Content

• Ingredients
• Home fabric softener
• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Soften things in the washing machine
• Part 2 of 3: Eliminate static electricity in the tumble dryer
• Part 3 of 3: Prepare your homemade fabric softener
• Tips
• Warnings

Many people enjoy the smell and feel of their laundry after using antistatic wipes and fabric softener, but others are sensitive to these odors or are allergic to the chemicals they contain. Fortunately, you can soften your laundry without resorting to store-bought products, such as making your own. It is even possible to combine several methods during the wash and dry cycle to make the laundry as soft as possible and free of static electricity.

Ingredients

Home fabric softener

• 2 cups Epsom Salt (488 g) or Coarse Sea Salt (600 g)
• 20-30 drops of essential oil
• 1/2 cup (110 g) baking soda

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Soften things in the washing machine

1. 1 Soak laundry in salt water. This method works especially well for natural fabrics such as cotton, but you will need to soak your garments for several days. To soften things with salt, do the following:
   • Fill a large bucket or sink with warm water. Add half a cup (150 g) salt to 1 L of water. Stir the solution.
   • Place the clothes, sheets, or towels you want to soften in the bucket and submerge them in the water to soak them in the salt water.
   • Set the bucket aside and soak the laundry for 2-3 days.
   • If you don't have two days, you can skip this step. Instead, switch to washing and drying using other natural methods.
2. 2 Add detergent and baking soda to the washing machine. When you are ready to start washing, add the detergent to the washing machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Also pour ¼ – 1 cups (55–220 g) of baking soda into the drum.
   • Add ¼ cup (55 g) baking soda for light loads, ½ cup (110 g) baking soda for medium load, and a whole glass (220 g) with a full load.
   • Baking soda acts as a water softener, so it will soften your belongings too. It also acts as a deodorant and removes any unpleasant odors from clothing.
3. 3 Place your clothes in the washing machine. Remove items from salt water and twist gently to remove excess water. Then put your items in the washing machine.
   • If you skip the soaking process, simply place the dry items in the washing machine.
   • Check the tags on your items to make sure they are machine washable and take special care instructions.
4. 4 Add a fabric softener substitute. Conventional fabric softeners are used during the rinse cycle. Add your own conditioner substitute to get the same results as a store-bought product. Pour the detergent into the softener compartment, or fill a softener ball and drop it into the drum. You can use the following instead of fabric softener:
   • ¼ – ½ cup (60–120 ml) white vinegar (which will reduce the hardness if you hang your clothes on a clothesline);
   • ¼ – ½ cup (102–205 g) borax.
5. 5 Do your laundry. Set the wash cycle according to the user manual and the recommendations on the care tag. Set the correct temperature and wash cycle according to the degree of soiling, load and type of laundry.
   • For example, if you are washing delicate items, select the Delicates or Hand wash mode.
   • Be sure to adjust the flow of fabric softener if necessary, otherwise the washing machine will not add your substitute during the wash.

Part 2 of 3: Eliminate static electricity in the tumble dryer

1. 1 Transfer the clothes to the dryer. When the washing machine has finished washing, rinsing, spinning and off, remove the items from the drum and transfer them to the dryer.
   • If you want to shorten the drying time, do not remove the items from the washing machine and run a second spin cycle.
2. 2 Add special drying balls to the dryer. While they are not intended to soften clothes, these balls will prevent clothes from sticking to your skin or electrocute you and make them more comfortable. Place 2–3 wool balls with your items in the dryer, or use aluminum foil to make these balls.
   • To make balls of aluminum foil and use them in the dryer, you need to measure about 90 cm of foil from a roll.
   • Squeeze the foil so that you have a small sphere 5–8 cm in diameter.
   • Squeeze the ball as hard as you can to smooth it out.
   • Place 2-3 balls in the dryer along with the items.
   • Aluminum foil balls can have sharp edges, so it is best not to use them on delicate items.
3. 3 Turn on the dryer. Set the settings according to the number of items and instructions in the user manual. Set the correct temperature as some fabrics (like cotton) can shrink if the dryer gets too hot.
   • If you have the opportunity to set the drying time, halve it if you started the second spin cycle in the washing machine.
   • You can also use the moisture detection program, which will automatically stop the dryer when all the clothes are dry.

Part 3 of 3: Prepare your homemade fabric softener

1. 1 Make flavored vinegar. If you want to soften your clothes, do not add regular vinegar to the rinse cycle, but make flavored vinegar to add freshness to the garment.
   • To make flavored vinegar, add about 40 drops of essential oil to 3.8 L of white vinegar.
   • Store this mixture in a container and label it so you don't accidentally use this vinegar in your cooking.
   • Popular essential oils for laundry include lemon, orange, lavender and mint.
   • You can also mix several essential oils together to give your garments a special scent. For example, you can mix peppermint oil with citrus or lavender oil with another flower oil.
2. 2 Prepare your homemade fabric softener. Instead of adding baking soda and softener substitute separately, make your own homemade fabric softener and use it in place of these two ingredients.
   • To make a homemade fabric softener, mix Epsom or sea salt with essential oils and stir well. Then add baking soda and stir again.
   • Store the mixture in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
   • Use 2 to 3 tablespoons of home conditioner for one load. Pour the mixture into the fabric softener compartment in the washing machine or a softener ball.
3. 3 Prepare scented drying wipes. To add even more freshness to your clothes, make your own scented drying wipes. While these wipes won't soften things as well as store wipes, they'll make your clothes smell good. To prepare homemade drying wipes, do the following:
   • Take an old cotton or flannel shirt, towel, or sheet and cut 4-5 10cm squares out of them.
   • Place these pieces of fabric in a bowl or jar.
   • Add 20-30 drops of your favorite essential oil.
   • Leave the cloth in the bowl for about 2 days until the oil penetrates the fibers and dries.
   • Add a napkin to each dryer.
   • Wash the wipes and repeat the entire process again when they begin to lose their fragrance.

Tips

• Products such as salt, vinegar and borax will not fade fabrics, so they can be used on whites, blacks and colors.
• To make clothes hanging from the clothesline softer and less stiff, place them in the dryer for 10 minutes before and after they dry on the clothesline. Shake the garments before hanging them on the clothesline and after removing them from the clothesline.

Warnings

• Do not use the above methods on items that can only be dry cleaned. These things cannot be soaked, and therefore they must not be soaked or washed in water. Instead, take them to a dry cleaner for professionals to take care of them.