Do you use dryer sheets in your home? Most of us do! They’re really expensive though when you actually sit down and take a look. Yes, you can pick them up cheaply, as low as $0.01 per sheet, but the damage they do to your dryer will cost you far more in the long run. In our home, we use my DIY reusable dryer sheets because they’re so much cheaper, they’re an all-natural product and they don’t clog my lint trap like a regular dryer sheet will. If you’ve made the switch to a homemade fabric softener or reusable dryer sheets, but still have a ton of the store bought ones lying around, no worries. There are a ton of “new” ways to use fabric softener sheets that you can use them up on.
When you’re trying to lower your monthly budget costs, it is important to take a step back and figure out where your costs are. For a lot of families, those costs are found in things like groceries, household items and everyday spending. That’s why bloggers like myself are always pushing you to find new ways to use old things. Upcyling something into an amazing upcycled DIY project is a fantastic way to save money. It allows you to stop buying and start making even more products at home which saves you a ton of money at the store over time. Not only that, but using something in a new way is a great way to cut down on the amount of waste your family is putting out.
15 “New” Ways to Use Fabric Softener
Some of these tips will be great for finding ways to use dryer sheets and others will be great for liquid fabric softener. No matter which though, they’ll all save you money. Finding new uses for the things that you’re already buying is a fantastic way to cut your household expenses in a big way. Here at our house, we find ways to use old bottles, ways to use old towels, ways to use old sheets, ways to use old newspaper and even ways to use WD-40 or new uses for Fels-Naptha! Ya’ll I’m seriously cheap and finding those new uses helps me to keep our costs lower.
Make Homemade Febreze
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to make homemade Febreze and you don’t have any allergies in the home, you can use a bit of leftover liquid fabric softener to do so. This one is especially great to do with the last little bit that is in the bottle. Add a small amount of water to the fabric softener bottle, put the cap back on and shake. Pour into a larger spray bottle, add enough water to make the scent where you want it to be and use like Febreze!
Remove sticky residue –
Moms everywhere will love this tip in our list of ways to use fabric softener. Have you ever found a random sticker that your child has gotten ahold of? If so, you know how hard those things can be. What about jelly on the couch, juice spilled in the car and so on? If you have kids, I’m more than sure it happened to you more than once. Luckily, a little bit of fabric softener mixed with a small amount of water can help. Rub it into the sticky residue and rinse well.
Remove Dust –
Dusting is one of my least favorite chores, but believe it or not, a fabric softener sheet makes it much easier. To use a fabric softener sheet to dust, simply run it across the dusty surface. They are made to attract dust and other loose items which means they pick up dust extremely well!
Remove Smells –
My favorite of all of these new ways to use fabric softener is to use it to remove yucky smells. You can use liquid fabric softener to remove smells that are hanging onto a fabric item like a mattress, car seat or couch. Just mix it with a little bit of water. For garbage smells, simply drop a fabric softener sheet in your trash can under the bag. It will keep your garbage can from smelling stinky! This works almost as well as the DIY potpourri that I adore so much!
Clean your windows –
If you’re looking for a DIY Glass Cleaner, but don’t want to make up an entire batch of homemade cleaning supply, you can use fabric softener! As crazy as it sounds, anyone with kids will tell you that they are fantastic at making messes in strange places. This can include your windows. If you’ve got a stained window, rub a little bit of liquid fabric softener on it then wipe it clean with a sponge. The stain should come right off!
Refresh Your Carpets –
Does your carpet stink? Spray a small amount of fabric softener and water on your carpet to help get rid of odors that won’t seem to disappear any other way. If you’re working on shampooing your carpet, add a bit of fabric softener to the rinse water in your carpet shampooer. Not only will this help get rid of any smells that the carpet shampoo might have missed but it will also help make your carpet nice and soft.
Remove Wall Paper –
If you’re stuck looking at ugly wallpaper, no worries. Mix 1 part liquid fabric softener with 2 parts water and soak a sponge. Wipe down the wallpaper and it should peel right off! If it doesn’t come off easily, adjust how much fabric softener you’re using. Depending on the glue that was used and how old the wallpaper is, you may need to use more.
Remove hard water stains and soap scum –
Hard water stains and soap scum can take a stunning bathroom or kitchen and make it look dingy and run down. Luckily, a bit of fabric softener can help. Mix 1 or 2 parts liquid fabric softener with 2 parts water and spray it on your stained fixtures or shower doors. Use a wet sponge to wipe down and it should look like new! I like to use my homemade soft scrub first to remove any surface dirt then use fabric softener to help things really shine.
Remove burnt on crust from your pots and pans –
We’ve all burnt dinner at some point or another and I’m sure that none of us find it too terribly fun to scrub those pans. Believe it or not, you can use fabric softener to help. To use it to remove stuck on and burnt gunk, fill the pot or pan with water. Add a dollop of liquid fabric softener then heat. In about an hour, you should be able to wipe it clean!
Shine stainless –
Shining your stainless cookware can be annoying to say the least and commercial stainless steel cleaners are expensive.. Using a fabric softener sheet can help though. Wash and dry your cookware like normal then shine with an unused fabric softener sheet. After a bit, you’ll have shiny pots and pans again!
Repel Mosquitos –
Tired of mosquitos who think you’re a buffet? Oddly enough, a fabric softener sheet kept in your pocket will keep them away. The smell is overwhelming to them so they stay far away from it.
Remove hairspray residue –
Hairspray might be a “necessary evil” for keeping your hair looking great, but spraying it can leave a huge residue on your mirror, sink or wherever the hairspray that doesn’t make it onto your head happens to land. That can make for sticky and gunky surfaces which brings us to our next point in our list of ways to use fabric softener. Fabric softener can help you remove that gunk easily. Just mix 1 part liquid fabric softener to 2 parts water in a spray bottle and shake. Spray the surface with the hairspray down lightly then wipe clean with a dry cloth. The hair spray will come off easily!
Clean Glass –
Believe it or not, you can clean glass and repel dust with a little bit of fabric softener. You’ll mix 1 parts liquid fabric softener to 4 parts water in a spray bottle. When you’re ready to clean your glass, spray a bit onto a clean cloth and clean your glass like normal. Once it’s clean, wipe off any residue and polish using a second clean (and dry) rag. Your glass should be clean with no streaks or residue.
Knock back soap suds –
How many times have you put your wash in the machine, run mop water or dish water and discovered that you added way too much soap? I know my daughter does this all of the time and it can create a huge mess. If you’ve had the same issue you’ll love this in our list ways to use fabric softener list! If you have a bit of fabric softener on hand, add a small bit to whatever has too much soap in it. The softener will help cut down the suds, plus it smells amazing!
Tame frizzy hair –
Anyone that has long hair, especially if it’s thick and curly like mine, will tell you that heat is an enemy to your hair. I live in Texas ya’ll so my hair? Frizz city most of the time. One of my absolute favorite ways to use fabric softener is to tame those frizz issues! Just add 1 part fabric softener to 4 parts water in a spray bottle and spritz (not spray or soak) your frizz. Style like normal and you shouldn’t have any frizz issues!
