Do It Yourself #1: Fabric Softener (Success!)

Fabric Softener

(safe for use in HE Washers)

• 1 cup baking soda
• 6 cups distilled white vinegar
• 8 cups water
• 10 -15 drops of the essential oil of your choice
• 1 gallon container

Instructions:

1. Add the baking soda to the gallon container.
2. Next add 2 cups of water and swirl it around a little.
3. S L O W L Y add vinegar to the bottle. Pour a little and stop. Pour a little and stop. Repeat as often as necessary to keep the mixture from fizzing out the top of the container and all over the place. Yes, fizz is normal.
4. Add the rest of the water, cover and swirl (SWIRL not shake) it around, uncovering it every so often to vent top a few times.
5. Add 10-15 drops of essential oil.  (Next time I make it, I promise I will get an actual measurement for that)
6. Give give the bottle a good shake to stir up the essential oil before putting in your rinse cycle or dispenser. 1 c for standard washers. Fill to max line on HE washers. 

Additional Notes:

The next time I make this fabric softener, I am going to flip flop the amounts of vinegar and water to see if that improves the softness of the garments (particularly towels and washcloths) out of the wash.