DIY Fabric Softener Recipe - How to Save Money on Your Laundry
By Hannah Hauser
Ever read your receipt after a big shopping trip and wonder at how much of your hard-earned money you just spent on seemingly nothing special? This happens to me all the time - I mean, really, how can a few shopping bags cost so much?! It’s crazy how prices continue to rise, but last time I checked, my paychecks weren’t getting any bigger. So I started looking at some of the things I bought to see where I could cut back a little bit and save some money, and I found out I can make my own DIY fabric softener for half the cost with only three ingredients!
Why You Should Be Making Fabric Softener Now
Let me start by saying that for YEARS, I did laundry just fine without using any fabric softener at all. My husband was the one who first suggested making a change, and I’ll be honest - I was reluctant. I had been washing my own things since high school, thank you, and as a true creature of habit, I just didn’t feel like changing up my laundry routine.
I was comfortable with buying whatever detergent was on sale, throwing all my laundry in the wash (sorting be damned), and measuring out an approximate capful of detergent. Dump it in, hit start and forget it until the washer sounds the come-get-your-shit-it’s-clean alarm. Throw it in the dryer with a dryer sheet or two and leave it there for…. days? We won’t get into that.
So the idea of adding fabric softener to my lazy yet mostly effective routine just sounded incredibly… domestic. I somehow imagined fabric softener as laundering on a whole new level: I was afraid of turning into a Laundry Connoisseur.
You probably know one - that person who ALWAYS separates whites and colors and actually uses different spin cycles for different items. They know what temperatures to run, and what Borax is (HINT: it’s not that comedy you watched once). They are the person you call frantically when you get a stain on your favorite shirt because they will be able to tell you - drawing from some sort of 1950s domestic housewife gene - exactly how to treat it, and you do the thing and breathe a sigh of relief because It. Always. Works.
So despite my fears of becoming more domestic, I decided to give fabric softener a try. I picked one with the nicest sounding scent and added it to a load of towels.
I wish I could tell you there was a night-and-day difference when I smelled them after drying. But I really didn’t notice anything special with that first load - except that they didn’t smell old or musty. That was enough for me to keep using it, and the more I used fabric softener on my laundry, the more I began to notice a difference in the overall softer feel and slight scent boost in my things.
Now I’ve become accustomed to using fabric softener along with my regular laundry detergent. My new problem was that my preferred fabric softener (Gain Moonlight Breeze) was EXPENSIVE! Like, unsustainably so. Not good when you’re trying to pinch pennies wherever you can.
So my husband and I decided to try making our own fabric softener. Turns out there are tons of recipes out there, and we took bits and pieces from several to make our own. This version only uses 3 ingredients and takes about 2 minutes to mix up. This recipe makes about 96 ounces.
DIY 3-Ingredient Fabric Softener Recipe
1 15 oz bottle of conditioner
3 cups distilled white vinegar
6 cups water
You’ll also need:
A large mixing bowl
A whisk
A funnel
A 96 oz jug or storage container
1. Combine the conditioner and vinegar together in the mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together to avoid fizzing and to better break down the mixture. Whisk until well-blended - there should not be big chunks of conditioner.
3. Add the water to the mixture, stir, and pour via funnel into the storage container.
I use an old Gain fabric softener or vinegar bottle to store it. You’ll want something with a lid so you can periodically shake the fabric softener just to keep it mixed well. I usually shake it every 1-2 loads to keep it fresh. After shaking, it’ll be mildly fizzy but that is normal.
I use one capful or approx. ⅓ measuring cup per full load of laundry. Experiment with the right amount for you - it may vary depending on your water, machine or laundry load.
Homemade for Half the Price
That’s it folks! Talk about going domestic - I’m all about it now! And it saves me money! Here is the cost breakdown:
Vinegar = $2.69 for Great Value brand (large jug)
Conditioner = $1.06 for Suave Essentials conditioner (strawberry is my current favorite!)
So for less than $4.00, I can make the same amount of fabric softener when I used to pay $8-10 or more for the name brand stuff. Half the price?! Yes, please!
Try out this fabric softener recipe and let us know how you like it! Or if you have other money-saving tips or laundry recipes to share, leave us a comment below!