Homemade Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets

What You Need

Fabric Softener:

6 cups of water
3 cups of white vinegar
1 bottle (approx. 2 cups) of your favorite conditioner
Container for storage

If you are going to be making dryer sheets/sponges you will need:

3 or 4 cellulose sponges
1 1/2 cups of your fabric softener
1 1/2 cups water
Smaller container for storage

Fabric Softener Directions:

I will start with the fabric softener recipe because I make my softener and then use it to make my dryer sponges...

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil on the stove and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 3 cups of vinegar and 1 bottle (or about 2 cups) of conditioner. Note that this doesn't have to be expensive conditioner just something you think smells nice. I would suggest staying away from any that are made for color treated hair as they can seem a little extra "greasy". I use a whisk to mix all of the ingredients as it helps them combine well. Doing this while your water is still warm will help with melting down the conditioner. Transfer to a storage container and allow to cool (see my beautifully recycled gallon jug that my daughter decorated for us). Use as you would any store bought fabric softener.

Dryer Sheet/Sponge Directions:

To make the dryer sponges I mix equal parts fabric softener and filtered water in a small container. I have heard of others using distilled water, boiled water, even tap water... but I like to pour mine from our filtered pitcher we keep in the fridge. For my container 1 1/2 cups of fabric softener and 1 1/2 cups water works good but depending on your container you may have to vary that amount... just stick to equal parts of each. Take your sponges and cut them in half and add them to the container. To use just squeeze the liquid out of a sponge and throw it in the dryer with your clothes. When the load is done the sponge will be dry, just throw it back in the container and use it again and again.

Cost Breakdown:

Because being frugal is part of DIYing here is a breakdown of cost...

For the purpose of this cost analysis I am going to call the water and the containers "free" but we all know that there isn't much "free" anymore :)

Fabric Softener:
Conditioner $1
Vinegar $3 per gallon using 3 cups= .57

This makes your half gallon of fabric softener come to a grand total of $1.57 compared to store bought softeners that can cost anywhere from $4 to $8 each.

Dryer Sheets:
I have already accounted for the cost of the fabric softener but if we want to see the overall cost I used .30 cents worth of my homemade softener so....

Fabric Softener .30
Sponges $1

That's $1.30 for dryer sponges that I will use over and over and over again. I also only plan to replace the liquid every 3-4 months. An average cost for an 80 count of store bought dryer sheets is $4 and I plan to get more than 80 uses of out these bad boys. :)

You can make these dryer sponges with store bought softener as well however that would bring the price up a little, still a money saver though.

To Sum It Up

So to sum it up these are great products that I feel good about using and they save my family money. They are easy and fun to make and worth the little bit of effort. I have used these products with no problem but I always encourage you doing your own research to make sure they are the best for you and your family. Thanks for reading!

These two items are great to use with my homemade laundry detergent... get that recipe here!

Live, Laugh, Love and DIY!

***I would love for you to leave me a comment if you try these DIY products and also let me know any other ideas you may have!***

When Life Gets Too Busy...

I will be honest, lately I have been feeling sorry for myself. My husband works out of town, I work full time, I have two children to take care of by myself when my husband is gone, a home to take care of alone when he is gone, my husband and I are both taking college courses... life is hectic. But aren't all of those things I just mentioned blessings? Of course they are!

My husband works out of town and I am constantly running around trying to make things happen at home while working full time myself. But we both have good jobs and we are able to provide for our family. Others can't find work, or chose to not look for work... and often times their family has to struggle through that.

Taking care of children is a big task. But one I am grateful God allowed me to have. Many couples want children and can't have them. Many are struggling through the process of adoption that just doesn't seem to be happening fast enough. My husband and I had our own hard times in the process of having children and I am thankful that with God's help we have come out on the other side. Often times I feel like I am failing at giving my children what they need because I have so much going on, those are the moments where God shows me how I can slow things down and that it is ok to be late for work every once in a while if it means letting my daughter pick me "flowers" (aka weeds) as we go out the door in the morning. The moments when I need it most my son will walk up and hug me for no apparent reason except it being his way to say "thank you mommy, I love you" or my daughter will say "You're the best Mom in the world". I need... we all need... to learn how to embrace those little messages from the Lord saying you're doing just fine. The Lord has given me two beautiful healthy children and for that I am eternally grateful!

Taking care of everything that needs to be done at home alone through the week is daunting. There are always toys in the floor, dishes in the sink, clothes to be washed... the list goes on and on. But we are able to own a home, put food on those dishes and play to get those clothes dirty. When there is a mess it usually means something great occurred to make it that way. Sometimes that is hard to see behind the piles of dirty laundry but I assure you that if you just keep digging you will find that blessing hidden in there.

As for college, Lord help!! What a task it has been. Just one of us going to college would have been hard enough but both of us... we must be crazy. Crazy isn't always bad... because we are in our last semester and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. God has blessed us and helped us every step of the way and I have faith that he will allow us to reap the rewards of our hard work and faith in him.

Maybe I have said all of this just to prove a point to myself... yeah probably so... but behind the stress and struggles of every day life there are blessings that we often times over look. Next time you are stressed and feel like you just want to scream do yourself the favor of reversing that energy and thinking about the good behind the stress. I think that could help us all. And when life seems too busy know that it is ok to slow down, even if it's just a little. You will thank yourself for it.