This Homemade Fabric Softener with Vinegar and Hair Conditioner Recipe is about as easy as can be! You won’t believe how much money you’ll save at the grocery store!
Homemade Fabric Softener With Vinegar
You may already be making Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent and other DIY Cleaners… but if you’ve been wanting to cut costs on Fabric Softener, you’re going to LOVE this Homemade Fabric Softener with Vinegar and Hair Conditioner!
Becky writes: "Made it, used it, LOVED it, made it again! The vinegar smell goes away once the clothes are dried. Love saving money, and love that our clothes don’t have an overpowering smell to them."
Have you been swapping any of your conventional cleaners for homemade cleaners?
Homemade cleaners save SO much money, and you know exactly what ingredients are going into them!
Now I’ve been making this DIY Fabric Softener for years, and can’t believe how much money it saves! It works SO well, too!
And if you’re wondering how to get the stink out of towels, THIS fabric softener is the perfect trick!
The vinegar infuses the towels when washing, and tackles that mildew smell.
I know what you’re thinking… but vinegar smells! Just trust me… you won’t smell the vinegar at all once they’re done.
So are you ready to save some serious money by making your own Homemade Fabric Softener?
Let’s get started…
Related: How to Score Walmart Deals (20 Secret Tips)
Can You Use Vinegar as a Fabric Softener in Laundry?
Yep… you sure can! It works great on clothing, towels and bedding. Plus, this natural fabric softener will save you so much money, too!
Homemade Fabric Softener Ingredients
- 6 cups HOT water
- 3 cups White Vinegar
- 1.5 cups Hair Conditioner (my favorite is Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle, but you could also try your favorite scent of Suave)
How To Make Fabric Softener with Vinegar and Conditioner
You won’t believe how simple it is to make your own homemade fabric softener!
Here’s what you’ll do…
Mix conditioner & hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely. A whisk works well to get the job done.
Add the vinegar, and mix well.
Store in a large container (empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc.)
Just remember to NEVER use vinegar and bleach together.
When running non-bleach loads, use 1 – 2 tbsp. per load in the fabric softener spot in your laundry machine, then wash as normal!
If washing towels, wash on warm or hot water and make sure to dry completely to keep the stink away.
Give it a try this week, for another easy homemade cleaner swap!
Thanks to frugal friend Holly for sharing this great Homemade Fabric Softener With Vinegar recipe on The Frugal Girls Facebook page!
More Ways to Save Money on Laundry
Cindy writes: “My tip is fabulous… here it goes:
- Buy a small travel spray bottle
- Fill it with liquid fabric softener
- Load your machine
- Grab a clean hankie
- Throw it in the dryer
- Spray it with the softener
- Run the machine
- You now have your own fabric sheets. Reuse til the hankie is in pieces. I have yet to replace mine. Saves me tons of money.”
How to Dry Clothes Inside
This DIY Laundry Drying Rod for Small Spaces is the perfect solution to dry your clothes inside… without taking up any extra space. It’s the perfect solution for small spaces!
Our current home is tiny… so I kept looking for different spots to hang dry my laundry. Then one day it occurred to me… the bathroom was the perfect place!
This works great in our guest bathroom, because that shower is rarely used… and when guests come, I just take it all down and hide it!
What You’ll Need to Dry Clothes Inside
- Tension Shower Rod
- Plastic Hangers
What You’ll Do
- Simply hang an extra shower curtain rod along the top of your bath tub/shower area… and you’ve instantly got a hidden indoor spot to do some drying!
- After you wash your clothes, hang them on plastic hangers on your rod, and it won’t matter if anything is dripping, either, thanks to the drain below!
- Then, just close the curtain, and it’s outta sight!
Sean writes: “This is so brilliant! When I use my shower rod it goes all over the floor! I never, ever occurred to me to put a rod in the shower itself.”
Pearl writes: “I have been hanging hand washed sweaters over an extra shower bar for years. Love the fact that I don’t have to worry if I wring them out enough or not they drip right into the tub. I also put a folding clothes drying rack in the tub sometime to if I am concerned about hanger marks on the shoulders.”
Now… check out how to How to Keep your Washing Machine Smelling Fresh!
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We love using this DIY carpet powder on the carpets, what an effective and frugal way to make carpets smell fresh!
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Save Money Fast (20 Easy Ways to Save $2200 this Month!)
Are you wondering how to Save Money Fast? It’s easy when you start slashing expenses and adding these extra sources of income to your finances!
So have you tried this Homemade Fabric Softener With Vinegar yet??
Please leave a comment and share!
Love this! Thank you for sharing. Anything to save money!
You’re very welcome, Donna!
~ Heidi
My friend sent me to this site and I have to say I like it a lot.
Aww ~ thanks, Tina… so glad to have you here! 😉
~ Heidi
Thanks for sharing this! I recently started making my own laundry soap and have been in search of a fabric softener recipe for a while! So excited to find this and can’t wait to try it! 🙂
You’re very welcome, Mendi… it’s a simple way to save a lot! 😉
~ Heidi
I prepared the softener as directed and put it in a gallon jug. It separated and got super sudsy, but not at first, it was about my 3rd or 4th time to use it. I have a front load HE washer so I do what to be careful. What did I do wrong?
I have the same problem with my laundry detergent. I have mine in a clear liquid dispenser so just make sure I shake up before using.
To prevent static, rip off some aluminum foil (tin foil, whatever you call it) and throw it in the dryer with your clothes. Doesn’t matter if you used fabric softener in the wash or not, the foil prevents static. My foil (about 12″ by 15″) usually lasts for 4-5 loads. Doesn’t matter what brand you use, just tear it off and throw into dryer. Don’t worry about crumpling it up into a ball first, it’ll ball up anyway.
The 2 tblsp per laundry – is that for medium loads or large loads?
I don’t use liquid fabric softener at all. I only use dryer sheets. Will this or straight vinegar take the place of dryer sheets? I don’t have a fabric softener dispenser area in my washer…Can I just add it to the water before adding the clothes or at the spin cycle?
Thanks so much for sharing! I can’t wait to try this recipe and I bought the Suave conditioner and more vinegar to make it tomorrow. Today I mixed up a 3 gallon batch of homemade liquid laundry detergent. So nice to be able to save hard-earned $$$ on these products – the cost of store-bought detergent is unnecessarily ridiculous! Thanks again!
I have a front load HE washer and have always used a liquid washing detergent. Could you please share your receipe for the liquid washing soap you make & is it safe to use in the HE machines? All receipes that have been shared so far are for powders. I am definitely going to try the fabric softner receipe.
Hi Kristie ~ here’s a link to the liquid Homemade Laundry Detergent…
https://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/08/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-detergent.html
Hope that helps! 😉
~ Heidi
I think I am going to try this, we are allergic to fabric softener, it makes us itch!! If I can make the towels softer and something to eliminate the static (i get a shock whenever i touch something metal all winter!) it would be great! Thank you for sharing!!
I love your site!! I’ve been using straight vinegar for stains and softening for a while, but then added the conditioner. Wow! My clothes have never been softer! My husband can’t handle store bought..they make him break out… but he’s had no problem with this! I’ve also bought the super cheap “swiffer” type sheets at the 99cent store, soaked them in a container of the homemade conditioner, and viola! Homemade dryer sheets!
Great idea on the dryer sheets, Kim!
~ Heidi
What did you soak them in ( container, that is)?