6 All-Natural, DIY Fabric Softeners That Will Blow Your Mind

Looking for some all-natural, DIY fabric softeners?  Awesome, because I’ve got you covered. But first, a confession… it wasn’t until very recently that I even started using fabric softener.  I don’t know why, but it had always sort of slipped my mind.  But then, Erik and I had a friend stay with us for a couple of weeks while she was in between apartments.  When she put all of her products in our laundry room, I saw Analisse’s fabric softener and thought to myself, “Oh yeah!  That’s a thing people use!”

That’s when I decided to look into it.  What I discovered, however, was deeply disturbing.  Commercial fabric softeners are chock full of toxic chemicals, and they work by creating a coating on our clothes.  That’s how they are able to make them feel so soft and smell so good. But that also means that those toxic chemical are then sitting there, surrounding our clothes and touching our skin throughout the day.   And since I skin easily absorbs what we put on it… yikes!

So instead of buying one of those commercial varieties, I decided to try making my own, and I came across 6 all-natural, DIY laundry softeners that not only work but will completely blow your mind! That’s how good they are!  So are you ready?  Here we go!

Natural, Homemade Fabric Softener

Many of the DIY recipes I came across were relatively similar.  They all relied on vinegar to deodorize the clothes and breakdown soap residue.  This recipe is different, however.  Yes, it still uses vinegar, but it also includes glycerin which helps to actually soften the clothing fabric.

From BrenDid.

Homemade Fabric Softener

This is another liquid fabric softener recipe, but it switches things up by using both essential oils and fresh herbs to mask the smell of vinegar.  You can create a fabric softener that is very matchy-matchy (i.e., rosemary essential oil plus fresh rosemary sprigs), or you can use an oil and herb that are very complimentary (such as bergamot oil and fresh lavender or my personal favorite, lavender essential oil and rosemary sprigs).  Really, the possibilities are endless!

From Popsugar.

 

DIY Laundry Crystals

Lately, it seems as if people are pretty obsessed with fabric softener that comes in crystal form, and it also seems as if every brand has decided to try their hand at making it.  I’ve seen some by Downy, Purex, Mrs. Meyers, and even, Dreft.  There is no sense buying one of those bottles though when you can make your own using two simple ingredients.

From Happy Mothering.

Homemade Dryer Sheets

If you are in love with fabric softener in the form of dryer sheets, have no fear.  There is an all-natural, DIY option for you too, and it doesn’t get any easier than this.  There are even instructions on how to turn your pieces of old fabric into durable, reusable sheets, not just a recipe for the liquid solution.

From Hometalk.

Lavender Laundry Sponges

Okay, so say you are interested in a reusable option, but you don’t have fabric lying around your house to make dryer sheets?  No problem, you can make fabric softener sponges instead. This DIY is insanely simple.  Please note though, that Kelly used commercial softener in her tutorial, but you could just as easily use one of the liquid fabric softeners above and soak the sponges in that.

From Smart School House.

Homemade Scented Wool Dryer Balls

Okay, so in hindsight, I might have been off when I said that I hadn’t used fabric softener until recently.  What I really meant to say was that I hadn’t used liquid fabric softener because I’ve been rocking wool dryer balls for forever.  In fact, they are one of my daughter’s favorite things to play with.  I just never thought of putting essential oils on them until I read Kate’s post.  Consider my mind officially blown.

From Sunkissed Kate.

A Word About Curated Posts

The above is a curated post. Some people call them round-ups, but I like the phrase “curated post” a lot better because I have spent hours putting each of these lists together. I have been a Pinterest junkie for years, and I am always looking for the newest or best or most interesting DIY project out there. Finding these items, testing them, and then using them on a daily basis is so much fun AND, I have discovered, helps save me money.

So if you enjoyed this post, here are some others that you might like:

All-Natural Beauty DIYs

7 Must-Have Beauty Products That Will Make You Feel Like It’s Fall

7 Ridiculously Awesome Facial Cleansers That You Must Make Now

15 DIY, All-Natural Toners You Must Make

10 DIY, All-Natural Face Masks to Give You the Skin of Your Dreams

7 Unbelievable All-Natural Body Sprays That Will Make You Smell Like Spring

5 DIY, All-Natural Lip Scrubs

5 DIY, All-Natural Face Scrubs

9 DIY Citrus Body Scrubs that Scream Warm Weather

All-Natural Personal Care DIYs

5 DIY, All-Natural Mouthwashes

5 DIY, All-Natural Toothpastes

8 Baby Products You Should Quit Buying & Start Making

Nine DIY, All-Natural Hair Products that Will ROCK Your World

5 DIY Foot Scrubs to Get You Sandal Ready in a Hurry

5 Unbelievable, DIY Body Washes You’ll Wish You’d Been Making All Along

Healthy Living DIYs

5 Back to School Essential Oil Recipes Every Student Must Make

7 Must-Have, DIY Laundry Detergents to Keep Your Family Clean & Healthy

8 Must-Have Room Sprays to Make Your Home Smell Like A Summer Oasis

7 All-Natural, DIY Stain Remover Recipes and Charts That Will Literally Remove ANY Laundry Stain

5 All-Natural, DIY All-Purpose Cleaners That Will Knock the Socks Off of Store-bought Ones

5 Super Simple Detox Baths You NEED in Your Life

25 Essential Oil Diffuser Blends You Can’t Live Without This Spring

8 Must-Have Essential Oil Blends Every New Mom Needs

7 Must-Have Charts to Make You an Essential Oil Expert

14 Hacks to Using Essential Oils to Scent Your Home WITHOUT a Diffuser

40 Hacks, DIY Projects, and Uses for Lemon Essential Oil

9 Phenomenal Essential Oil Recipes for Babies

5 DIY All-Natural Cold Remedies Everyone Needs

7 All-Natural Bathroom Cleaners That Really Work

10 Uses for Activated Charcoal

7 Room Sprays So Your Home Smells Like Spring

5 Eco-Friendly Hacks You Can’t Be Without

5 Super Chic & Easy DIY Gifts Perfect for Mother’s Day

And now I want to hear from you!  Which fabric softener variety is your favorite?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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