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[Sunnycorle]

Your subject line seriously scared me! I saw this post yesterday and couldn't open it out of fear!!! Hehehe.

[In-x-s]

I, too, quit using fabric softener about 5 years ago when I discovered what was below the fabric softener dispenser in my washer. I believe it was causing that "beach towel" smell in all my laundry. Since then, I use vinegar on whites and towels and nothing on the rest of the laundry.

I don't think most people realize how much harm can be done with the fabric softeners, including reducing the flame retardant effectiveness of children's sleepwear and such and some have even been blamed it for being a fire accelerant on clothing.

[Heart of Spade]

Fabric softener and dryer sheets coat the clothing with ""softness"" and scent. This coating actually attracts dirt particles from the air. It doesn't surprise me that softener would gunk up in the machine.

[lork]

At 63 years of age I'm pretty much old school. . .I have never used fabric softener. I always thought that at some point they would discover that it is physically harmful. I can smell it on others and much prefer the clean smell of fresh air dried laundry.

[LTT1]

These are good to know... I was afraid to read it too, Lisa B!!

[gem lover]

I can't believe it -the very same thing happened to me. The softener Cup was loaded with hardened, gooey softener all around about an1/2 inch thick and the washing machine itself had softener stuck to its sides. What mess trying to scrub this stuff off. So you say Vinegar will softener my clothes just as well? I will slowly return all my softener to the store. Never again. Thank you for this information everyone.

[Tinkrbl44]

I stopped using fabric softener when I noticed spots on my clothes ... I even borrowed another brand, same thing.

So now I sometimes throw in a dryer sheet .... but what I like best of all is Tide with Downey. It really works very well.

[depglass]

I just went and checked, no gunk. Whew! I use unscented softener and will continue to do so. I now have a ground level laundry and a dispenser. In my old house I had no dispenser and the laundry was in the basement, so I never used it. Frankly I consider it an affordable luxury.

[ical]

Is this the thread where new humans have just landed on Planet Earth? Why is this so mind blowing to people? No offense, but hydrogenated fats and oils do the same thing in your body but most people don't seem to worry about this as much. Same clogging and slime floating around your system. So the lesson is don't eat anything that has the same thing you're finding sludging up your fabric softener dispenser. And toss out all the food that has that stuff in it (read your labels).

[Another new name Sue]

Once when my washer was not working, a worker took the whole thing apart, so much so that we could see the outside of the tub. The gunk there was terrible, gummy, grey. We cleaned it, of course, but I wonder if it's like that again. It's probably wise to use washing machine cleaner and run a hot cycle, but I won't do it now as we are under water restrictions.