# Fabric softener — Laundry Care Symbol | Launderwise

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Process & technique

# Fabric softener

A rinse-cycle laundry product that coats fibres to make fabric feel softer, reduce static and add fragrance.

## What it means

Fabric softener deposits a thin lubricating layer on the fibres. That layer softens the hand-feel and cuts static cling, but it also reduces absorbency and can build up over time, which is why it is unsuitable for some fabrics.

## What to do

Add softener to the rinse compartment, not directly onto clothes, and skip it on towels, microfibre, activewear and anything water-repellent, where the coating ruins performance. Wool and many synthetics do better with a dedicated product or none at all.

## How to use this term

Use this process term when a guide tells you to pretreat, soak, brighten, rinse or adapt a stain method.

- Read fabric softener with the other symbols on the same care label; the strictest symbol wins.
- Match the instruction to the garment's most fragile part, including trims, lining, prints and finishes.
- If the label, fabric behaviour and stain method disagree, test a hidden area or choose the lower-risk route.

### Common mistake

Do not escalate a process before checking the care label and testing a hidden area first.

For the broader method, use the [Stain-removal guides ](/stain-removal/index.md)and then return to this term when the label changes the safe option.

## Related terms

- [Enzymatic detergent](/glossary/enzymatic-detergent/index.md)
- [GSM (grams per square metre)](/glossary/gsm/index.md)
- [Hard water](/glossary/hard-water/index.md)

## Sources

- [ISO 3758:2012 Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols ](https://www.iso.org/standard/42918.html)— International Organization for Standardization

[ Back to the full glossary](/glossary/index.md)