Home Made Fabric Softener in the Dryer

After trying several techniques, I have come up with the way that works for me to soften and prevent static cling on my clothing that ends up going through the dryer.  I much prefer to hang my clothing on the clothes line to dry naturally and at no cost.  There are those rainy days and those cold winter days when you can't hang them out.  For the times I have to use my propane dryer to dry the clothing, I wanted an inexpensive way to avoid static cling and soften the clothing.  I tried the wool dryer balls, balls of aluminum foil and other suggestions found on the internet and from friends but none of these ways gave me the results I wanted.  I set out to find a way to use my home made fabric softener in the dryer. 

I needed to find a way to make sure the clothing was exposed to the fabric softener without being stained by the actual liquid touching the fabrics.  I tried soaking wash cloths and this technique worked reasonably well, but it was very messy wringing out the wash cloth.  I ended up with more on my hands and the top of the dryer than ended up in the dryer.  I realized that a sponge would hold an adequate amount of the liquid softener without dripping.  So I now have a canister of softener soaked sponge strips ready to toss in the dryer.





The procedure is very simple.  I purchased cheap sponges at the dollar store and cut each one into three or four strips.  I used enough to fill a plastic canister, packed tightly.  I've probably got 8-12 sponges that I use.  I pack them into the canister tightly, pour 1/2 cup fabric softener, or the amount needed to soak the strips, over the top of the sponge strips.  You may have to flip the canister over to allows the excess liquid to run back into the strips.  After setting a half an hour or so, the strips will soak up the fabric softener and, when the canister is sealed, will remain moist until ready for use.

I use two strips per normal load in my home dryer.  Though the clothing does not have a strong linger scent from the fabric softener, it does have a soft feeling and very little, if any static cling.  I ran out of soaked strips a couple of weeks ago and had just a small load.  Due to the weather and company coming, I did not have the option of hanging outside and didn't want them hung around the house, so I tossed them in the dryer without the sponges.  I could tell a big difference when the clothing came out of the dryer.  My T-shirts were full of static and were more stiff than normal. 

This is yet another item that we no longer purchase from the store.  Considering I seldom dry clothing in the dryer in the Spring, Summer or Fall, which mean I only use my dryer in the Winter, I only have to make two or three batches during an entire year.  This is just one simple step in our Modern Missouri Pioneer journey. It may seem insignificant but it is the little things in life that add to one another make up the life that we live.   

Home Made Fabric Softener and Stain Remover

This recipe is so easy, I am almost ashamed to make it a post of its own.  Along with making my laundry soap for the past couple of years, I began making my own fabric softener.  I make if for pennies a load!  The only ingredients used are inexpensive hair conditioner (I usually pick up Suave because they make a couple of fragrances that I love), white vinegar and water! That's it! A gallon jug can be made for $2 or less and will last a very long time.  It can be added to the washer like the liquid made by the big companies.  

I hang my clothes on the clothes line on all but the rainy/snowy days and this formula works great.  I like to use the fragrances that are nature smells, Mountain Air, Spring Rain, etc, but you can use whichever fragrance you choose.  I show a bottle of coconut, because that is what I have on hand for my hair!  ;) I use a kitchen funnel and pour all ingredients into a plastic milk jug. The jug makes a great storage container and is great for pouring.  Using only 1/8 of a cup per regular load makes this go a long way.  I jug will last 3-4 months, easily.  I have little to no static cling, even in the winter with the extra dry air of wood heat.

Large Batch:                                                          Small  Batch:

3 Cups conditioner (22-24 ounce bottle)              1/3 Cups conditioner

4 1/2 Cups white vinegar                                      1/2 Cups white vinegar

9 Cups HOT water                                                1 Cup HOT water

There is nothing complicated about the recipe.  And it is just one more way I can save money and Do-It-Myself on this Modern Missouri Pioneer journey.  Next week I will show you how I use this fabric softener in the dryer, for those cold rainy/snowy days when I don't hang my clothes out to dry.

I've been asked about what I use for stains and tough farm dirt.  The above picture shows the bottle of stain remover I use.  The recipe is on the label.  Excuse the peeling label; this bottle gets used A LOT.  It is simply equal parts Dawn, Ammonia, and water.  I usually use one cup of each so that I get a good amount that fits easily into my quart spray bottle.  I buy the Dawn in the 5 gallon buckets for $35 from a local vendor ($0.22/cup).  Ammonia is $1.00 for a half gallon at my local Dollar General ($0.125 /cup). This makes a total cost of 34 1/2 cents  for a 24 ounce bottle!  Excellent cost per use.  Even with heavy use, I won't use more than 3 or 4 bottles in a year.  How well does it work?  The best example I could come up with while preparing for this post, was the collar of my uniform shirts.  They get very grimy and discolored.  If you are anywhere near my age, you might remember the old commercials regarding "ring around the collar" on the Whisk commercials....and that is exactly what I have...Ring Around the Collar! 














The inner collar and neckline of my inner and outer shirts soak up the skin oil and become very dark very quickly.  They look greasy.

I spray the effected area and scrub gently with a scrub brush.  The best results are found after allowing this to set for 12 to 24 hours after treatment, however, I am usually in a hurry and not organized enough to treat that far ahead.  The pictures below are how the collar areas came out by spraying, scrubbing, and dropping immediately into the washer with my home made laundry soap. 

Although not perfect, the improvement is obvious.  If you have a tough stain, retreat and rewash before placing in the dryer.  Remember heat will set a stain, so if you aren't happy with the results from ANY stain treatment, try something else BEFORE placing in the heat of the dryer for a better change of removal.

These two products do not allow us to avoid buying items at the store completely, but they do allow us to purchase basic items with multiple uses for much less than the finished products.  The part of my life as a Modern Missouri Pioneer that is to keep more money in my pocket that I spend at the store is satisfied with these types of products.  If you trying to avoid buying anything at any time, these products will not be for you, but if you are interested in continuing to utilize your modern appliances and dramatically cut the costs of doing so, these two items will help you do just that. 

Wash Day--making my own laundry detergent

One of the first overpriced items I stopped purchasing from the store was laundry soap.  I found several recipes and used a couple different ones that worked well, until I finally came up with the one I have been using for almost 2 years now.  It is simple to make, remains in powder form, so there is no melting, mixing, re-mixing or wait time for use.  It is a simple matter of measuring the ingredients and combining them with a grated bar of Fels Naptha or Zote soap, your preference or what is available in your area.  This is not the simplest recipe I found, but even though it has 5 different products it does a good job, along with my home made stain remover on even the dirtiest of our farm clothing.  I also use it on my work uniforms, and the navy blue pants do not fade nearly as quickly as with commercial laundry detergents.  The Zote soap is 3 x the weight and volume of the Fels Naptha for the same price, but I still use it in place of two pars of the Fels Naptha.  So here is my recipe.

1 Bar Zote Soap OR 2 bars Fels Naptha-grated
3 cups Borax
3 cups Washing Soda
3 cups Baking Soda
1 1/2 cups Oxygen cleaner (Oxyclean or store brand)

 The first step is to grate the soap into fine shreds.  This can be accomplished several different ways.  You can use an electric food processor with the grating blade, a hand grater or if you have one, a hand food slicer with the grating blade.  I found the one I have on Craigslist, dirt cheap.  It has different cones for thick slicing, thin slicing, French fry cutter, and grater.  This is invaluable in my kitchen.

After grating, add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands.  This only takes a few minutes.

I then pour the mixed ingredients into a seal-able container and have a supply of laundry soap that will last Papa and I 6-8 months for under $8.00.  I know there are concerns regarding the use of Borax, so if you have those concerns, leave it out.  I find it is a great booster for deep cleaning the clothing and we have no issues, but for those who do, you will still have a great cleaning laundry soap.  Papa is actually very sensitive to may commercial detergents, but has had no issues at all since we switched over to using this.  Here is a cost breakdown of the ingredients:

Zote (2)                        1.94
Baking Soda                 2.24
Washing Soda              3.97
Borax                            3.97
Oxygen booster            3.86
Total for 2 batches   $15.98       (this will last us at least a year).

I like this process for many reasons, no the least of which is the ease of making it.  I work a full time job away from the farm, and it keeps me away at least 48 hours a week. Many weeks I am on the clock for 72 hours.  I need something that I can whip up in a hurry and not take all day doing it.  This fits the bill.  I am able to save many dollars over the course of a year, know the ingredients I am using on clothing that will touch our skin and still be able to fulfill my other work and family obligations.  This batch was whipped up in less than 15 minutes, and I have enough ingredients on had to make another batch.  This is the kind of DIY that allows me to be a Modern Missouri Pioneer and be grateful for the life we live.