Most people use a form of fabric softener when doing their laundry. Some people choose dryer sheets, and some choose liquid fabric softener. Whatever you choose, the cost of these items can be quite costly over the period of one year. For a fraction of the cost, you could use white vinegar instead.
I have substituted white vinegar for my liquid fabric softener. I also do this for the purity of the vinegar rather than a commercially made product filled with unnatural chemicals.
I took an empty container of fabric softener. Then, I added the peel of about 8 lemons to the container. Next, I filled up the container with white vinegar. The vinegar becomes saturated with the lemons after a couple days. I recommend changing out the lemon peels every couple of weeks. I use a cap-full of vinegar in my washing machine.
If you don't want to use lemon peel (or any other citrus peel), you can always leave it plain or add some drops of essential oils. The smell of the vinegar leaves the clothing before they come out of the washing machine.
My grocery store sells a gallon of white vinegar for about $2.00.
