This post is less about making something, and more about just sharing a neat little DIY secret.
Recently, I've been trying to make my home a little more natural by making my own cleaners and cosmetics.
This is another example. Replacing my store-bought softener with this vinegar solution.
I'm excited to see how well this works for a couple reasons. One, it's cheaper. Like, 50% cheaper. While that might only be a savings of a dollar or two, it will add up. Especially, when you're making other cleaners that save money as well.
Secondly, as someone who has a mild allergy to fabric softener, I always have to buy the hypo-allergenic brands that cost even more. This natural version doesn't cause any skin irritation for me and still keeps my laundry soft and not crunchy.
In fact, I'd actually go as far as to say that I think this recipe makes my laundry even softer than the store-bought variety. It feels cleaner and lighter, if that's possible. Some internet testimonials I've read suggest that vinegar removes the soap residue that accumulates on fabric better than other softeners. The soap residue is the supposed reason for the crispy feel of your towels and sweaters. If this is true, vinegar is not only cheaper, but most effective at its job as well.
Initially, I tried this with a citrus scent using orange and lemon peels, and let me tell ya: I'm not a fan. If you're a big fan of that scent, you can try it, but all I could think of was things like floor cleaners or dusting sprays. I use citrus peels in these cleaning solutions because I like the way it makes my house smell, but I'd rather my clothes not smell like I was wearing dust rags soaked in mop water.
Instead, I decided to use lavender essential oil in the dryer using wool dryer balls. I love the relaxing scent of lavender, and I especially love using this on my sheets and blankets because it's the perfect scent to help you get to sleep. On your clothes, it provides a fresh scent that doesn't overpower if you're in to wearing perfume.
You could use lavender essential oil in the vinegar as well, but I can't tell much of a difference on the clothes if you use it in the dryer instead. They come out smelling just as lavender-y as if you used them in the rinse cycle and dryer.
Plus, I've found that a lot of essential oil-infused vinegar softeners use a TON of oil, like 20-30 drops per quart. Depending on where you choose to purchase your oil, that can be at least a couple dollars worth of oil for a whole gallon of vinegar. Let's save the money and the lavender for the dryer!
If you're looking to go natural with your home products, this is an easy way to start the process!
Vinegar Fabric Softener
1 gallon white vinegar
1 bottle lavender essential oil
Reusable wool dryer balls
Use 1/4 - 1/2 cup vinegar in rinse cycle depending on the size of the laundry load.
For the dryer, infuse 1 wool dryer ball with 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil. You can use more if you like a stronger scent (I use 5-6 drops when drying my sheets and blankets).
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