Homemade Laundry Crystal FabricSoftner

Intro: Homemade Laundry Crystal FabricSoftner

So I liked the new Fabric Softener Crystals but with six kids it seemed a bit extravagant for me to buy.  I tried the original in lavender and decided to use some of the things lying around the house to try and make a batch.

My sons make all our Homemade Laundry Detergent so this is a perfect and inexpensive addition to the mix.

Things you will need:

A box of coarse Sea Salt ($1.09) at Wal-mart or grocery store
20-30 drops Essential Oil(about $2.00) (any scent you like that's safe for skin, like the one's you use to make soap or air freshners) we used Orange and Japanese Lotus Blossom  we already had on hand that we sometimes add to our Laundry detergent
container with lid for storage
plastic container or bucket to mix it all together in (we just used a ziploc or recycled bread bag)
a label for your container

Optional use of hand blender (we picked one up at a junk store for $2 and use it to mix our detergent with after grating the soap to make it finer)

STEP 1: Step One

Step one:

Place 1/2 or all of your Sea Salt in a plastic container (the first time i made this we used coarse Sea Salt from craft supply.  We had left over from making bath fizzes.  I wouldn't buy it to make it again because it cost a lot so we went with just Coarse Sea Salt the next time.

STEP 2: Step Two

Step two:

Add 20-30 drops of essential oil or if you like much lighter scent and just want the softness this can be omitted all together.

STEP 3: Step Three

Step three:

Mix, mix, mix the salt until you can't see any part that is discolored like a wet spot.  This is where we used the hand blender and gave it a couple of pulses.  Not only did it mix if really well but it makes the salt even finer.

STEP 4: Step Four

Step four:
Store in a small plastic cup or bag.  We use recycled coffee or yogurt cans, something with a lid that doesn't let all the scent of the oil evaporate.   Use as you want for fabric softener.  we use a 1 tbsp. scoop recycled from the oxi-clean can.

Just like the store brand, add it with the clothes when your putting in your washing powders.
the kids like to be creative and make labels and print on recycled paper for the containers.

Had the idea to use salt instead of sugar crystal because we used to have an expensive water filter system that you had to add salt to all the time due to hard water.  It got a little expensive since we use so much water with a total of eight people in the house.

Store Brand Cost: $0.14 a load
Homemade Cost: $0.03 a load

Comments

[TraceyN524]

Love it I am going to try it!!

[adixson]

does this also soften clothes, or just make them smell good???

[BillieW1]

It helps to soften cloths!!! I use it (Epsom Salt, so for I've not tried sea salt) without adding fragrance! It does help to soften the clothes!

[tiagirl]

I wonder if you can also use Epson Salt?

[BillieW1]

That's what I use.

[gini.dryden]

I use Epsom Salts for this rather than real sea salt because it's super cheap and what you don't use for the fabric softener can be put in your bath water, etc. - tons of uses for Epsom Salts. Just thought I would mention the price - at Walmart it's less than $2.

[BillieW1]

I use Epsom Salt too. I don't add fragrance.
I'll have to check out the prices of the cheapest sea salt I can find, rock salt (ice cream salt), and compare with WalMart's Epsom Salt (that's where I got mine too).

[jenny30lynn]

Thanks I had never thought of that I always used the sea salt because it was more course. I will have to try, great idea!

[tara.b.holmes.9]

some epsom salts are already scented. could i just throw in a tablespoon of that with my load?

[BillieW1]

Yes, tara, you can.

[gini.dryden]

I use Epsom Salts for this rather than real sea salt because it's super cheap and what you don't use for the fabric softener can be put in your bath water, etc. - tons of uses for Epsom Salts. Just thought I would mention the price - at Walmart it's less than $2.

[paleogirl]

Oh ... I forgot to add that my salt is already fine, so I didn't have to crush it up at all and is why I just went with mixing via spoon. For those who don't have a hand mixer like the one pictured, if you have a mortar and pestle, that will work really well too and will go just about as quickly. Even a baggie and a hammer will work fine to crush the salt to fine bits (just don't put holes in the baggie). I've used both methods in the past for other projects and both work equally well.

[paleogirl]

I just used this and it works like a CHARM. I didn't do all that mixing though because I'm too lazy and I decided to do only enough for one load since I'm sure my husband wouldn't appreciate his clothes smelling like Lilac. Just poured enough sea salt for one load into a measuring cup, poured in some Lilac oil (didn't count drops because it doesn't have a stopper to pour just drops), and stirred it in with a spoon till it seemed all mixed together. It took me about a minute to complete the mix entirely.

At first I was afraid that I'd used too much oil, but I hadn't and my laundry had only a very slight hit of Lilac.

I washed the clothes and when I removed them wet, they felt like I'd used store softener!! I didn't wait till the clothes were dry to post because I know they will be wonderfully soft when dry. Thanks SO much for sharing this. I'll never buy store softener again.

[paleogirl]

I've never tried those crystal softeners before and wondered if they truly work. I can completely see that salt would work to soften the water and I'm going to try this today. I have home made laundry detergent and I have sea salt. All I have to do is find the essential oil and then I'll do a load of laundry. Let you know how it goes! I'm so excited!

[keri finnegan]

i never thought there would be recipe for this stuff thanks so much for the recipe. but also going to use baking soada and espon salt in mine!!! though beacause then you know for fact they will soft beacause baking soada is great for softening clothing.

[jsalmons]

Instead of the sea salt I wonder if I could use salt from the bags we get to pour in our water softner?

[jenny30lynn]

i never though of that, we used to have a salt water system. but the salt was huge chunks, i guess you could if you used a hammer maybe or an old food processor to refine the salt more should work the same...let me know if you try it i think we still have some of that salt left..