, so it was assumed that big environmental problem. Let’s remember that fabric softener and detergent residues end up in aquatic ecosystems.
For this reason this quater was replaced by another compound known as esterquatwhich is biodegradable. But there is also a problem here, because its hydrophobic part is so intense that when used on towels, these do not absorb moisture. They stop performing their only function: drying.
Everything You Can Do Wrong With Fabric Softener
It’s clear that if we want our towels to dry, the first thing we do wrong is to use fabric softener when washing them. The ideal is do not use it with these clothes. Some people replace fabric softener with perfume so that it at least smells nice. This can be a good option, but if there are people at home with sensitive skin, this should not be done, as perfumes often cause allergies and dermatitis.
Another thing we may be doing wrong is using fabric softener. when the deadline has not arrived. We usually use it at the very beginning of the wash along with detergent. This is undesirable for two reasons. On the one hand, fabric softener contains cationic compounds (positively charged) and anionic detergents (negatively charged). They can interact and form unwanted aggregates in our clothes. But then there’s the simple fact that fabric softener can be washed out rather than left on clothes. Ideally, if we’re going to use it, it’s to add it to final rinse cycle.
Either way, the reality is that most experts agree that fabric softener is not necessary. A little cleaning vinegar can do exactly the same job.
Source: Hiper Textual
