Fabric softener is one of the better products a small Kenyan producer can make. Material cost per litre is moderate, the perceived value is high because of the scent, and repeat purchase is strong.
What makes softener different
Unlike detergents, softener works from a cationic (positively charged) material that deposits onto fabric. That has two consequences. It must never be mixed with your detergent line in the same equipment without a proper wash between, because cationic and anionic materials neutralise each other. And it needs an acidic pH to stay stable, which is the opposite of everything else on your shelf.
Formulation for 20 litres
| Material | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Soft water, warmed to 40C | 17 litres | Temperature matters |
| Cationic softener base | 1.2 kg | The active |
| Citric acid solution | to pH 4 to 5 | Stability |
| Preservative | 20 g | Essential in a warm store |
| Fragrance | 120 to 200 g | The reason people buy it |
| Colour | a trace | Pastel reads as gentle |
The mistakes that cost batches
Cold water. The base will not emulsify properly and the batch separates within days into a watery layer and a creamy one.
Fragrance added hot. Above about 35 degrees you lose the top notes to evaporation. Wait for it to cool.
Alkaline pH. Softener drifting above pH 6 will thicken oddly and then break.
Shared equipment. Traces of your dishwashing liquid in the drum will curdle a softener batch. Wash properly or keep a dedicated drum.
Fragrance is the product
Customers cannot see softness, so they judge on smell, in the bottle, in the wash, and on the clothes an hour later. Buy a fragrance with reasonable substantivity rather than the cheapest one that smells strong in the bottle. It is worth paying more here than anywhere else in the formulation.
Costing
Materials come to roughly two and a half to three thousand shillings for 20 litres depending on how heavily you load the fragrance. That is comfortably below what softener sells for in 500 ml and 1 litre packs, which is why it is worth the extra care in the mixing.
Fragrances and colour
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