As I posted earlier this week about line drying your clothes without a line. Well there is one drawback to doing this. Your clothes don't always come out as soft as they would if you put them in the dryer or hung dry them outside where the wind can blow the around. Well on that note I bring to you 2 recipes for homemade natural fabric softener.
1. You could always use 1/2 cup of vinegar and add it to the washing machine during the rinse cycle. Lots of bloggers seem to go with this one, but personally it was not my favorite. I don't think it worked well. But it wouldn't hurt to try this.
2. This recipe is all over blog land and I struggled to find one that was natural without toxic ingredients. So I did a little thinking and thought why not just change the condition to a more natural one! So simple. Sure it costs a little more but it is still cheaper then buying fabric softener.
Homemade Fabric Softener
Ingredients: Can double this recipe
- 3 cups warm water
- 1.5 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup natural conditioner (you could use non-natural conditioner too to save money)
- essential oil (optional. I accidentally bought a conditioner that smelled terrible! But with some orange essential oil it smelled fantastic. Just add enough drops till you can smell it)
Direction: Pour all ingredients into a half gallon container and stir. Don't shake or it will make an extreme mess! Add essential oils if desired and stir again!
To use: Add the same amount you would the store bought kind about 1/4 cup during the rinse cycle.
This was part of the Homestead Barn Hop, the Morris Tribe, Sew Chatty, Sew Can Do, Craft-O- Maniac, Homemaker on a Dime, Frugally Sustainable, Thrifty Decorating, Master Piece Monday, Homestead Helps Wednesday
I just started using a homemade washing powder a few weeks ago and am really satisfied. Now, I think I'll give this a try. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSo glad I could help! I should be posting about making liquid laundry detergent soon! I used the powder for a long time but I am hooked on the liquid and it is much cheaper!
Deletei love the liquid. i have made it at both of my daughter's houses and they love it also! will be trying the fabric softener soon! thanx!
DeleteI add 1/4 cup baking soda to my clothes when I line dry for a fabric softener and it works great!
ReplyDeleteO I have never tried that one! I'll give this a try too thanks!
DeleteWhat is natural condition?
ReplyDeleteOops typo! Thanks for pointing that out. Its suppose to say conditioner. Its one without sulfates, toxic chemicals, unnatural fragrances. I got mine from our neighborhood Co op. But you could find some at Whole Foods or a health food store probably.
DeleteThat seem very expensive. Vinegar works just fine and lot less expensive!
DeleteThis is very helpful. :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad! Hope it works out well for you!
DeleteThanks for the helpful post! I'll usually use the plain vinegar method or nothing at all. I used to have everything on the line end up resembling cardboard. Once I realized that I was using too much soap and it wasn't rinsing out completely, I made adjustments and almost everything is soft again. My towels are still a bit rough, so I think I want to try this on the towels. Would you link this post to my blog's homestead hop? http://littlefarminthebigcity.blogspot.com/2012/04/homestead-helps-wednesday-homestead-hop_11.html
ReplyDeleteHmm I wonder if that is why mine get really stiff! Thanks for the tip and I just posted it!
DeleteJust a note. Towels don't absorb water well when they have fabric softener. And two..I have found that the windyer the day...the softer the clothers are that are hung outside. CALM days produce really stiff cloths. Another wives tail proven to be true.
DeleteI agree, when there is a breeze the clothes are softer than on calm days. Here, in FL, you can't buy a breeze July thru Sept, the jeans and towels are scratchy. We like the scratchy towels; it's a bit more exfoliation.
DeleteInteresting! I will have to see if I can find some natural conditioner...I use white vinegar sometimes as well.
ReplyDeleteThey should even have some at Walmart. I got mine from our local coop but you could look at any health food store or whole foods
DeleteNatural Conditioner? As in the stuff you use on your hair?
ReplyDeleteYep the conditioner you put in your hair. You don't have to use natural conditioner you can by any suave or any other brand you would like.
DeleteIs this H.E. safe?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I am not sure for certain? I haven't seen anyone say if it is or not on any blogs yet!
DeleteWill this help reduce static on the clothes?
ReplyDeleteYep it should and make them nice and soft!
DeleteI make my own laundry detergent and fabric softener using this basic recipe. The conditioner I used smelled very nice so I added no essential oils to it. I use same amount as store bought, I also toss in my dryer a couple of tennis balls which not only aids in knocking out the wrinkles but fluffs the clothes as they dry. My clothes and towels come out with less wrinkles and very very soft. I also toss in a dry towel which cuts the drying time.
ReplyDeleteThese are really great ideas! I have heard of using tennis balls or balls made from wool! Thanks for sharing them I will have to try it for sure!
Deletejust as an FYI, if your clothes are coming out feeling stiff when line dried indoors, it's most likely caused by using too much soap/detergent. if the detergent can't completely rinse out, then the clothes are not only stiff feeling, they will wear out faster. almost all commercial laundry products recommend adding way more than needed. why? so you need to buy more sooner. you should not be seeing suds in your washer. a few bubbles, yes. suds, no! way too much soap. i use about a tablespoon per load, as opposed to the half a capful recommended. we live on a farm so we do have pretty dirty clothes. they do get nicely clean with that little soap.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a homemade dishwasher recipe?
ReplyDeleteYep you can find it here http://www.ablossominglife.com/2011/10/homemade-dishwasher-detergent.html
DeleteI will definitely try this - thank you! On a few other blogs I have read that towels will lose their absorbancy over time when washed with commercial detergents and dried with commercial dryer sheets. I've started using 1/4 c. vinegar with a couple drops of lavender essential oil in my HE washer liquid softener dispenser.
ReplyDeleteI have heard that about towels! Thats a great idea! I tried vinegar and it didn't work well for me, but I have heard lots of people with great results!
DeleteI'm gonna try to use the vinegar cleaner recipe (peels from two oranges and 32 oz. of white vinegar in a jar soaked for two weeks) as a fabric softener, since the orange peels kill off the vinegar scent.
ReplyDeleteThat would probably work! I have heard of that being used for a cleaning agent! Let me know if that works!
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