Key Takeaways

• Simple Ingredients – The 2 key ingredients you’ll need are kosher salt, sea salt, or Epsom salt and essential oil.
• Natural – Most commercial laundry boosters (like Mrs. Meyers) are made with artificial fragrances and toxic chemicals that can irritate sensitive skin (source). This laundry booster recipe is 100% natural.
• Great Smell – Use your favorite essential oils to make a simple homemade recipe smell amazing.
• DIY Fabric Softener – This recipe adds a fresh scent to laundry and softens laundry (thanks to the salt). 
• Quick & Easy to Make– This simple DIY recipe takes less than 5 minutes. 
• Shelf Life – Store the natural scent booster for up to 12 months. 

Before You Get Started: What You’ll Need

Ingredients

• 4-5 cups coarse salt – Sea salt, kosher, or Epsom salt are the best type of salt. The salt works as a carrier to carry the essential oil (the scent) to your laundry and also softens laundry (particularly important if you have hard water). I buy a 3lb box of coarse salt from Costco or the grocery store for about $3-4.
• 1-2 teaspoons of your favorite essential oil (100-200 drops) – This is the most crucial ingredient for making your scent booster. Choose your favorite essential oil or combine 2-3 essential oils to create a beautiful blend. I love lavender essential oil, peppermint, sweet orange, lemon, or lemongrass for laundry.

Equipment

• Large Bowl – For mixing the salt and essential oil(s). 
• Large Spoon – Also used for mixing the salt and essential oil(s). A large wooden cooking spoon or fork (for whisking) works well. 
• Large Storage Container – Something to store the laundry booster. Think about something that will allow you to easily pour the scented salt into the washing machine or a jar that will enable you to scoop the mixture from the jar. 

How to Make a Laundry Scent Booster: Recipe Steps

• Step 1 Add Salt & Essential Oil – Pour the salt into a large bowl. Then, add the essential oil. 
• Step 2 Combine – Using a spoon, mix the salt and essential oil with a spoon or whisk. 
• Step 3 Spoon into a Storage Container – Spoon the mixture into a container with a lid (like a wide glass jar). For best results, I let the mixture rest for 24 hours, allowing the essential oil to infuse the salt. After 24 hours, the scent booster is ready for your laundry routine. 
• Pro Tip for Combining the Essential Oil & Salt – If mixing the salt and oil in a bowl is difficult, pour the ingredients into a large plastic bag. Seal the bag and use your fingers (from the outside) to massage the ingredients and combine. 

How much should I use for the best smelling laundry?

• 1/2 Cup Per Load – Add 1/2 cup of scented salt per load. Add directly to the washing machine with clothes, sheets, towels, etc. For HE machines, you may want to try 1/4 cup.
• Adjust to Your Preference – This will vary on your water, so test different amounts to see what works best for you. 
• Add Directly to Washer – The salt should be added to the washer at the same time as the laundry soap. Add the salt directly to the washer basin with the clothes.

Essential Oil Blends For a Clean Scent

The best part about this recipe is that you can customize it to create your own scent.

Essential oils, a natural fragrance, don’t have the long-lasting scent found in most commercial scent boosters, but they offer a lovely, clean scent without the harsh chemicals and scent additives.

Here are a few of my favorite essential oil combos to create various scents. Use 1/2 teaspoon of each individual oil (about 50 drops).

• Orange & Lemon 
• Eucalyptus & Lemon 
• Peppermint & Orange
• Rosemary & Peppermint

Learn how to use essential oils and make homemade cleaners in this article. And listen to my in-depth podcast about using essential oils safely in the home.

What to Avoid Doing

• Laundry Softener Compartment – Don’t add the salt to the laundry softener compartment of the washing machine. The salt should be added directly to the washer along with the garments. 
• Delicates – Don’t use this booster on delicate items like silk and other garments that require special care. 
• Fine Salt – Don’t use fine salt to make this recipe. Choose a salt with large, coarse granules for best results.

FAQs

• How much of the softener/scent do I need the add per load? I recommend 1/2 cup of salt per load. For HE machines, you may want to try 1/4 cup.
• Can I add baking soda? Yes, you can add baking soda to this recipe. Instead of using 4-5 cups of salt, use 3 cups of salt + 1 cup of baking soda. Baking soda neutralizes odors, so this is an excellent formulation for stinky clothes (like workout clothes, sports uniforms, etc.)
• Is any kind of salt okay? Yes, any kind of large granule course salt.
• Can I make a homemade scent booster without salt? Yes, you can. Use all baking soda mixed with the essential oil. However, I’ve found that using all baking soda may leave a white film on clothes. So I recommend something other than this combination for dark-colored garments. 
• Is it safe to use salt in the washing machine? Yes, I haven’t had any issues with using salt in my washing machine. If you’re concerned, reduce the amount used.
• Do you use this salt fabric softener/scent booster with vinegar or is it one or the other? No, choose one. Both this recipe and vinegar act as a fabric softener, so I recommend sticking to one option: either salt or vinegar.
• Does the scented salt go in the rinse water? I add the scent booster salts with the clothes/towels before turning on the wash.
• Do you know how it will work in a HE front loader? Yes, it will. For a front loader start off with 1/4 cup of salt per load. Add the scent booster directly to the washer, along with the clothes, before turning on the cycle.

More Natural Products For Clean Laundry

Here are my favorite homemade products to use in the laundry room.

• Stain Remover Spray – Remove tough stains with this simple formula made with castile soap, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon essential oil. 
• Wool Dryer Balls – Soften laundry naturally with these easy-to-make wool dryer balls—a great alternative to dryer sheets. Add a few drops of essential oils to boost the scent in the dryer. 
• Liquid Laundry Detergent – Combine castile soap, borax, washing soda, and water to make my popular liquid laundry soap. 
• Powder Laundry Detergent – Make a powder variation of my popular liquid laundry soap using this simple recipe.
• Laundry Softener – Use vinegar to make this simple liquid laundry detergent.  

How to Use Vinegar to Soften Laundry: Step by Step Guide

Here’s the simplest, homemade liquid fabric softener. This simple way of softening laundry requires no mixing, expensive ingredients, or hair conditioner (yes, that’s a thing). All you need is a cheap bottle of vinegar!

What You’ll Need

• 1 bottle of white vinegar (1/2 cup Distilled White Vinegar per standard load of laundry)

Instructions

• Add the vinegar to the washing machine during the rinse cycle, to the fabric softener dispenser, or a fabric softener ball (like a downy ball) at the beginning of the wash cycle. 

Can you Add Essential Oils? 

Some people like to mix a couple of drops of essential oils with vinegar in a small bowl before adding to the wash, but I don’t see the point in doing this. The clothes will not end up smelling like the essential oil. Instead, save the essential oils for other natural cleaners. 

Why Use Vinegar to Soften Laundry? 

The easiest and cheapest fabric softener is straight white distilled vinegar.

• Excellent Cleaning Power – Vinegar is a natural ingredient containing 4-6% acetic acid, making vinegar an excellent cleaning ingredient.
• Breaks Down Detergent – When used in the wash, vinegar may help soften fabrics by breaking down excess detergent left on the clothes (source).
• Neutralizes Odors – Vinegar also neutralizes odors, even mildew odors that can linger on clothes.
• Breaks Down Mineral Deposits – A high mineral content in your water may also leave clothes feeling stiff. Vinegar works to break down mineral deposits, which can also help soften garments. 

What to Avoid Doing 

​Vinegar isn’t always the right answer. There are certain times when you shouldn’t use vinegar or need to take precautions. Let’s talk about each scenario.

• Elastic Workout Clothes – The acid in vinegar breaks down elastics over time. Don’t use vinegar with elastic fabrics, like your favorite Lululemon yoga pants. Instead, opt for the non-vinegar options below.
• Never Mix Baking Soda and Vinegar – Some recipes call for mixing baking soda and vinegar to make a fabric softener. Baking soda is a base, while vinegar is an acid. When combined, they create a chemical reaction and cancel each other out. Not harmful, but not effective. When you do this, you’re wasting ingredients. Instead, use plain vinegar (distilled white vinegar) straight in the washer. 
• Mixing Castile Soap & Vinegar – Another combination that doesn’t mix is castile soap and vinegar. Homemade laundry detergent recipes are often made with castile soap, including my favorite liquid detergent and powder laundry soap. The good news is you can use straight vinegar as a softener and castile soap laundry detergent. You will not have an issue since you’re not mixing the two ingredients directly but instead using them in a giant washing machine (filled with lots of water). Keep the two products in separate compartments (one in the laundry soap compartment, the other in a downy ball or fabric softener compartment), as they’ll release at different times.
• Never Mix Vinegar With Bleach – The two ingredients will create a dangerous gas. If you plan to use bleach in the washer, skip this fabric softener and choose another option below. Or, try my homemade bleach alternative.

Three More Natural Fabric Softeners

Option 1: Salt

Salt is a favorite ingredient for lifting some laundry stains. And you can use salt as a fabric softener. I share a detailed recipe for this softener/scent booster here.

Option 2: Wool Dryer Balls 

Dryer balls are not a traditional fabric softener but an excellent option for softening laundry. Wool dryer balls are an alternative to commercial dryer sheets.

Option 3: Homemade Dryer Sheets

I share how to make your own dryer sheets in my Natural Cleaning Made Easy cleaning course.

FAQs

• Can I use both salt and vinegar as a fabric softener? Yes, you can! The only combo I don’t recommend using together is baking soda and vinegar.
•  I know castile soap and vinegar don’t mix well. Can I use a homemade laundry detergent (made with castile soap) with vinegar? Yes, you can. Since the machine has so much water to dilute the two products, you can use castile soap detergent and vinegar as a fabric softener. Just don’t combine the two directly in one container.
• I’ll definitely have to try these out and see which I like best. Which one would you say leaves clothes smelling the freshest? Vinegar works great for eliminating odors, so it’s my favorite for the freshest clothes.

More Natural Laundry Products

I’m a big fan of making laundry products, as they’re cheap and effective. That’s what I teach in my course, Natural Cleaning Made Easy. Here are a few of my favorite products.

• Homemade Detergent Recipe: Pick your favorite, either homemade liquid soap or powder laundry soap. ​
• Best Store-Bought Laundry Detergents: Don’t want to make your own laundry soap? Here are the best store-bought detergents.
• Stain Remover: Combining the power of castile soap, lemon essential oil, and hydrogen peroxide. This stain remover is excellent for pre-treating laundry and tackles any stain!
• Bleach Alternative: Avoid bleach with this simple formula. Perfect for soaking fabrics that are dull and need brightening.