I love taking my clothes out of the dryer, or off the clothes line, and them feeling soft on my skin.

However, there are some cons to using commercial fabric softeners too.
These can include the cost, and the unknown chemicals in them.
I also personally love a nice scent from my fabric softener, but one of my children is allergic to such things so I dread trying to find an unscented fabric softener for our family, because it is nearly impossible.
In addition, if you use too much fabric softener it can stain your clothes.
Those are some of the reasons that I looked into creating homemade versions of different products, including making my own homemade fabric softener.
Here are some fabric softener recipes you can try:
This recipe is nice for those that want softened clothing, but do not like any residual scent from their fabric softener on their clothing.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Add the baking soda fabric softener while you are washing the clothing in the washing machine, along with the detergent.
Add the white vinegar fabric softener to the final rinse cycle (or add the vinegar to your fabric softener dispenser if your washing machine has one).
Hint: If you don't have a dispenser, try this tip from a reader who uses a Downy Ball to dispense vinegar fabric softener.
Please note, a word of caution with vinegar fabric softener.
Vinegar is acidic in nature and repeat exposure to it can weaken certain natural fibers, such as cotton.
Therefore, use vinegar as a fabric softener with caution, especially if you plan to use it on a regular basis.
You can just use the vinegar every couple of loads if you always use the baking soda, and it seems the clothing stays soft, at least in my experience.
This recipe is nice if you want to both soften your clothing and give it a nice scent, at the same time.
Ingredients and equipment needed:
Directions:
Sift the dry ingredients.
Then, add the essential oil, mixing first with a fork and then sifting the mixture 2-3 more times to thoroughly mix the oil in with the dry ingredients.
Hint: Here are some suggested essential oil recipes for homemade laundry supplies if you want some guidance on the essential oils to choose from.
Put this mixture in a plastic container with a lid.
Make a refillable pouch out of a piece of sheer fabric, using either a rubber band, string or ribbon to tie it closed.
Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bag, close it, and toss it in the dryer.
I know there are lots of other recipes for fabric softener that people use successfully.
Please share how how you make your own fabric softener here so we can all learn some additional recipes.
Photo by Viewoftheworld

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CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only, and Stain-Removal-101.com provides it as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some stain removal methods can harm your item, so if the stained item is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.
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