Can so little detergent really clean my whole wash? Yes. The detergent in Cot'nWash is not diluted with water like all other detergents. With Cot'nWash you are only using, storing and paying for, the active cleaning ingredients. Why do you recommend NOT using a fabric softener? Cotton is a hollow vegetable fiber. Commercial detergents flatten this hollow fiber and prevent it from bouncing back into shape - leaving you with stiff, shapeless clothing. When you add fabric softener, cotton's natural softness is suffocated under a film so it can't breathe. Cot'nWash's special formula allows the hollow fiber to remain hollow, so fabric retains its shape and distinctive soft cotton feel.