A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Stretching Your Budget Fabric Softener (liquid)

As Tina said in another topic, plain old vinegar is an excellent fabric softener, and you can't smell it at all after it's dry.

I found some more and am trying them all. So far, so good.

* add 6 cups of vinegar to 1 cup of baking soda, mix, and then use 1/2 to 1 cup during the rinse cycle.
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(you can add essential oils if you want a 'fragrance')

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***homemade fabric softener***

6 - cups Hot Water
3 - cups White Distilled Vinegar
2 - cups Hair Conditioner (any brand)
1 - Empty Gallon Container


Directions:
In large (microwave safe) bowl, mix the vinegar and hair conditioner together (it will look a bit clumpy).

Place the whole bowl in the microwave and heat for a minute or two. This will ensure the ingredients will blend together more easily. Remove from microwave and stir. (I used a whisk).

Add hot water and mix to make sure everything is blended. Pour mixture into a one gallon container and store in laundry room.

Use the same amount you normally use in a rinse cycle (approx 1/2 cup).

Note: Add to fabric dispenser department, downy ball or directly in the second rinse cycle. Before each use give the bottle a good shake to mix it up.

Funny. I just dump in plain vinegar, either white or apple cider. I also use apple cider vinegar as a hair rinse. My mother did as well. I like the smell and when the smell evaporates it takes other smells away with it. I love saving money.

I have been using straight vinegar...Downy is expensive, and I'm not buying it anymore. You can buy a gallon of vinegar for practically nothing.

Yes

I guess I am cheap and lazy--I buy those cheap dryer sheets--you get 40 for $1.00--and I use them--and often I use 3 or 4 "used" ones together for one more load.

Carol I am cheaper than you .
I use white vinegar for fabric softener.
Works an makes my whites whiter.. wowoooo

dodge

Downy also has some nasty gross ingredients.
Try my laundry soap recipe!

Vinegar costs as much as fabric softener here...

Wow, Sunny.
Vinegar is so much better for your clothing and for your machine and for the environment in general..

Another plus for vinegar, No odor an I am allergic to perfume.. Yep I sneeze my head off at that..........
IWhiter , softer an cheaper here.


And it is good to use in food.. Vinegar on my frys.

List your vinegar uses.
Vinegar to clean my windows an chrome.......
dodge

vinegar in slaw
sometimes vinegar in the washer if Johnny's work clothes have a strange smell
vinegar for mopping the wood floors

Vinegar hair rinse, vinegar drain cleaner, vinegar to remove water deposits, vinegar fabric softener, vinegar for general cleaning and windows. So much more....

On a cooking show yesterday, Sandra Lee, said to add 2 tsp of vinegar to the water when poaching eggs to keep the white from separating out.

Actually, I used to do that, until I discovered that they come out perfect if you gently put them in about 3 inches of water that is just getting tiny bubbles on the surface. Do not let the water boil.
Just leave them on a low heat and they form PERFECT poached eggs!!!

Sheesh, That's California for you.
A gallon of White Vinegar is under 2 dollars. Fabric softner is 6 or 7 dollars for much less than a gallon.

Well, that is not California. That is Canada. I have no clue how much fabric softener is here. I have not even looked at it for over 30 years.

Yep, Sunny lives in canada

I do not think I have ever bought liquid fabric softener--I buy dryer sheets.

My sister makes all of the homemeade stuff. I think I will tell her about the vinegar thing.

It's about $8 for a gallon of vinegar here.

Ouch, Sunny. I would watch my vinegar use as well if it was up there.

Yikes, Talk about Hyper inflation!!!

I know..we pay a fortune for supplies here.

Okay! TRying the White Vinegar thing right now! Will report back!
I also have read that with whites it gets the yellowy look out! Anyone know if that is true?

It takes a few washings to see it .. It is excellent on my white towels.
Ihte colored ones.

I have used vinegar for fabric softner for a long time now- itch less for sure... towels and bedding just as soft as with it and cleaner smelling...

I use it for cleaning too- it's a natural disinfectant .. with baking soda will remove grease from cookie sheets if allowed to sit for a while.. cleans coffee pots.. then down drain with baking soda to clean drain... use it with dishwashing liquid to scrub tub with a little baking soda.. no scratch... cleans out soap scum like magic on shower doors..

Nana

Me too.....
Cheaper

Barb--what are you saying about the colored towels???

and also how much Vinegar do you put in say a medium load of towels..and in the rinse cycle, or at the beginning with the laundry soap ???

Vinegar can be used in the rinse cycle or even in the wash cycle along with detergent. I love the stuff. About a half cup per load. It smells while it is still damp but the smell goes away and takes away any other smells with it. It is better for your towels and sheets than any other chemical fabric softener out there. And much, much cheaper.

Thanks so much, Tina---

I feel the fabric softner thing full for all the colors an whites.. Boy do the whites get nice an white from that.
I Am allergic to perfume so I cant use normal softners an vinegar is cheaper too.

Just plain white vinegar or have you tried apple cider vinegar? I'm wondering if at least the smell would be tolerable with apple cider... lol

Plain white only .Whitens an brightens.. If you hate the smell, Hold your nose.

wonder if it would help with a gray problem??? my under clothes are all gray because I like white ones and the water at the rv park in Texas was filtered with a charcoal filter. So my whites are gray now

I like it for cleaning, use it to help with smelly stuff