I've been doing without Fabric Softener for over a year, but last week when I was changing from the winter-fleece to spring organic cotton sheets on our bed, I wanted to make sure they were soft and smelled pleasant! So, I looked around for some ideas for homemade fabric softener.... the most common is a mix of conditioner (for your hair) and vinegar. That didn't sound appealing to me for many reasons..... SO I determined that the vinegar is what makes the clothing soft and the conditioner is used for scent, so I figured I'd just use white distilled vinegar and some essential oil!
Oh - and don't worry your laundry won't smell like vinegar - the vinegar smell dissipates. Just ask Ray, I frequently smell like salad right after my shower (between using it as a facial toner and a hair rinse) but once I dry the vinegar smell is completely gone!
Lavender Essential oil is great for relaxation, so that's the scent I felt would be best for the sheets in our bedroom, why not get the added bonus when using a scent and help with a restful night's sleep?? Here's my Recipe:
1 Gallon White Distilled Vinegar ($1.99 at my local shop and save!)
Lavender Essential Oil or other essential oil for scent as desired
Simply add the essential oil to the gallon of vinegar then use Use 1/4 to 1 cup per load -depending on size of load - added to the rinse cycle (if your organized enough to remember to add it - I am not :) Thank goodness for my fabric softener dispenser that came with my washing machine and Thank Goodness Ray didn't let me throw it away when I stopped using fabric softener!!)
Don't forget to check out my blog post on Homemade Laundry Detergent!
