There’s no denying that fabric softeners keep fabrics soft and wrinkle-free, enhancing their longevity.
Though a staple in almost every household, they are packed with toxic chemicals and are highly scented. That’s why you shouldn’t use them for washing your baby’s clothes because they can lead to skin irritation.
So, sit back and relax as I let out the best fabric softener alternatives for softening your newborn baby’s clothes. Keep reading!
How To Soften Baby Clothes Without Fabric Softener
1. Use Baking Soda
Certainly, baking soda is an important ingredient for making cakes, but did you know that most people use it as a fabric softener?
Besides softening clothes, it reduces odors and protects your clothes from daily wear and tear. Before washing your next batch of laundry, add half a cup of baking soda to the machine and leave it for a few minutes to dissolve it with water.
Those who have a front-loading washing machine should add baking soda into the detergent compartment.
2. Vinegar
Another relatively inexpensive alternative to fabric softener that homeowners swear by is vinegar. When clothes are rinsed with vinegar, excess soap and residue are removed, making them clean and soft.
All you need to do is add 1/4 cup of vinegar into the fabric softener dispenser and run the machine with your child’s clothes. Or, if you don’t like the smell of vinegar, you can add it to the dispenser when the washing machine is running the rinse cycle.
Another perk of washing clothes with vinegar is that it works as an excellent disinfectant, killing all the germs that may be lingering on them.
3. Crumpled Aluminum Foil
If you think that the use of aluminum foil is limited to the kitchen, think again! That’s because aluminum foil acts as an excellent alternative to fabric softeners as they soften clothes and reduce static cling.
Crush a sheet of aluminum foil, hurl it in the washing machine, and add your little one’s laundry. However, make sure you crumble the foil properly, ensuring that no edges stick out of the foil or it will damage the delicate clothes of your child.
4. Wool Dryer Balls
Want soft clothes without washing them with toxic chemicals or scented products? Then a pack of wool dryer balls is all you need to make your child’s clothes as soft as silk.
For those unversed, let me tell you that static electricity makes clothes stiff and hard, making them uncomfortable. So, when you wash them with wool dryer balls, they remove static electricity from them and make them soft. Hence, the clothes won’t be hard, and your baby won’t feel uncomfortable wearing them.
Instead of adding them to the detergent of the fabric softener compartment, you’ll have to toss two to three balls in the dryer.
5. Scent Booster
Instead of purchasing from the market, I’d advise making your own scent booster to wash the delicate clothing of your little bundle of joy.
Simply get Epsom salt, lavender, and lemon essential oil from a local home improvement store. To prepare your DIY scent booster, take one to two cups of Epsom salt, add 20 to 30 drops of essential oil, and add it to a mason jar.
Whenever you wash your baby’s clothes, add this scent booster directly to the washer instead of the detergent compartment.
6. Air-Dry
Another excellent way to keep softness intact in your child’s clothes is to air-dry them instead of tossing them in the dryer.
Though you can hang clothes in the clothing rack, I suggest letting them dry on the clothing line outside. When you let your clothes air-dry, they regain their softness and reduce static cling. I also strongly recommend air-drying delicate clothes, such as cashmere sweaters, socks, caps, and so on.
7. Hair Conditioner And Vinegar
I’ve already discussed that vinegar softens laundry excellently, which is why most people add it to the detergent compartment when washing their clothes. But, if you don’t like the strong smell that vinegar leaves on the clothes, you can mix a hair conditioner with vinegar to wash the next batch of laundry.
Add six cups of water to a large bowl, two cups of hair conditioner, and three cups of white vinegar, and stir well. When your machine is running the rinse cycle, add the mixture to the detergent compartment, and you’ll be good to go!
Summing It Up
So that’s all about “how to soften baby clothes without fabric softener?”
Irrespective of whichever alternative you use for laundry, rest assured that they will leave your baby clothes clean, fresh and soft. So, it won’t irritate your child’s soft skin and will keep them comfortable throughout the day.
With that said, I’ll wrap my guide on the topic. Until next time!