Fabric softeners are often full of chemicals that can be harmful to the environment. Baking soda is a natural, non-toxic alternative that won't harm the planet. Fabric softeners may leave a residue on clothes that can make it more difficult to remove stains.
Yes, baking soda can actually soften your fabric! The baking soda softens the water, particularly if there is a lot of calcium, and helps to reduce static cling on your clothing. Add between a quarter cup and half a cup of baking soda to your washing machine.
Baking soda in the laundry can be a great addition for a natural fabric softener or controlling excess suds, while vinegar in laundry can be an amazing agent for getting those whites extra sparkling and banishing mildew odor.
When you add baking soda to your laundry, it helps boosts your laundry detergents performance as well as soften hard water that creates the dinginess. This will result in fresher, and softer clothes. You'll also be able to use less laundry detergent too.
You can use vinegar or baking soda alone as a substitute for fabric softener (see below), or add in glycerin for an added softening boost. Try adding 2 cups of vinegar to 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of vegetable glycerin for a great DIY fabric softener that won't hurt the environment.
The simple answer to this question is: no. You don't need to use fabric softener in your wash. Fabric softeners don't contribute to the washing and cleaning of your clothes, so you don't need to worry about stain removal or lingering odors if you leave it out.
Baking soda helps to regulate the pH level in the washer's water by keeping it from being too acidic or alkaline. By adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to each laundry load, detergents can work more effectively and reduce bacteria.
Instead, go to your fridge and pull out your trusty box of baking soda. Just one cup of baking soda will get your load fresh and clean. Bypass the soap dispenser on your machine and just throw it in with your clothes.
While scented detergents and other laundry treatments merely mask odors with artificial scents, baking soda actually removes many odors by neutralizing the acids that produce the odor.
Add 1 cup (200 g) of baking soda to a bowl and pour in 7 cups (1.7 liters) of white vinegar. Stir the mixture well until completely combined. Add 1/3 cup (80 ml) of the mixture to the fabric softener dispenser of the washing machine or add it during the wash cycle to soften clothes.
Add ½ cup baking soda with your detergent to freshen your laundry and help liquid detergents work harder. Use baking soda instead of fabric softener. Add 1/2 cup at the rinse cycle. Add 1/2 cup baking soda (only 1/4 cup for front-loading machines) with the usual amount of bleach to increase whitening power.
White Vinegar
Wait until your laundry is in the rinse cycle and then add in 1⁄2 cup (120 mL) of vinegar. If your machine has a fabric softener dispenser, pour the vinegar in there instead. The vinegar helps remove residue and excess soap from your laundry, which can leave your clothes feeling clean and soft.
For Extra-Clean Clothes
“It will help lift dirt and grime from clothing,” says Reichert. Don't put baking soda in your washer's detergent dispenser, however. Instead, sprinkle it into the empty drum of your washer, then add clothes and whatever detergent and fabric softeners you'd normally use.
Sprinkle the entire couch with baking soda, and let it sit for at least 20 minutes. (You can leave it there for up to an hour.) Using a brush attachment, vacuum the couch to remove the baking soda. Next, make this simple cleaner to tackle any remaining stains.
In this case the baking soda could affect the fibres in the material and could weaken and/or discolour the delicate fabric. If you have doubts about leaving your clothes submerged in water and baking soda overnight, you should perform a patch test on the fabric to see what happens.
Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda!)
Baking soda is right up there with vinegar as one of the most effective and economical all-natural cleaners. To use as a fabric softener, add 1 cup directly to the rinse cycle (you can even add it at the beginning, and it will work fine) and launder as usual.
Baking soda helps absorb odors while white vinegar neutralizes odor causing bacteria. To eliminate stubborn smells like sweat, gasoline, or cooking odors, add half a cup of baking soda in the washing machine with your clothing, and use half a cup of vinegar in your fabric softener tray.
– The Only Step – What is this? Just pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into your washing machine while it is on the rinse cycle. That's it.
Dryer sheets are better on certain types of material, such as athletic sportswear and towels, where fabric softener can actually weaken the structure of fabrics and leave them comparably more prone to damage. Although, there are still claims that some dryer sheets can still reduce absorbency or wicking ability.
Fortunately, you can get soft, fluffy laundry without fabric softener. If you rely on a dryer, Erin suggests swapping dryer sheets for wool or felt balls or balls made of aluminum foil. The natural lanolin oil in wool helps to soften clothes. You can also try adding a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
All in all, scent beads can be damaging your washing machine when they do not dissolve – even if you follow the instructions carefully.