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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So have you tried this Homemade Fabric Softener With Vinegar yet??
Please leave a comment and share!
I read you cannot mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar. Has anyone heard this. If I use bleach in a white load, is it dangerous (fumes) to put vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser?
Wow I never thight of that! Please le me know what your results were. Thanks
I only have Apple cider vinager, and I’m out of fabric softener. Is it possible to use the apple cider vinager?
no do not use apple cider vinger it makes clothes dingy and fades colors
This is the recipe I now use–took some trial and error, but I love it. It is detergent-fabric softener-and static control all in one.
4 cups Borax
4 cups Washing Soda
finely!! grated Kirk’s Coconut bar soap
2 cups Baking Soda
plus I’ll also finely grate up any small pieces bar soap too small to use in bath.
I have a small food processor I use after I grate the bar soap, so it is very fine when I’m done–I only use it for this.
My soap smells good and cleans very well, clothes are soft, static free and I have never seen any residue-and I wear a lot of black clothing. I use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup-depending on size of the load and how soiled clothing is. Hope someone finds this useful.
Thanks a bunch for the recipe, I’m about to try it out for the first time! I have a Bath & Body Works outlet nearby that sells their conditioner at clearance prices most of the time; if I ever run out of what I just made, I can’t wait to go get some B&B conditioner to use!
Wow! Saw this on Pinterest and decided to give a try.. SO easy to make.. and it make a LOT for how CHEAP it is! Love the idea that I can use any scent of conditioner with it! Thanks so much for sharing!
You’re very welcome, Amy… I’m so glad you’re liking the ‘recipe’! 😉
~ Heidi
OMG! I made this using VO5 Extra body conditioner just to try it and i LOVE LOVE LOVE the results!!! I have an HE top loader commercial washer and use the Downey Ball that came with it. It is fantastic! Making more today using VO5 blackberry sage tea conditioner, Meijer here in Michigan has VO5 for 88 cents a bottle and the vinegar was on sale too! Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome, Rhonda… I’m so glad you like it!! 😉
~ Heidi
Can any brand product be used for the Conditioner? I don’t mind using Suave but I have some extra Conditioner bottles of Dove and Pantene. Can those be used or should I just stick with Suave?
Does it have to be suave conditioner? Or could I use something like herbal essence?
Thanks for all the great tips – a couple of hints from Oz that I use all the time, a few essential oil drops in warm water in a spray mister bottle and spritzed over the curtains at open windows will leave your rooms smelling great for weeks. Or a few drops of essential oil into warm water misted over clothes when ironing will leave them smelling great. I haven’t had any problems with staining on either curtains or clothes.
Try making this with the new Suave conditioner… Everlasting Sunshine, I think it is… it smells A-MAZ-ING!!!!!