Which Washer & Dryer Settings To Use For Maximum Softness

Having irresistibly soft laundry isn't just about using the right detergent or fabric softener: It's also about understanding the settings on your washer and dryer. The right combination of washing and drying cycles can make all the difference, as correctly applying the settings on your machine will give you the edge in your battle to soften your towels, smooth your stiff t-shirts, and win other laundry challenges, over and over. But where do you start? 

The first thing is understanding what, exactly, makes clothes stiff and harsh after a given laundry cycle. Let's begin with the washer, because often, the issue is linked to the amount of detergent you're using. If you use too much, it leaves residue in the fibers, making them feel harsh. If you're measuring your laundry detergent correctly and your clothes are still stiff, the issue might be because your laundry water is too hard. And if that's the case, don't just start using significantly less and call it a day — hard water leaves behind mineral deposits, and you'll still require enough detergent to wash the clothes properly.

Here's where settings make the difference: If you want to (A) make fabrics softer and (B) remove mineral residue from hard water in one fell swoop, you want to use a warm or hot wash cycle. High temperatures enhance the effectiveness of the chemicals in your detergent, allowing them to clean more thoroughly, and helps remove the minerals from the hard water that coarsens your laundry. Avoid the extra rinse option, though, as it'll add that hard mineral residue back onto your clothes after the detergent and washer already tried to remove it. Also, note that some clothes will shrink in hot water, so check your labels. 

This brings us to the dryer, and to unleash the softening power of this appliance, you'll need to understand cycles and settings. You probably already know that clothes which air-dry tend to be stiffer than ones that go through a dryer: That's because the tumbling motion of a dryer helps loosen up the fibers and make fabrics softer. The heat setting on your dryer plays a key role in making clothes soft. Using low or medium heat, instead of high heat, prevents fibers from tightening too much (hello, shrunken clothes) and over-drying, which can lead to stiffness.

Confused by the fancy names? Don't be. Your dryer's perm press option (or permanent press) uses medium heat followed by a cool-down period with cool air. This balanced process relaxes the fabric and makes it softer. If your machine doesn't have a permanent press setting, you can also use a simple tumble dry setting on your machine, instead — just set the temperature to "low" for a similar result.  Another setting to consider is the air dry or air fluff cycle, which uses room-temperature air to fluff up the fabric, instead of high heats. You can even use this cycle after air-drying laundry to soften the fabric. You can also pair the cycle with dryer balls — either wool or plastic — to increase the dryer's softening abilities. The balls gently beat the fabric to separate the layers, which is an excellent way to loosen fibers, leaving your clothes feeling soft and luxurious.

These tips will up your laundry game in a big way, but know that nothing in the world of laundry is one-size-fits-all. You'll still need to adapt these cycles to your particular load and always check garment care labels.