Fabric softening the green way

[Sagtitoldwitch]

Does any one know how I can keep my laundry all fluffy and soft without using typical fabric conditioner?

Oh and while we're at it, keeping whites white would be helpful too

I have washing soda, white vinegar, borax. any ideas you wonderful green living nappy re-using mums please.

Yes, I'd like to know too -esp about the softener.

a half a mug of white vinegar with a few drops of essential oil in the fabric softener drawer.

if you are using a dryer to finish off your washing a couple of dryer balls will soften clothes, too.

I hink the white vinegar would help, in the final rinse.
You can tumble for 5 mins before hanging out, even just scrunging stuff up when it is dry before you put it away is good.
personally i like my towles and ythings to be crunchy.

where does one get cleaning vinegar?

It is "normal" white vinegar ilovemydog (that's what I use anyway). Available from all the supermarkets, v cheap.

Also, in response to the op, we use less washing powder now as I use a small amount of washing soda crystals (as advised by mners) and it softens the water, also the clothes seem slightly softer. Certainly it is cheaper anyway.

obviously am looking in wrong place as all I can ever find is white wine vinegar which is quite expensive for cleaning or malt vinegar

I have distilled malt vinegar (it is clear in the bottle) hth.

I get my cleaning vinegar from Tesco. It's in the herbs and spices section with the vinegars (oddly enough). Bottom shelf 53p a 500 ml bottle.

I make my own household cleaner of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water and the juice of a couple of lemons. Put it in a trigger bottle, spray everything worktops, hobs, windows, tiles, sinks, doors, sanitary ware and wipe off with a microfibre cloth. 1/2 a litre lasts about a week. It's cheap and makes cleaning so quick and easy.

Washing soda is about 60p a kilo and it's fab. I use it for laundry, replacing 1 washing tab with a scoop of soda, dishwashing, small scoop replacing 1/2 a tab, mopping, washing the upvc, cleaning grimy tiles, cleaning the oven, soaking burnt pans and baking dishes.

So vinegar in the conditioner drawer it is then. Which essential oil do you suggest?

A firend recommeeded adding Milton Sterilising fluid to the fabric conditioner part of yoiur machine to get very white whites!

I never use softener andi relaly do have super soft clothes and super soft towels

i dont ever use a tumble dryer either

I put a splash of white vingegar (50p in tesco) in the softner compartment and line dry on my super high washing line that catches all the breeze and rays of sun, and so long as the weather isnt actually raining dries everything in a few hours all year

as for white whites you need to use a powder that contains optical brigheners... typically any powder that isnt a colour powder should do, (except ecover as that doesnt have any optical brightners aka bleach in anyway.)

you can also buy ecover laundry whitener (designed to keep whies white if u use ecover)

line drying also helps keeps whites white

I've not seen it here, ilovemydog. Not the distilled white variety. You can get the Sarson's white vinegar in a 5L bottle in a lot of Chinese grocery stores, however.

After it's gone, the jug is most handy for recycling.

it is in all the supermarkets round here...

i have a normal tesco, 2 tesco extra, a normal asda and a super size asda its on the bottom shelf... about 53p ish and the tesco own is a few p cheaper.

its called distilled malt vinegar and is clear like water / lemonade,(not brown)

(have been wondering if you can use the brown value vinegar thats about 10p but never been brave enought to try it, does anyone know?)

nanyL I personally wouldn't try the brown vinegar. Might be fine thought. (why not e-mail Kim and Aggie and ask)

I read somewhere that we shouldn't actually be using any vinegar that has "malt" in the title - it is distilled malt vinegar (clear) that I have. Apparently if you don't rinse it leaves surfaces slightly sticky. I have never found a problem, although do tend to wipe over with another damp cloth after cleaning anyway. I haven't found any vinegar that isn't called "malt" though.

Helium I wouldn't fancy trying the Milton tip - are you sure your friend meant the fabric dispenser drawer? afaik if you do that it ends up in the final rinse water and then will stay on the clothes. Did your friend mean the normal dispenser drawer where the powder goes?

NannyL I use the brown malt vinegar to replace the rinse aid in the dishwasher, the fabric softener for a coloured wash and for drain cleaning (Bicarb down plughole then pour on the vinegar, get a volcano effect!) really cheap as chips but doesn't make anything smell like them