Homemade fabric softener is easy to make, cost-effective, and sustainable. Made with natural ingredients, this fabric softener leaves clothes fresh, soft and with a lasting scent.
Why Use Fabric Softener?
Fabric softener can help eliminate static and wrinkles, soften clothes, and add a beautiful scent to your clothing.
I love making my own laundry products and have been making my own homemade laundry soap for over 10 years and, more recently, homemade laundry soap pods. However, even though the soap works great, I occasionally find myself missing that fresh tide smell.
Adding fabric softener to each load allowed me to get that fresh scent I was used to, but without the chemicals!
How to Make Fabric Softener
Homemade fabric softener is easy to make and use, and it won’t leave any chemicals or artificial fragrances on your clothes. In addition, it is safe for HE (high efficiency) washing machines and front loaders.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
- 10-15 drops essential oils (choose from blends below)
Instructions
Using a mason jar or old laundry soap jug, Mix the vegetable glycerin with the water and vinegar in a mason jar or old laundry soap jug. Add essential oils, secure top and shake well.
How to Use Fabric Softener
Add 1/4 cup per load. If your washing machine doesn’t have a separate compartment for fabric softener, add it to the last rinse cycle.
This fabric softener leaves your clothes feeling softer and reduces wrinkles, making it perfect for those who dislike ironing. Of course, for crisp button-up shirts that require a stiffer hold, starch spray and ironing is still recommended.
How to Store Homemade Fabric Softener
You can store this softener in a mason jar, old fabric softener, or laundry detergent container. I find that old containers work best for pouring the fabric softener into the washing machine.
This recipe will keep for at least 2-4 weeks when stored in an airtight container.
Essential Oils for Laundry
The best part about making your own laundry products is choosing the scent. Go with a single oil, choose your own blend or pick from one of the blends below.
Not sure which blend to start with? Go with 7 drops of Lavender and 5 drops of wild orange, hands down my favorite combination. To freshen up mildew-type odors, try using just 10 drops of tea tree essential oil.
Citrus Blends
Option #1
- 4 drops of lemon
- 4 drops of wild orange
- 2 drops of lime
Option #2
- 4 drops of wild orange
- 4 drops of tangerine
- 4 drops of bergamot
Option #3
- 5 drops of tangerine
- 5 drops of grapefruit
- 3 drops of lime
Fresh Blends
Option #1
- 8 drops of lavender
- 6 drops of eucalyptus
Option #2
- 10 drops of wild orange
- 5 drops of peppermint
Option #3
- 8 drops of siberian fir
- 7 drops of roman chamomile
Floral Blends
Option #1
- 5 drops of lavender
- 5 drops of patchouli
- 5 drops of wild orange
Option #2
- 8 drops of roman chamomile
- 6 drops of lemon
Option #3
- 5 drops of geranium
- 5 drops of clary sage
- 3 drops of ylang-ylang
Find the essential oils for all these blends Here.
Best Smelling Fabric Softener
When it comes to choosing a scent for your fabric softener or any laundry product for that matter, it really is up to your own preference.
When it comes to blending the oils together, try to stick with similar oils in your combination. This is the fun part and may take a little experimenting. My favorite scents for laundry are definitely floral and citrus aromas.
How to Soften Clothes Naturally | Fabric Softener Alternatives
Vinegar
Vinegar is a highly versatile ingredient used to soften clothes, naturally remove wrinkles, and absorb odors.
However, it is very acidic, with about a 2.5 pH level. Because of its high acidic level, always dilute it before pouring it onto clothing.
Make sure to use distilled white vinegar for fabric softener or any natural cleaning.
Wool Dryer Balls
Adding a few wool dryer balls to your dryer will help soften clothes, reduce drying time and remove static.
Add a few drops of either lavender or orange essential oil to the dryer balls to leave the clothes with a mild hint of that scent. Additionally, you can scent your dryer balls with dried herbs.
Dryer balls prevent the clothes from bunching up during the cycle by keeping them separated to allow for better airflow between the articles, which can reduce dry time by up to 20 percent.
Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets are used to soften clothes, reduce static, and leave a lasting fresh scent on clothing. Unfortunately, just like fabric softener, dryer sheets can be loaded with artificial fragrances and chemicals that you may not want lingering in the home and on your clothes.
I am often asked if dryer sheets are the same as fabric softeners. A fabric softener is a liquid that is added to the washer and dryer sheets are added to the dryer. So they are not the same, but they both serve the same purpose. Depending on how you like your clothes, use both!
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt will not only help with the scent of your clothes, but it will also help to soften them. Many homemade laundry scent boosters use Epsom salt in the recipe.
The chloride in salt can also help keep your clothes brighter and whiter too.
Epsom Salt for Laundry
Epsom salt works best with soft water. If you have hard water, you may want to avoid using Epsom salt in your laundry.
To use Epsom salt to soften clothes, add 1-2 tablespoons per load. For front loaders, place the Epsom salt in the detergent compartment. For top loaders, add Epsom salt to the washer before putting in the clothes.
DIY Fabric Softener with Epsom Salt
You can make a homemade fabric softener without vinegar for those who don’t love the smell of vinegar. The ingredient to make this softener work is Epsom salt.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of Epsom salt
- 1/4 cup of baking soda
- 20-30 drops of essential oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a bowl.
- Whisk together until everything is well combined.
- Store in an airtight container.
If you tried this Homemade Fabric Softener or any other tutorial on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
DIY Fabric Softener
Equipment
- Mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
- 10-15 drops essential oils
Instructions
- Combine water, vinegar and vegetable glycerin in the mason jar. Stir well. (an old laundry soap jug works well too)
- Add essential oils to the mixture, secure the top and shake well.
- Add 1/4 cup per load. If your washing machine doesn’t have a separate compartment for fabric softener, add it to the last rinse cycle.
Hi I love your recipes but on considering your fabric softener which I love to use, won’t it just last through eight washes which probably equates to 4 days washing loads based on 1/4 cup per wash.
You can multiply the recipe to suit your needs. Thanks!
What are your thoughts on using vinegar infused with dried lavender sprigs in place of the essential oils? I don’t have any oils on hand and don’t have the budget to purchase good, pure oils at the moments. But I’m blessed with a bountiful lavender plant 😅
I’ve used my own plant/herb infused vinegar before and it came out beautifully. How marvelous that you’re also blessed with an abundance of fresh lavender. Just make sure it’s well dried. I’m sure you already know that though. I love this recipe and it’s all we use now in our household. 😊 Take care and enjoy!
Thank you so much for this information. I am trying to DIY everything I my house. To get away from chemicals. This is the most helpful information I have found !
Anyone have a link for the vegetable glycerin? Thanks!
I’ve made a ton of your DIYs Laura and they are all fantastic! Especially the face care products.
Thank you!!
I am so glad you are enjoying my recipes! Everything is linked in the blog post. 🙂
Hi Laura,
Why Vegetable Glyerin in the fabric softener? What’s the benefit of this ingredient?
Thank you for all your research and recipes. I enjoy learning how to make my own chemical free “things”!!
Vegetable glycerin will help soften your clothes and reduce static cling. It’s also good for people with sensitive skin, which can be irritated by some chemical based fabric softeners.
When doing the Epsom Salt version, How much water do you use?
You don’t add water to the Epsom salt version, you use it as it is, just put 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture in with your laundry or in the detergent drawer. If you live in a hard water area, or your clothes are washed using hard water, Epsom salts won’t be the best choice as they work much better in soft water.
Thanks alot dear will tray