The Common Bathroom Product You'll Want In Your Laundry Room

Let's face it: Doing laundry is one of the most dreaded house chores ever, especially if you don't know the tips and tricks to make laundry day go smoothly and end with excellent results. The whole process can also get a bit confusing — you've got to classify your linens and clothing items by color or type of fabric, and you can easily end up with stiff towels and overly-wrinkly silks. To avoid this, it's common to use fabric softener to give your clothes and linens a soft, cozy feel.

However, sometimes you're out of fabric softener and don't have time to stop doing laundry or run to the store for a new bottle. Thankfully, using hair conditioner can save you from lots of trouble when doing your laundry! This hair product can work wonders as a cheap substitute for store-bought fabric softener. If you regularly battle stiff towels and wrinkly clothes, here's an easy way to use hair conditioner as a solution.

Making your own fabric softener is easy and affordable — you'll only need a few things to make it work. If you're using hair conditioner as a liquid fabric softener, mix 3 parts of hot water, 1 part of hair conditioner, and a splash of white vinegar in a plastic bottle. Now, stir it until emulsified and store it. Then, use the solution as you would with any store-bought fabric softener.

However, if you're using it as a dryer sheet substitute, mix 1 part hair conditioner with 1 part water, stir them together until they're emulsified, and spray the solution on a washcloth. Then, throw the washcloth into the dryer, and you're done. In addition, it's also okay to use for any linen or silky clothes you'd usually send to the dry cleaner. To make it work, fill a sink or bucket with room-temperature water and mix in 1 tablespoon of hair conditioner. After that, submerge your clothing items in the solution for a couple of minutes, rinse them, and let them air dry completely.

While there are several ways to use hair conditioner as a fabric softener to solve a variety of laundry issues, just be sure to use it on the right fibers to be safe and not damage any of your favorite pieces.

Knowing how fabric softeners work and why hair conditioner is an excellent substitute for them is a big benefit. In the end, we all want to avoid mistakes while doing laundry! Fabric softeners soften the fibers and reduce wrinkles and static from the clothes. In the same way, hair conditioners soften clothing fibers as they do to hair strands, helping clothing items lose their wrinkly and stiff appearance.

Additionally, fabric softeners and hair conditioners both add a pleasant smell to your laundry. The subtle aroma these products leave on your clothes will make every garment smell nice and clean for longer. However, it is advisable to leave any fabric softener or substitute out of the equation when washing certain fabrics. It's best not to use fabric softeners on materials like microfiber towels, hiking gear, and most athleisure — utilizing them may hinder and reduce their water-repellent, fire-resistant, and absorbency characteristics.