FABRIC SOFTENER ALTERNATIVES

We all have different preferences for our laundry. By using safe, cheap and effective alternatives to fabric softener, you can get great washing results with soft and comfortable clothes without exposing yourself or your family to harmful chemicals.

We use fabric softeners to make our clothes feel soft and comfortable, and because they smell good and can reduce static electricity, including lint and fluff. But many of the ingredients in fabric softeners are chemicals that can be harmful, and that many of us like to avoid. Chemicals that can result in allergic reactions, be irritating to the skin or eyes, and in some cases are even flammable.

Alternatives to fabric softeners 

That is why many people are looking for alternatives to fabric softeners when it comes to washing their clothes. Options that offer the same great benefits without any of the disadvantages. Here we have collected tips and ideas on some of the options you can use instead of fabric softener.

Baking soda instead of fabric softener 

Baking soda is a common ingredient when baking bread and cakes, and can be bought in any grocery store. It is a useful product that can be used in everything from cooking and baking to washing and cleaning.

 Advantages of baking soda: 

• Cheap and easy to get hold of. 
• Baking soda absorbs and neutralizes many types of bad odors, which means that your clothes do not smell.
• You only need a very small amount of baking soda instead of fabric softener. A couple of tablespoons per wash is good enough.
  

   

 Cons: 

• Easy to spill and difficult to clean. 
• You should add the baking soda at the end of the washing cycle, just before the washing machine starts its rinsing program. Many people find this difficult to keep track of. 
  
  

Vinegar instead of fabric softener 

Vinegar is one of the most common and well-known household products to use for cleaning and washing, in addition to detergents and fabric softeners of course. It is a natural product that is good at cleaning both your clothes and your washing machine.
 
Benefits of vinegar: 

• It is a natural product that has been used in laundry for years.
• Very cheap and easy to get hold of. You only need about two tablespoons per wash, so a bottle of vinegar will last a long time.

Cons: 

• Vinegar has a sharp scent that is a bit strong and can linger in the washing machine. However, the clothes will not smell of vinegar after washing. 

Conditioner instead of fabric softener 

Hair conditioner mixed with vinegar and water is a really excellent alternative to fabric softener. Mix six decilitres of water with three decilitres of vinegar and two decilitres of conditioner in a bottle or a jar. A couple of tablespoons of the mixture is enough to get great results.
 
Benefits of conditioner and vinegar: 

• The ingredients in the mixture are easy to obtain and relatively inexpensive.
• By using hair conditioner, you can choose and customize the scent yourself more easily than if you buy ready-made fabric softener.
• Making the mixture is a simple and quick process.

Cons: 

• You need to mix the ingredients carefully. If you shake or mix too hard, it will foam over and run everywhere.
• This is not a great alternative to rinse aids if you are looking for alternatives in order to avoid chemicals. Hair conditioner is not as natural as the other suggestions in the article.