There’s nothing quite as nice as freshly dried laundry that’s hot and smelling clean. If you use commercial fabric softeners however, you should be aware of what you’re washing your clothes in. Manufacturers use all sorts of toxic chemicals to create the artificial scents and softness that we’ve come to expect from our clothes. The solution, of course, is to make your own homemade fabric softener. Not only does it protect your family from toxins, it can save you money.

What You Get When You Buy Fabric Softener

You can get fabric softener in a variety of scents. No matter which one you buy, you’re bound to get a few extra ingredients that you don’t want.

Some of the more hazardous chemicals found in fabric softener include benzyl acetate, which can be absorbed through the skin and lead to negative side effects, and benzyl alcohol, which can dry the skin out and leave you itchy. On the other hand, you know everything that goes into our homemade fabric softener and you can add whichever scents you like.

The ingredients we use in our fabric softener are powerful cleansers, as well. If you have kids or pets, it’s essential that any recipe you use gets out stains, odors, and bacteria. Commercial cleansers can be fairly harsh, as they attempt to get out the maximum amount of stains with the least expensive ingredients possible.

This can damage delicate fabrics and shorten the life of your clothing. In comparison, our homemade fabric softener is easy on fabrics but tough on stains.


How to Make Fabric Softener

We recommend using a large mason jar to mix and store your homemade fabric softener. It seals tightly, keeping out toxins and keeping the scent in. You can also fit this jar with a lid that flips open, making it easy to measure and use your fabric softener.

In the bottom of your mason jar, pour two cups of Epsom salts. Add 20 to 30 drops of your essential oil of choice. If you or anyone in your family has sensitive skin, you may want to use less essential oil. If you like a stronger scent to your clothes, you may use a bit more.

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Cover the jar securely and shake up to integrate the essential oil. Finally, pour in 1/2 a cup of baking soda. Put the lid on and shake well to combine all ingredients. Make sure you keep the jar securely closed whenever it’s not in use. Whenever you do a load of laundry, simply add between two and three tablespoons to the wash before it goes through the rinse cycle.

We know you want to protect your family and keep them clean. With homemade fabric softener, you can get all the benefits of store bought softener without any of the downsides. Give it a try and let us know what your favorite scent combination is!

via fhfn