- Fabric softeners have long been used to soften fabric and prevent static cling. Available in dryer sheets or liquid form, fabric softeners are made up of surfactants or "surface acting agents." It is these chemicals that create a softer, fluffier feel to your laundry.
- Surfactants contain chemicals with lubricating properties. These chemicals coat fabrics with a waxy film that "lubricates" them, causing them to feel smoother or fluffier. It's suggested that these lubricating chemicals also make ironing easier and reduce drying time and wrinkling.
- The lubricating properties of surfactants are a result of positive charges affecting negative charges. Surfactants are generally acidic and made up of positively charged particles. These positively charged particles attract the negatively charged particles within scratchy fabric. The negative charge is neutralized, creating a lower frictional resistance. Thus, there is less static cling and the fabric feels softer and less scratchy to touch.
