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!***