TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - We often use fabric softener products when we do our laundry, whether it be dryer sheets or other tissue products used in the dryer.

Both act as fabric softeners and add certain aromas, but it might have negative side-effects to the fiber or material. Director of Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab Carolyn Forte reminded users to always read the warning labels on products before applying it to several sensitive types of materials.

The following are five types of materials that you shouldn’t use fabric softeners on.

1. Microfiber

Microfiber has intricate threads that have the ability to trap dust and absorb spills. However, the natural absorbent character of a microfiber can reduce dramatically if it is exposed to fabric softeners that end up sticking to the thread.

2. Sportswear

Many types of athletic wear have wicking technology to absorb sweat from your skin and keep you cool when during your working out session. Using fabric softeners on these garments will leave a coating that will prevent them from wicking sweat.

3. Towels

While everyone might love to dry off with a soft towel, liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets can reduce the absorbency of the terry cloth and other fluffy fabrics. If your towels aren't drying as well as they did when they were new, skip the softener every few washes.

4. Flame-Resistant Clothing

To reduce the risk of your children’s sleepwear catching on fire, it is required to be flame-resistant. But washing your children's pajamas and nightgowns with fabric softener impacts the flame-resistant properties in the fabric.

5. Water-Repellent Fabric

Similar to flame-resistant clothing, fabric softener could change the fibers in this material too, which could make the repellent technology pointless. according to Forte, "It may impact the ability of the finish to repel water."

YUNIA PRATIWI