DIY Fabric Softener – No Mixing Required

This is one of my most asked questions I get and one of the most references I make on the blog and I am now just getting to doing a post about it. My DIY fabric softener with no mixing required. Bonus, it helps keep your washer from stinking.

No Mix DIY Fabric Softener

White Vinegar

Unscented softener

Plain white vinegar is my go to for fabric softener and many other things. I use the same amount of white vinegar as I would regular fabric softener, 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on the size of the load (1 cup for large top loading loads). No, your clothes will not smell like pickles once they are dry, they will smell a little while they are wet, but once dry they will not smell.

By using plain white vinegar as your DIY fabric softener, it helps to strip the excess silicons and waxes from your clothing, relax the fabric fibers, and deodorize the clothing.

Super Clean Clothes

I choose not to add anything else to my DIY fabric softener as it will defeat the purpose of why I use the white vinegar. I understand that some like to have their clothes scented after they’ve been washed and dried but I really don’t care. Adding conditioner to your vinegar softener adds not only scent but the silicons and waxes that the vinegar would normal remove. Conditioner is meant to help seal up your hair to make it soft and smooth. The conditioner will do the same to your clothing fibers and towels making them less absorbent. The silicons and waxes will also coat the lint catcher in your dryer making it harder for the hot air to pass through.

I also love using vinegar as a fabric softener because it’s super cheap. I buy my vinegar from Sam’s Club and I get 2 big gallon jugs for about $4, regular fabric softener is about $10. Since I use my vinegar for more than just fabric softener, I go through about a jug a month. Using 1/4 cup of vinegar per load, you’ll get 64 loads from the one gallon for about 3 cents verses 5 cents from 197 load commercial fabric softener.

Happy Cleaning!