I have received several recipes from you for homemade fabric softener. Thank you! I made up more of the laundry detergent for our daughter in college. She is always looking for ways to save money. I can’t wait to make some of this up to give to her on our next visit.
The minerals that make our water taste so good are also the minerals that make our water “hard”. The vinegar in the these fabric softeners can help our washing machines whether we have a well or are on public supply. I hope you try one of these and let me know what you think.
Fabric Softener #1
3 cups White Distilled Vinegar
2 cups Hair Conditioner (this works out to about the size of a full bottle
of Suave-Use the least expensive and save the good stuff for your hair)
6 cups Hot Water
Directions: Mix ingredients together and pour into a storage container. Use about 1/4 cup per load in the rinse cycle or in a Downy Ball.
Note: Do NOT substitute Apple Cider Vinegar for any of these recipes. You’ll end up with dingy clothes. Do NOT use your homemade fabric softener on loads using bleach. Mixing bleach with vinegar can produce toxic fumes. Vinegar is a natural whitener so you really don’t need bleach anyway!
Fabric Softener # 2
1 Gallon White Distilled Vinegar
Optional: 25 -30 drops of Essential Oil for fragrance
Directions: Fill a Downy Ball as you regularly would or add 1/4 cup to the rinse cycle. If you like your clothes to have a lingering fragrance like traditional fabric softener, add essential oil to the gallon of vinegar.
Be sure to mark your jug so you don’t accidentally grab it for another purpose. I really enjoy this time with you each week and would love to hear from you. Do you have any requests? Is there a recipe you have been looking for or remember from your younger years? Can I help you find it? Do you have any recipes that are special to you that you could share with us? Please contact me at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, P.O. Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730.
