According to TikTok and Reddit - fabric softeners are bad for your clothes and your machine - so I decided to (very skeptically) try distilled white vinegar, so you don't have to!
And the result is...
My clothes are actually softer! and smell about the same or even a bit better! I always felt with the fabric softeners there is some sort of residue left on them, with the vinegar they just come out soft.
So - good for the environment, good for your laundry machine, good for your pocket - really can't go wrong here. I completely understand the fear of your clothes smelling like vinegar but they just don't.
This blew my mind - what else are we using that is not needed at all and can be replaced by something much cheaper and better?