15 July 2011

Frugal Friday: Fabric softener

Oh boy, Friday already! As a corollary to last week's Frugal Friday, here's a simple, cheap way to make your own fabric softener.

1 part hair conditioner
1 part vinegar
3 parts water

Mix together and use as you would your regular softener. Don't worry, your clothes won't smell like vinegar. The smell (which isn't particularly strong once you add the conditioner and water) disappears completely once the clothes are dried. Vinegar is a great rinse aid that gets rid of a lot of the dinginess that some detergents can leave behind. The best part is your ability to customize your scent - there's way more variety in conditioner scents than in fabric softeners!

3 comments:

MommaMia said...

This post was very timely. I ran out of fabric softener yesterday and was able to use your recipe to make some of my own. The conditioner I had was some kind of tropical-coconutty scent which would not have been my first choice for fabric softeners, but it worked! Definitely no lingering vinegar odor. And I was able to mix it up in my old fabric softener bottle that I almost threw out.
I am definitely on-board with mixing up your own fabric softener, but shredding soap bars to make your own detergent might be beyond what I'm willing to do. Maybe. And that's coming from someone who used to make her own baby wipes! I bet you thought my frugality had no bounds!!

Amelia's Mommy said...

Here is my frugal tip. Don't use fabric softener. I don't think have used it in 12 years. Is that ghastly or what?

Sarah said...

It certainly helps if you live in a municipality with a good water supply. Our clothes get a little crunchy without softener. Another option for using this softener is to soak a washcloth in the stuff, squeeze out the excess, and throw it in the dryer.