Homemade Liquid Fabric Softener

By AuntieLo

Once upon a time, I set out to find the best homemade liquid fabric softener that could be found in the great vast land called the internet. And whadayaknow, I found there really aren’t that many variations. 2, in fact.

Sure there were some slight variations in the amount of each measured ingredient, but most recipes gravitated toward 1 of 2 main recipes. And with so very many posts with the same recipes out there, I decided instead of reinventing the wheel, it would be smarter to test each recipe out to see if either of them really worked, if they were cost effective, and how they compare to the other. Welcome to your local elementary school science fair.

Ingredients

• 5 cups hot water
• 3 cups vinegar
• 1 cup hair conditioner

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from happymoneysaver.com

Preparation

Step 1

DIRECTIONS:

Mix hot water and conditioner together in medium bowl. (The hot water helps smooth any clumps from the conditioner). Mix in vinegar and pour in container of choice. Use the same amount as you would a store bought softener and add to the regular softener spot in your washer or during the rinse cycle.
Note: I used a regular cheapo conditioner from the dollar store. The higher quality conditioners won’t make any noticeable differences, so don’t waste your money!

COST:
Water: Free
Vinegar: $0.33
Conditioner: $0.71 (I bought a large size from Family Dollar for $2)
Total Cost: $1.04

This provides anywhere from 30-40 loads worth, depending on load size. That works out to be $0.03-$0.05 per load. SUPER CHEAP

This recipe would also work great with any organic conditioner as well. If you use organic, make sure you price compare to a similar type softener like 7th Generation. The price will definitely be more than our regular recipe, but will still be much cheaper than buying regular organic softener.

HOW DID IT WORK?
On the softness scale from 1-10, 1 being super stiff and 10 being the stuff that dreams are made of, I give this recipe a solid 8. Very close to what a regular fabric softener does. When it comes to smell, the scent was light but still there. It’s definitely not overpowering, but when you take a big whiff it’s definitely there. This may also vary depending on your conditioner. Maybe other scents will come through stronger/softer?

Overall, I preferred the conditioner based recipe. It was much cheaper per use and worked better than the straight vinegar and baking soda. I like having a soft scent to my clothes as well.  Also I like any excuse to use a cute

RECIPE FOUND @ http://happymoneysaver.com/homemade-liquid-fabric-softener-recipe-works-best/