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Frugral Fabric Softener Recipes & Dryer Sheet Tips
Here are several quick tips that you can try as frugal fabric softeners, each point is a separate tip. Next you’ll find a Homemade Fabric Softener Recipe and instructions for Reusable Homemade Dryer Sheets.
Quick Tips: Frugal Fabric Softeners
- Using 1/4 cup vinegar in your laundry’s rinse cycle keeps clothes soft. You can set aside a vinegar jug just for laundry and add about 2 dozen drops of your favorite essential oil to the vinegar if you’d like (or as much EO as you feel necessary).
- In a pail mix 1 gallon of water and 1 cup concentrated liquid fabric softener. Dip a sponge or washcloth in the liquid, squeeze out excess and toss in the dryer with your laundry. Seal pail when not in use.
- Pour liquid fabric softener and hot water in a spray bottle (50/50 mix) and lightly mist wet laundry before starting the dryer. Two or three good shots should do it. You could also just spritz a clean washcloth and toss that in the dryer.
- Cut dryer sheets in thirds or halves, use one strip per dryer load.
- Mix equal parts hair conditioner and water and store in spray bottle. Mist a washcloth or sponge and toss in dryer with wet load.
- Use about 1/4 to 1/2 of the liquid fabric softener that they recommend on the bottle.
- 1/8 cup baking soda added to laundry and 1/4 cup vinegar in the rinse cycle.
- Use a Downy ball if you have one–just use vinegar instead.
- Soak a washcloth in full strength liquid fabric softener. Wring out excess, then lay out to dry first before using–helps prevent staining laundry the first time. To use: toss the dried washcloth in the dryer and use again and again until it no longer works. Resoak when needed (you should be able to do a few dozen dryer loads per fabric softener soak).
Homemade Fabric Softener Recipe
1 part Vinegar
1 part Baking Soda
2 parts Hot Water
- Place a pail large enough to hold double the amount of ingredients in the kitchen sink or bathtub. Mix the baking soda and water in the pail, stir till the powder is dissolved. Then add the vinegar.
- Remember that baking soda and vinegar reacts with fizzing, so use a big pail to account for this. Once it’s stopped fizzing, pour into clean bottles, cap, then use 1/4 cup per rinse cycle.
- Updated Info: The baking soda won’t be completely dissolved, just shake the bottle to mix the batch up before adding to the rinse cycle.
Reusable Homemade Dryer Sheets
Flannel pieces
4 TBS liquid softener
10 TBS water
- Cut fabric sheets from old flannel pajamas or leftover flannel fabric from sewing and cut into 3″ x 5″ strips (approximately).
- Stack flannel strips in a cleaned margarine tub (large size) or plastic container (cleaned baby wipes container works well too). Mix the liquid softener and water together, then pour evenly over top of stacked flannel strips.
- Seal container and shake well.
You can use several dozen strips with this mixture. Leave sealed for 2 or 3 days, then use one flannel strip per load–squeeze out excess if necessary (it should be just damp). Keep container sealed at all times. Wash strips after use, then use again to make another batch when needed.
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I am getting SO addicted to reading all your tips – I’ve long wondered an easier way to do dryer sheets and have tried making my own cleaners before. I’m going to try the flannel strips to store in a baby wipes container! Thank you so much for all the great ideas!
So, could I use the homemade fabric softener to make the homemade dryer sheets?
Thanks Monica
!!
I haven’t tried the homemade fabric softener on the flannel strips, it may need the water from the rinse cycle to not leave a residue? I’m not sure. But you could first try spraying a fabric strip and tossing it in the dryer to see how it works.
how long can one dryer sheet last?
MoooMooo, sorry for my late reply but the dryer sheets are used once.
to make your car smell fresh ..place a bar of caress soap under the drivers seat ..the heat from the emgine intensifies making it smell so clean and fresh ..for men ..a bar of irish spring works for you guys.. thanks and enjoy ..
i save my dryer sheets in a pretty lil decorated jar and add a lil febreze / liquid fabric softer to them ..give a sqeeze and wa la ..your clothes smell so fresh but are so much softer than usign dryer sheets alone
I LOVE USING SHAMPOO AND HAIR CONDITIONER IN MY WASHER FOR MY LAUNDRY ..THE SMELL AND SOFTNESS IS UNBELIEVABLE .. TRY IT ..IT TRULY WORKS ..
I like to use sponges soaked in softener, but I keep mine in a resealable container (I use a sandwich container from Tupperware.) and keep three or four sponges in it at a time. Usually one sponge will last three runs through the dryer, then I rotate them. Every six months, I replace all the sponges. I just love this trick; fabric softener lasts a much longer time this way.
I HAVE USED VINEGAR AS A “SOFTENER” FOR A WHILE, AND WAS EXCITED TO TRY THE RECIPE COMBINING BAKING SODA WITH THE VINEGAR.
OK, I GIVE UP. HOW DO YOU GET THE BAKING SODA TO DISSOLVE? I USED HOT WATER, I USED BOILING WATER, AND I NUKED IT TO REHEAT THE WATER TO BOILING. THE BEST I COULD GET WAS A SUSPENSION. WHEN I STOPPED STIRRING, BEFORE AND AFTER ADDING THE VINEGAR, THE BAKING SODA SETTLED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER. SO, WHAT IS YOUR TRICK?
Kathryn “dissolve” is probably not the best choice of words since there will be some sediment from the baking soda. Just shake the bottle up to redistribute. I’ll clarify the notes & sorry for the confusion.
Can you put the vinegar in the fabric softner dispenser that is already in your washer?
I do it all the time. I think it works great and keeps my fabric softner spout clean.
Yes Bonnie I’ve done that with great success too.
One thing you can NOT do is put the baking soda solution in the dispenser. Since it doesn’t actually dissolve, it builds up badly in the dispenser.
I’ve been using 1/2 c baking soda in the wash (no detergent) and 1/2 c vinegar (adding enough water to fill) in the softener dispenser. Works great when you use a dryer. The problem I have is clothes get crunchy when line dried. Any ideas?
I shake towels and wrikles clothes first, really hard like you are shaking out a throw rug. This fluffs things up, especially towels and they are much fluffier when they dry. I use my “solar” clothes dryer all summer long and don’t mind things just a little bit crispy, but not stiff.
Will the vinegar help keep clothes from getting static? I am more concerned about that than I am about the softness.
Thanks!
Yeah, what Sarah says! All I want is something to use so that my underwear doesn’t stick to my shirts, etc.!
To avoid stiff line-dried items, I throw them in the dryer for just 3-5 minutes. This works out the worst of the wrinkles and makes things much softer when line dried.
I’ve tried the hair conditioner and water in equal parts and it makes my clothes smell nice, but it doesn’t get rid of the static. Is there a certain hair conditioner you’re using or does it have to have a certain ingredient or what? All I want is for my clothes not to stick together!
I am very interested in making my own fabric softener and I’ve read a lot of tips. Haven’t made any yet though. But I have a question..instead of hair conditioner/shampoo, could I use some lavender scented baby lotion instead or would it not rinse properly? My daughter has very sensitive skin so I wanted to use something I know for sure that doesn’t irritate her.
I have read that the vinegar can ruin elastic becuase it is very acidic. Has anyone noticed this when using vinegar for a softner? Or, does the baking soda (which is slightly akaline) balance the very acidic vinegar?
I recently saw in Trader Joe’s a product that had Lavendar Flowers inside thin paper/fabric to be put in the dryer. I thought to myself that this would be easy to make by using small muslin bag with drawstring (you can find them where herbs are sold by the oz) and Lavender. The instructions were to put the bag o flowers in the dryer and use 8-10 times before discarding.
I do not have a dryer. Which way would be best to soften my laundry? I do not have the option to toss them in the dryer for a few minutes first. I obviously am not worried about static cling I just want soft clothes from the clothes line.