Why use vinegar for laundry?

White vinegar has been used as a laundry rinse for hundreds of years because its acidity helps deal with alkaline soap and mineral residues in the rinse water, which is particularly useful if you wash with traditional soap or live in a hard-water area.

We particularly like it for towels because it softens without leaving a coating on the fibres, helping them retain their absorbency. Put it in the fabric-conditioner compartment rather than adding it with your laundry soap, so it comes into the machine later during the rinse.

How is fabric conditioner different?

Fabric conditioner works in a completely different way to vinegar. It contains conditioning ingredients that settle onto the fibres, reducing friction and leaving fabrics feeling softer.

If that's the result you're used to and like, there's no reason to give it up simply because you've changed to a soap-based laundry product. Fer à Cheval gives you the more familiar fabric conditioner option, with fragrance and softness in one.

Which one should I choose?

If you want the most traditional approach, choose Mas du Roseau. It's a fragranced vinegar-based rinse, so you don't have to choose between using vinegar and having scented laundry.

If you prefer the feel and familiarity of a conventional fabric conditioner, choose Fer à Cheval. It's ready formulated and fragranced, and you use it in exactly the same way as any other fabric conditioner.

We use vinegar, particularly for towels, but there isn't a right or wrong choice here. They're simply two different ways of getting to softer laundry.