Homemade Fabric Softener: Safe for HE washing machines

Homemade fabric softener is the ultimate replacement for using store-bought fabric softener. With just a few simple ingredients you can whip this up in no time to have a more natural laundry routine. Not only will your clothes be left soft and the quality maintained, but you will also be reducing chemical exposure with this simple recipe!

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A few years ago I got into the non-toxic, holistic realm and switched out every single product I could think of. However, I have a mindset that if I can make it myself for a lot cheaper, I’m going to. 

Naturally, I had to figure out how to make my own natural fabric softener. My homemade fabric softener recipe requires very few ingredients and it makes your clothes feel soft, reduces static, and preserves your clothing integrity!

Homemade fabric softener pairs really well with my homemade laundry detergent and homemade laundry scent booster for a very effective laundry routine. Sometimes, when switching to natural products, it can be hard to find products that work for your home and family. I know I went through multiple brands of laundry detergents and such before I settled on one I liked.. that is until I started making my own!

Why DIY fabric softener?

I’m sure you’ve heard a lot by now that commercial fabric softeners and pretty much any product in the store you can buy is full of toxic chemicals. Artificial fragrance is something I try to avoid at all costs. It is a known skin irritant, is harmful to our environment, and can cause unwanted issues like asthma. 

Since I have kids in my home, I try even harder to ensure we can give them the best we can for their health and take care of ours as well. We have noticed a huge difference in switching out our homecare products alone!

Homemade fabric softener is also really cheap. These natural ingredients are easy to find and a little goes a long way with this homemade fabric softener. You can easily find the ingredients in any grocery store and the ingredients list is very short, with only three ingredients!

Environmental Impact

Using DIY fabric softener is eco-friendly compared to conventional fabric softeners. By making your own, your reducing the use of plastic containers and taking away from air pollution that are caused by VOCS released from products with harsh chemicals in them. Not only are these harsh chemicals released into our air, they get stuck on our clothing and they stay in our water when it drains from our washing machine. 

What is in this homemade liquid fabric softener?

Distilled White Vinegar

Vinegar works great as a fabric softener because it helps relax clothing fibers, acting as a natural water softener and helping to reduce static cling after you dry your clothing. No need to worry, you won’t have the smell of vinegar once they are done washing, especially if you use scent booster or essential oils in your products. 

Vegetable Glycerin

Vegetable glycerin acts as a natural softener and textile enhancer ensuring the softness and quality of your clothing

Essential Oils (optional)

If you prefer to have no scent at all you don’t have to use essential oils, but I love having a fresh scent on my clothing after I’ve washed them

Check out my post here on the best essential oils brands!

Distilled Water

You want to dilute your vinegar. This can also reduce the potential of having vinegar damage your washing machine. However, I’ve been using vinegar in cleaning for a long time and have never had any appliance wrecked with the use of vinegar. 

Shop Links for this post:

• White Vinegar
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Essential Oils

Is this safe for an HE washing machine?

This is absolutely safe for an HE (high efficiency) washing machine. Since each washing machine is different, read your manual on where to add your products so they are released correctly into your washing machine. 

How to Make Homemade Fabric Softener

First, you will need

1:1 ratio of vinegar and water. Since I put this into a half gallon size jar, I use 4 cups of each. 

• 4 cups of white vinegar
• 4 cups of distilled water
• 1/4 cup vegetable glycerin
• 30-40 drops of your favorite essential oil (I love using lemon essential oil)

Add all your ingredients to a mason jar and shake until the ingredients are incorporated. You will want to give your jar a good shake before you use it in your wash. You can also add your ingredients to a large bowl mix them and store your fabric softener in an airtight container for up to 1 month. 

If you want only a quart-sized amount made at one time you simply have to half this recipe!

This will store for up to one month in your laundry room.

How to Use Fabric Softener 

When using your homemade fabric softener you want to ensure you are adding it to the fabric softener compartment in your washing machine to ensure it is released at the proper time in your wash cycle. However, some top loaders don’t come with a fabric softener dispenser, so you want to ensure you are adding it at the final rinse cycle of your wash. 

I use 1/4 cup of the fabric softener with a large load of clothing. If you have a small load of clothing, two tablespoons would work just fine. It is up to your preference.

​Other types of fabric softeners you can use

Our fabric on our clothing does not stay soft after they have had many washes in hard water. Below are some tips to soften your water when washing your clothing.

Kosher salt to soften water (not epsom salt)

Salt act as a natural water softener and can help keep clothes soft and clean. You don’t want to use epsom salts because this increases the mineral content in your water, which makes it even harder. 

Baking soda

Baking soda also works as a water softener and can break up mineral deposits and dirt molecules in your wash. It can help get rid of soap residue which makes our clothing feel grimy and smelly. 

Put straight vinegar in your wash

Using plain white vinegar in your wash can soften your water and act as a natural fabric softener. People usually aren’t comfortable with this as some cases have shown that vinegar can wreck your washing machine. However, I’ve never had any problems adding one cup of white vinegar right to my water to help soften the water. This is different than using fabric softener because usually fabric softener is used in the last rinse cycle not at the beginning of the wash when you’re using laundry detergent to clean your clothing. 

​Ways to reduce static cling with your clothing

Fabric softener greatly reduces static cling with your clothing and below are some tips to reduce static cling while drying your clothing as well

Using wool dryer balls or homemade dryer sheets

These are eco-friendly options instead of using dryer sheets. You can throw these in the dryer and they will help drastically with static in your laundry

​Dry your clothing on lower heat

Drying you clothing on high heat not only shrinks your clothing but also causes more static because it tightens your clothing fabrics, making them more prone to stick together. Next time you use your dryer, dry your clothing on low to medium heat for less static!

Final Thoughts:

Living a more natural lifestyle doesn’t require buying expensive products when you can make your own for a lot less. By making your own laundry softener,  you are reducing yourself and our environment to less harmful chemicals. Try this fabric softener on your next load of laundry! I’d love to hear if it works for you!