The good news is that there are eco-friendly alternatives to traditional fabric softeners. Not only is this especially important because of the harmful chemicals, but you'll also save yourself from lugging around plastic bottles and disposing of them. With home remedies, you can replace fabric softener in an eco-friendly and affordable way.
Vinegar
Add about 30 to 50 milliliters of vinegar to the fabric softener compartment with each wash. The smell disappears during drying at the latest, but the vinegar provides the smooth feeling and reduces lime deposits in the washing machine and on the clothes. This alternative to fabric softener is particularly suitable for colored or black clothes. The important thing is to use white household vinegar, which you can find in any supermarket, and not to use detergent with bleach at the same time.
Citric acid
Citric acid is especially great for light-colored laundry, as it has a mild bleaching effect. you're best off using citric acid powder, which you add directly to the fabric softener compartment, just like the vinegar. One teaspoon is enough for a normal wash load. This application is not suitable for washing machines with a narrow channel to the fabric softener compartment. In this case, it is better to dissolve three to five teaspoons of citric acid in a liter of water. For each wash, simply add about 50 to 100 milliliters of the solution to the compartment.
Baking soda
Hard water or stubborn stains don't stand a chance against baking soda. To find out how hard the water is in your region, visit the website of the Swiss Gas and Water Association (SVGW) (link= http://trinkwasser.svgw.ch/index.php?id=813&L=0. Is your home in an area with hard water? Then use about two teaspoons of the powder dissolved in 100 ml of water as a softener. If the water is soft, you can use only half of the powder.
Soda powder
Soda and baking soda work similarly, but soda has a slightly stronger cleaning effect. It is also known as washing soda or sodium carbonate. As with baking soda, you dissolve two teaspoons of soda in 100 ml of water and use it as an inexpensive substitute for your fabric softener. Be careful with animal fibers like wool or merino: soda will cause them to swell and should not be used.
Essential oils
Laundry doesn't have to be fragrant to be clean. On the contrary, synthetic substances are often used as fragrances, which are neither healthy for you nor environmentally friendly. With essential oils you solve this problem easily. Add a few drops of essential oils to your taste when doing laundry.
You can either drip the oil directly onto the washo or put it in the compartment along with your alternative to fabric softener. However, it's important that you go for all-natural oils and use them sparingly.
Washo Dryer Balls
If you use the tumbler to dry your clothes, you can also use Washo Dryer Balls instead of fabric softener. They provide friction for softer fibers and less electricity consumption while drying. For more information, check out the blog (link= https://www.washo.ch/blogs/washo-blog/schneller-trocken-dank-der-washo-dryer-balls).