I've been really liking my super cheap, homemade laundry soap, so when I came across a recipe for homemade fabric softener I decided to give it a try! I can't remember for sure how much I paid for the bottle of conditioner (it's been sitting around for awhile) but I think it was a little over $1 (it's the bigger size Suave makes), and the vinegar is also something that I've had around forever....so I can't really give you an exact cost-per-load on this one, but if I remember I'll try to double check the prices next time I'm in Walmart. :) Basically, it's very cheap to make. :)
What you'll need:
- Cheap conditioner (I used Suave Sweet Pea & Violet)
- White vinegar
- Hot water
- Container for storage (I reused my old fabric softener bottle after rinsing it out)
The original recipe is as follows, although I came up with my own variation. :)
- 2 cups conditioner
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 6 cups hot water
My jug wasn't quite big enough to hold this whole recipe, so I decide to half it. I was also a little concerned about it having too strong of a vinegar smell (I've never used vinegar in laundry although I know some people just use straight vinegar as a fabric softener and they say it doesn't smell at all) so I cut that down too. Here's the recipe I used:
- 1 cup conditioner
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 3 cups hot water
Use a funnel to add the conditioner and hot water to the jug. Shake to mix. Add vinegar, and shake again. See? Easy peasy. :) It does settle some, so give it a gentle shake before using it.
I was surprised at how little you can smell the vinegar in this mixture, and you can't smell it on the finished laundry at ALL. I haven't noticed the laundry really smelling like this softener, but it does seem to be coming out soft, so I'm happy. :)
I've just been using a full cap of this per load (I use a top-loading washer that has a spot to put fabric softener, so I just fill that up) just like with store bought softener, but if you aren't using an old fabric softener bottle I'd say maybe use 1/3 - 1/2 cup per load.