In case some of you didn't know, the Comfort fabric conditioner contains animals fats (tallow) and when contacted, makers Unilever weren't able to name the source of the animal ingredients - ingredients which also most likely have been cruelly tested on animals.
So what are the alternatives? Well the good news is that you can do almost all your laundry without a fabric softener. Ever used a towel which just doesn't seem to dry you properly? Blame the fabric conditioner. Other items, mainly jeans, may dry a bit stiff without a conditioner. And you may get more than a few electric shocks from all the static in your clothes. But don't worry. Listed below are a few alternatives to deal with your washing woes.
Solution 1
NEW Bio-D Fabric Conditioner - Lavender 1000ml V
Naturally scented with essential oil of lavender, this new Fabric Conditioner leaves your clothes soft, static free and delicately fragranced. This hypoallergenic formula is suitable for both machine and hand washing.
Available at:
http://www.honestycosmetics.co.uk/in...roducts_id=882
Solution 2
1. Fill your fabric softener dispenser with white vinegar. If you don't have a dispenser that's built into your washing machine, you can use a commercial fabric softener dispenser ball that you fill to the 'fill' line with vinegar. If you have neither, simply put about a half cup of vinegar into your final rinse.
2. Dilute some hair conditioner with water at a ratio of 1 to 10. Stir the mixture and use as you would your fabric softener either in a dispenser or added to your final rinse. Any fabric softener will do the trick of eliminating static as well as making your laundry smell fresh.
3. Mix vinegar with a few drops of your favorite essential oils and put mixture into a spritzer bottle. Spritz onto your damp clothing before they go into the dryer and you'll get a fresh smell with minimal static cling. Take the clothes out of the dryer before they are over dry and hang them slightly damp to help minimize the static cling.
4. Put a tennis ball sized ball of aluminum foil into the clothes dryer with your damp clothes and this can remove static cling.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2050497_do-l...-softener.html
Solution 3
seventh Generation Fabric Conditioner
V (Kosher)
Softens and reduces static without the use of animal-derived ingredients
Uses plant-based technology
Free of dyes & synthetic fragrances
Non-toxic, biodegradable formula
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Fabric-Softener
Other than recommending these conditioners for being halal, I can't give my personal opinion on them as I've never used them. But I do recommend white vinegar (I promise your clothes won't smell like a chippy) because it has the added advantage of keeping your machine clean. See why, below...
Heinz company spokesperson Michael Mullen references numerous studies to show that a straight 5 percent solution of vinegar—the kind you can buy in the supermarket—kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). He noted that Heinz can’t claim on their packaging that vinegar is a disinfectant since the company has not registered it as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency. However, it seems to be common knowledge in the industry that vinegar is powerfully antibacterial. Even the CBS news show “48 Hours” had a special years ago with Heloise reporting on tests from The Good Housekeeping Institute that showed this.