Looking for a way to soften up your laundry without using any harsh or commercial chemicals? Well, look no further! There are actually plenty of ways you can naturally soften your laundry, and chances are you already have everything you need at home. Check out this handy-dandy list of options you can use to find the softening solution that works best for you.

3

Baking Soda + Vinegar

  1. Combine the two ingredients for a stronger fabric softener. Add about 1 cup (200 g) of baking soda into a bowl and pour in about 7 cups (1.7 liters) of white vinegar. Stir the mixture well until it’s fully combined. Add about ⅓ cup (80 mL) of the mixture into your machine’s fabric softener dispenser or add it during the rinse cycle to soften up your laundry.[3]
    • While baking soda and white vinegar can naturally soften your laundry on their own, they can also be combined to form a super effective and super simple fabric softener!
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4

Epsom Salt + Essential Oils

  1. Naturally soften your laundry and add a nice scent. You can actually simply add about 1 tablespoon (25 g) of Epsom salt directly to your wash to help soften your laundry. But if you want to spruce it up a bit, add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to make your laundry smell even better.[4]
    • For instance, you could use lavender or pine essential oils to add a fresh scent.
    • Warning: There's a chance that using essential oils in your dryer could increase the fire risk.[5]
5

Hair Conditioner + Vinegar

  1. Use this as a simple two-ingredient liquid fabric softener. Take a large bowl or container and combine 6 cups (1,400 mL) of water, 3 cups (710 mL) of white vinegar, and 2 cups (470 mL) of hair conditioner. Stir it really well, but don’t shake it or it could foam up. Add the mixture during the rinse cycle and use the same amount as you would for a commercial fabric softener.[6]
    • Choose a conditioner with a scent that you like so your laundry smells nice.
    • You could also spray the mixture onto a clean washcloth and toss it into the dryer with your laundry as a dryer sheet if you like.
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Homemade Dryer Sheet

  1. All you need is a piece of cotton cloth and some essential oils. Take some scrap cotton fabric such as a cut-up T-shirt or a washcloth, soak it in water, and wring it out so it’s damp but not sopping wet. Add about 5 drops of an essential oil of your choice all over the cloth and then toss it into the dryer with your laundry in the last 10 minutes of drying. That’s it![7]
    • The moisture on the cloth will keep your laundry soft and prevent overdrying.
    • Orange, lavender, vanilla, and tea tree are all great options, but you can use any essential oil that you want!
    • You can even re-use the cloth. Just wet the cloth again and keep using it until the scent runs out.
    • Warning:Using essential oils in your dryer could pose a fire risk.[8]
8

Aluminum Foil

  1. Toss 2-3 balls of aluminum foil in your dryer to prevent static. If you don’t have any dryer balls, you can make your own! Take about 3-4 square feet (0.279-0.377 square meters) of foil and crumple it up as tight as you can into a ball. Make 2-3 of the aluminum foil balls and add them into your dryer with your laundry.[10]
    • The aluminum foil discharges static and prevents your clothes from sticking together.
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Hang Dry

  1. Air-drying your laundry can reduce wear and tear. But it’s important that you hang your laundry the right way. Match the inner leg seams of pants and hang them by the legs with the waist hanging down. For shirts and tops, pin them to the clothesline from the bottom hem and at the side seams. Hang socks in pairs and pin them to the line by the toes so the opening hangs down. Fold sheets, blankets, and towels in half and pin each end to the line.[11]
    • Try to leave room between the items if you can they’ll dry faster.
    • Don’t hang colored clothing items in direct sun or it could bleach them.
    • If you’re hanging your laundry indoors, use a drying rack and lay the items flat in an area with good circulation.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Is borax color-safe?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, borax can safely be used on white and colored clothes without stripping dye from the fabric. Borax, or sodium borate, is a naturally occurring compound. It is often used as a color-safe bleach alternative, laundry booster, deodorizer, and all-purpose cleaner.
  • Question
    Does salt affect the fabric's color with frequent use?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Products like salt, vinegar, and borax will not strip colors from fabrics, so you can use these methods on white, dark, and colored loads.
  • Question
    I have tried vinegar and baking soda (separately) many times to try to soften my towels and they make no difference at all. What can I try?
    CMOsborne
    CMOsborne
    Community Answer
    Try shaking out your towels after pulling them from the wash, as well as after taking them out of the dryer or down from the clothesline. If you use a dryer, try adding several wool dryer balls to each load.
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wikiHow Video: How to Naturally Soften Laundry

Warnings

  • Always check the tag for specific washing instructions before you add an item to your washing machine or dryer. If it’s marked as dry-clean only, don’t try to wash it in your machine or it could damage the material.
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About This Article

Susan Stocker
Co-authored by:
Green Cleaning Expert
This article was co-authored by Susan Stocker. Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices. This article has been viewed 274,058 times.
15 votes - 86%
Co-authors: 13
Updated: February 3, 2022
Views: 274,058
Categories: Featured Articles | Laundry
Article SummaryX

To naturally soften your laundry, add a scented vinegar solution to your washing machine. Add about 40 drops of an essential oil like lavender or mint to 1 gallon of white vinegar. The vinegar solution acts as a natural fabric softener and will clean, neutralize any unwanted odors, and leave a pleasant smell on the clothes when they’re washed. You can also soak your laundry in saltwater before you run it through the machine. Fill a large bucket or sink with lukewarm water, add 1/2 cup of salt per quart of water, and stir the mixture. Place your laundry into the solution and allow it to soak for up to 3 days. Then, wash it in your washing machine. For tips about how to run your dryer to naturally soften your laundry, keep reading!

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