This is my favorite homemade fabric softener recipe!
Fabric Softener
3 c. white, distilled vinegar
2 c. hair conditioner (I get something from the dollar store that is white or very light yellow.)
6 c. hot water
Add a few drops of essential oil.
Pour in a large bowl and stir with a whisk so the conditioner breaks up and is smooth.
Once done, I pour mine in an empty vinegar bottle since those stay strong for a long time.
I have been making homemade laundry soap and fabric softener for years. It saves SO MUCH MONEY!!! However, it takes up a lot of space in my laundry room, as you can see below.
It required bottles on the floor, smaller bottles in the cabinet for when we are doing laundry, plus the leftover bars of soap.
I found a new recipe for laundry soap that doesn’t require adding all of the water up front, so instead of storing 2 gallons of it, I only need ONE jar! And to make it even better, this new recipe doesn’t require grating a bar of soap! So I went from the above clutter to this:
The above is the new laundry soap (left) and fabric softener (right).
LAUNDRY SOAP:
1-1/2 c. baking soda
1-1/2 c. washing soda
1/2 c. Epsom salt
1/4 c. sea salt
20-25 drops essential oil
To use: Add 1 heaping T. to washer.
For my new version of fabric softener, I bought these:
They are the texture of sponges, but they are much thinner than an actual sponge. I had to cut them down in size to make them fit into the jar:
Here is the recipe:
FABRIC SOFTENER:
Old t-shirts, cut into pieces OR other lint-free rags
Place in jar. Disclaimer: BE SURE TO USE A GLASS JAR WITH A GLASS LID! My first jar was a glass jar with a metal-like lid. The vinegar caused the lid to rust through.
Add white vinegar to saturate them. (Approximately 3/4 c.)
Add 7-10 drops essential oil.
To use: Squeeze excess liquid back into the jar. Toss rag into dryer. Once dryer is done, put rag back into the jar and tilt jar to wet the rag again.
I used both of these newer versions today on a load of clothing as well as a load of towels. Everything was very clean and smelled wonderful!
One year I bought a bottle of this for my brothers. Growing up with 3 boys in the house meant finding humor in belching and farting because there was a lot of that going on! As the guys opened their gifts, the room erupted in laughter.
I bought a bottle of this for my own bathroom, and love the scent from it. It’s much nicer than the room sprays — especially for those who have allergies or asthma. However, they are a bit pricey, unless you buy them at a discount store like TJ Maxx.
I found a discount brand of this, where the lid can be easily removed from the bottle. Once it is empty, rather than paying for another bottle, I am going to refill it with water and essential oils that I already have at home. This way the cost is only a fraction of the price of the original bottle!
I am also going to make one to take to work. I work in a department where several people have allergies and asthma. This option will allow us to spray in the restroom, without causing asthma exacerbation from using an aerosol spray. Those sprays can easily send a coworker to the ER in respiratory distress.
I love it when I find a great solution to a smelly problem, and it only costs a few cents to make!
Coffee Grounds
Ants don’t like the smell of coffee. Sprinkle used coffee grounds around the perimeter of your house or at entrance points.
I have been trying a home remedy for ants where you combine sugar, borax, and water. While it was attracting the ants, and killing the ones who got into it, it wasn’t getting rid of all them.
Honestly, I was getting rather tired of walking into my kitchen and finding ants crawling on my counter. I decided to search pinterest for other options. I found one that is INCREDIBLE!!! And it is oh-so-simple!!! Here it is:
I took cornmeal and poured it along two sides of the house. (The ants will eat it, swell up and die.) Anyway, after less than 30 minutes, I noticed that all of the remaining ants in the kitchen had disappeared!!!! I think the ants on the outside must have communicated with the ones inside and let them know to come outside again. It will be interesting to see what the counter looks like tomorrow morning.
Stacy’s Homemade Window Cleaner
12 to 16 ounces water
1 cup white or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol (70%)
1-2 drops blue or green food coloring, if desired
1-2 drops lavender, cinnamon, clove or orange essential oil. Combine the ingredients and put into a labeled spray bottle, optional.
Be sure to use newspaper for this! Spray the newspaper first, then wipe down the window to avoid drips. Wipe vertically on one side of the window and horizontally on the other side so you will know which side a streak is on! To clean the excess off, I have found that it is better to move in a circular pattern.
Since this is made with rubbing alcohol and vinegar, both of which have anti-septic qualities, I also use this to clean my kitchen and bathroom counters, as well as the sinks.
To clean your sinks:
Sprinkle some baking soda in the sink, then add a few drops of either the tea tree oil OR lavendar oil. Scrub, rinse, dry. It leaves the room smelling nice and fresh.
Homemade Febreze for your furniture:
Fill a spray bottle with water. Add 15 drops EACH of tea tree oil and lavendar oil. Shake, then spray on your furniture, pillows, etc.
My Frugal Life 