The Laundry Fairy

 Our family has a lot of laundry. I like to consider it my job security.  And I actually don't mind doing the laundry.  Unlike everybody else, I have a magic laundry machine where I just put all the clothes inside, add a little soap, and then press a button. The clothes magically come out clean!  It's awesome.

I've noticed though, that all those loads add up and so does the amount of soap and fabric softener we need.  There's not really any way around that (as I'm sure you've noticed, if you ever forgot to add soap to the batch) but I did figure out a way to save money without sacrificing dignity. And today I'm sharing my secret with you. Please hear me out before you decide I'm crazy. 

Three ingredients. Five minutes. Guess what! Today we're making fabric softener.  

 You'll need vinegar, your favorite scent of inexpensive hair conditioner, and access to hot water. 

Measure out one cup of hair conditioner and plop it into the bowl.  (It's okay to have fun with this part. I do.) 

Add two cups of white vinegar and whisk it up until it's not chunky anymore. 

Yes, like that. 

 Add six cups of HOT water and stir until it's dissolved and a little foamy on top.

Pour into whatever container(s) you want to use. I got these old antique grape juice jars from my grandma. 

And you're done! 5 minutes. Less than $1 total. 

This recipe gave me 56 loads of fabric softener. I normally double the batch though, just for fun. It is safe to use in all washers (yes, even HE) and I use the same amount as I used before. It leaves our clothes soft, static free, and smelling oh-so-fresh. Neat huh. Even though I originally did this for the sake of saving money, I love it now and I won't ever go back even if we become millionaires. (I might hire somebody to clean our indoor basketball courts, but I would still make my own fabric softener.) 

Of course there's still the laundry soap that we buy. I think I'm ready to try my hand at making it. The soap is a little more involved but I trust that it will be worth it. (Plus then you can start telling Amish jokes about how I make my own soap.) I want to add here that my cousin Courtney was my inspiration a year ago and you can find her original recipes here if you don't want to wait. She's not Amish. In case you were wondering.

So - grab the nearest sticky note and jot this down. It wants to be posted inside your laundry room cupboard: 

Fabric Softener

1 c conditioner

2 c vinegar

6 c hot water