Natural Homemade Fabric Softener

This homemade fabric softener recipe is so easy to make and the resulting product is truly effective. We moved to an area with very hard water and I found myself buying fabric softener, something I had never bothered with before. Without adding it to my laundry I felt like our clothes were rough and scratchy, even when I used the dryer.

One of the great things about this natural fabric softener is that you can make it as fragrant as you wish. Personally, I have a pet peeve against people who smell like their fabric softener. I hate chemical smells and it always amazes me that people enjoy them. When you make your own fabric softener, you can scent it as you wish with essential oils. Or if you 're like me, you can just skip the scent - don't worry the vinegar smell does not stay.

In truth the vinegar is what cleans the last bits of laundry detergent and scum off of your clothes, before being rinsed away itself. So not only are your clothes going to get softened by the baking soda, they're going to come out cleaner then ever with the vinegar.

Warning: Do follow the directions when mixing this up. Although not a dangerous chemical reaction, mixing baking soda with vinegar releases a lot of carbon dioxide gas. If you don't mix them together in a large enough container, you risk a mess.

Actually making homemade fabric softener is a lot of fun and if you have kids, I know they want to help!

Health Note: By making your own fabric softener, you are not only saving yourself money, you're avoiding exposure to potentially harmful (and certainly unnecessary) industrial chemicals. Cleaning with vinegar is economical and harmless for you and the environment.