I have been searching on how to make homemade fabric softener like I do my laundry soap and I can not find anything. Does anyone by chance have a recipe for it? Thank you!
i read somewhere that you can add a little white vinager to the rinse cycle, and it doesnt smell like vinegar, and just makes them softer. havent tried it though, i will let you know if i find anything,lol
I use vinegar to rinse my clothes. It works great, and doesn't leave a vinegar smell at all. I just put it in the dispenser like I would fabric softener.
I also use white vinegar in with every load. It softens clothes without affecting how they wick. (Store bought fabric softener leaves a water repelling film which is counter-productive on towels. lol) It also takes care of odor elimination (i.e. when our cat gets is itching to be homeless and pees on the pile of dirty clothes). It does not replace dryer sheets for static, however.
I use this all the time and the clothes smell fresh. 1 c. baking soda 6 c. distilled white vinegar 8 c. water 1- gallon container 1st add baking soda 1 c of water to start with SLOWLY add the vinegar to the bottle, as the vinegar and baking soda will start to fizz. Add rest of water If you want to add 10-15 drops of essential oil (lemon or orange) to the gallon container, I have never done this. Add 1 cup to final rinse cycle.
Okay... so if you add mix the vinegar with the baking soda and it reacts chemically, doesn't that defeat the purpose of adding the vinegar to the wash? Haven't you just neutralized the vinegar? (or at least most of it)
I'm not a scientist. lol, far from it I just do it and it works - it's cheap Just remember add the vinegar SLOOOOOOOW!!!!! THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T it becomes a scientific project and it will be all over your kitchen counter!!!
I tried the baking soda/vinegar rinse and didn't think it was that great. That is when I just tried the plain vinegar. I don't use anything else and rarely do I notice anything with static cling. I do know that the dryer sheets leave a film on your lint screen and you should wash them periodically with soap and water (completely dry before using!) I did get an email about it years ago and didn't believe it (solid Bounce user for years!) but when I pulled my screen out of the dryer and ran water through it, it DID NOT run clear-- try it if you don't believe me!! So I've not ever gone back to dryer sheets. But that is jut my preference now.
Also, my mom swears by the dryer balls. I haven't tried them, but she insists they wipe out the static and cut drying time. And they are inexpensive and last for quite a while. I'd be inclined to continue using the vinegar in the wash like I always do to soften and freshen then use the dryer balls in the dryer to prevent static.
The recipe I use is similar to Ohio Mom's. I also add a few drops of essential oil to mine as well. I particularly like rose or lavender.
Alright question what the heck are dryer balls lol? And I also have a question if you add baking soda and vinegar isn't it like when you make kitchen volcanoes? Won't it fizz bubble and well explode? lol.
Heather, read my post about adding the vinegar SLOWLY or it will act like the kitchen volcanoes, believe me I've made one the first time I made the softener
This is the link to the "official" as seen on TV variety, but my mom bought her's at Walmart and they were generic and only cost a few $$. Like I said, she swears by them but I've never used them. http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/dryer_balls.html I just came across this and thought it might interest those of you who may want to try to ditch the dryer sheets: saturate 1 teaspoon of a natural hair conditioner on a small rag, and put that into the dryer as a homemade dryer sheet.
