Can I Use Fabric Softener on my Activewear?

You trust fabric softener to make your laundry smell good and, of course, soften your fabrics. But what’s in that scented goo? And could the softening properties actually be ruining your laundry? Let’s dig into traditional fabric conditioner’s dirty laundry and what makes HEX different when it comes to softening and protecting your activewear.

What Does This Even Do?

Imagine a waxy film all over every piece of clothing you’re wearing.

That’s how traditional fabric softener “softens.” When you use traditional fabric softeners, dryer sheets, or scent beads, a friction-reducing residue is left behind on laundry. It’s meant to give you a snuggly-soft feeling, but it’s actually really dirty. That’s because this coating traps grime and stink and can even damage performance features in workout clothes!

Fabric Softener & Workout Clothes

Check the tag on your Nike clothing, and you will likely see: “do not use softeners.” That’s because fabrics have changed, but traditional fabric softeners and detergents haven’t. They rely on outdated formulas that coat your fabrics. These coatings seal up tight-knit fabrics, reducing breathability and sweat-wicking, and they damage the flex and strength of synthetic fabrics. It’s not just workout clothes that are being harmed either. All fabrics suffer when traditional gunky fabric softeners are used. For example, when towels start to feel scratchy and smell musty, that’s usually caused by built-up residues from fabric softeners and traditional detergents.

HEX Renews Your Gear

Great. All my clothes, towels, and sheets are all coated with waxy residue. What now?

Never fear, HEX is here. HEX laundry products wash out all the trapped grime and stink from traditional softeners and detergents, leaving laundry cleaner than ever and renewed! When creating HEX, we started from scratch. We didn’t start with the standard formula. We looked at today’s market and set out to create products for all fabrics using eco-friendly chemistry, so when you wash your stuff with HEX, you know it’s really clean. No heavy fragrances, no waxy buildup — just clean.