Homemade Fabric Softener

If you're going to take the plunge and try homemade laundry detergent, why not go all-out and try the fabric softener as well?  It's even easier to make than the detergent, and it stretches a bottle of Downy a l-o-n-g way! :)

Homemade Fabric Softener

Combine:
1/4 c. Baking Soda
1 1/2 c. Distilled White Vinegar
2 c. Water
1/2 c. Downy Liquid (opt.) or 3-4 drops essential oil

You need to shake it each time before you use it (but please wait until the baking soda and vinegar have stopped reacting, otherwise you'll have an explosion--unfortunately I made this mistake in an unthinking moment!  The mess was unbelievable! lol). Use the amount you would use of any liquid fabric softener.

I bought a Rubbermaid container just for this. It has a wider screw-on lid that I remove when I'm putting in the ingredients and a small flip-off lid (as part of the bigger lid) for pouring. Works great!

I was a little afraid to try this since I'm not fond of the smell of vinegar. But you literally can not detect the vinegar once it's mixed with the Downy. It makes your laundry smell clean, with just a hint of fragrance, rather than strongly perfumey.