If you’re battling static cling or suffering through crunchy, line-dried clothing, you’ll definitely want to check out this cheap and easy homemade laundry softener.
After all, fabric softener can cost a lot of money and add a lot of chemicals you may not want.
So how do you make your own homemade laundry softener?
Simple! Just add 1/4 cup or so of white vinegar to the rinse cycle when you’re washing clothes. If you have an HE washer, just add it to the same spot you would normally add fabric softener.
The white vinegar will soften your fabric and it won’t leave any smell behind. (In case you’re worried about smelling like pickles!)
If you just have to have some scent to your laundry, you can save money with DIY dryer sheets. These aren’t as environmentally friendly as just using plain white vinegar in the rinse cycle, but it is more budget and planet-friendly then using fabric softener straight out of the bottle.
Another way of saving $$$ and having fewer wrinkles is to never put my dryer on ‘high’ heat. The ‘high’ heat sets wrinkles, especially on cottons and inexpensive Wal Mart type clothing. I now use the ‘casual’ rather than the ‘normal’ cycle (shorter cycle) and make sure the heat is turned down. Other than heavier clothing, like jeans or the waistbands on my husbands shorts, my clothes are usually dry in less time than the cycle calls for. I pull them out & either lay them out or hang them up right away. A light spray of ‘wrinkle free’ before I wear them does it all: cheaper and less wear on my clothes. If possible I hang my clothes to dry, ALWAYS my stretchy clothes. The color lasts much longer and the elastic doesn’t get ‘fried’ and loose it’s elasticity. A quick ‘wrinkle free’ saves me from ironing, which also hastens colors to fade..
Very good tips! I try to line dry anything that seems a bit more fragile and it really helps!