Scratchy towels, stiff jeans, and mystery spots don’t need a pricey laundry aisle fix. This simple pair of homemade laundry helpers handles two different jobs with ingredients you probably already keep on hand. One softens fabrics in the rinse cycle, and the other gives stains a quick pre-treat before wash day gets away from you (because laundry piles never wait politely).
Making your own can cost less than buying separate commercial products. Using current Walmart pricing, 1/2 cup of white vinegar costs about $0.12 from a $3.94 gallon, and 1/2 cup of clear ammonia costs about $0.27 from a $2.12 64-ounce bottle, so these homemade versions stretch your laundry budget while letting you control the formula, skip added fragrance, and mix only what you actually want to use.
You’ll need 4 materials for the stain remover and just 1 material for the laundry softener. The stain remover makes one batch in a spray bottle, while the softener goes straight into the rinse cycle by the measuring cup. Keep a measuring cup handy, along with a reusable spray bottle for the stain remover.
- 🧰 Materials You'll Need
- 🔧 Tools & Equipment
- 🛠️ How to Make and Use Laundry Softener & Stain Remover
- 🛠️ How to Use It
- 🎨 Customization Ideas
- 🛡️ Safety Information
- 📦 Storage
- 💸 Cost Breakdown
- 🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Laundry Softener & Stain Remover
- 📌 Love this Laundry Softener & Stain Remover? Pin it!
- 🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Laundry Softener & Stain Remover
Materials You’ll Need
- White vinegar
- Ammonia
- Homemade liquid laundry detergent
- Water
Tools & Equipment
- Measuring cup
- Spray bottle
How to Make and Use Laundry Softener & Stain Remover
- For the laundry softener, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
- For the pre-treat stain remover, measure 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup homemade liquid laundry detergent, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and 1/2 cup water into a spray bottle.
- Close the spray bottle and shake well prior to use.
- Spray the mixture on stained laundry items before washing.
If you want a matching detergent to go with the stain remover, take a look at Make Your Own Laundry Detergents, Stain Removers, Pre-Wash Sprays and More! or keep another easy option on hand with this Laundry Pre-Treat Spray.
How to Use It
- Use the vinegar softener in the rinse cycle only.
- Shake the stain remover well before each use.
- Spray stained areas lightly, then wash as usual.
- For best results, treat stains before they set for too long.
Customization Ideas
- Keep it simple: Mix a small batch of the stain remover if you only tackle spots as they happen.
- Build a laundry station: Pair it with your favorite homemade detergent and a separate pre-wash spray so each bottle has one clear job.
- Label by use: Mark one bottle for stain pre-treating and keep vinegar in its own clearly labeled container for rinse-cycle softening.
Safety Information
Label the stain remover clearly and keep it out of reach of children and pets. Never mix this recipe with bleach or use it in the same container that previously held bleach products. For general household chemical safety, the Poison Control guidance on chlorine gas notes that bleach should not be mixed with acids such as vinegar or with ammonia.
Test any pre-treat product on an inconspicuous area first if you’re working with delicate or color-sensitive fabric.
Storage
- Store the stain remover in a tightly closed spray bottle.
- Keep it in a cool spot away from direct heat and sunlight.
- Shake well before each use since homemade mixtures can separate between uses.
- Store vinegar for rinse use in its original container or another clearly labeled container.
Cost Breakdown
Using current Walmart pricing as a rough guide, the laundry softener costs about $0.10 to $0.12 per load when you use 1/3 to 1/2 cup of white vinegar.
The stain remover batch uses 1/2 cup each of ammonia, homemade liquid laundry detergent, white vinegar, and water. Based on current pricing for vinegar and ammonia alone, that puts the batch at about $0.39 plus the cost of 1/2 cup homemade detergent. Exact total cost depends on which homemade detergent recipe you use.
🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- Great Value Distilled White Vinegar, 128 fl oz
- Great Value Clear Ammonia All-Purpose Cleaner, 64 fl oz
- Equate Plastic Spray Bottle with Adjustable Nozzle, 8 fl oz
- Make Your Own Laundry Detergents, Stain Removers, Pre-Wash Sprays and More!
Frequently Asked Questions about Laundry Softener & Stain Remover
Yes, you can use 1/3 to 1/2 cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle as needed. If you wash specialty fabrics, check the care label first and keep the vinegar in the rinse cycle rather than adding it with detergent.
Yes. The original method says to shake well prior to use, so give the bottle a good shake each time before spraying.
A spray bottle keeps the application light and even, which is exactly how this batch is designed to be used. If you pour it on, it’s easy to overdo it and soak more fabric than you need to treat.
Use white vinegar, since that’s the ingredient listed for both the rinse-cycle softener and the stain remover.
The formula calls for homemade liquid laundry detergent, so that’s the intended version. If you swap in a commercial detergent, the consistency and added fragrance may change how the mixture sprays and performs.
Use caution on delicate or color-sensitive items. Test it on an inconspicuous area first before treating the full stain.
Yes, store it in a clearly labeled spray bottle with the cap closed tightly. Keep it away from heat, sunlight, children, and pets, then shake well before each use.
No. Do not mix this recipe with bleach, and do not reuse a former bleach bottle for it either. Keep those products completely separate.
It makes one batch from 1/2 cup each of four ingredients, for a total of about 2 cups of stain remover.
📌 Love this Laundry Softener & Stain Remover? Pin it!
Did you try this laundry project? Tell us which version you used most in your own wash routine and what worked best for you.
🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Laundry Softener & Stain Remover
Laundry Softener & Stain Remover
Equipment
Materials
- White vinegar 1/3 to 1/2 cup
- Ammonia 1/2 cup
- Homemade liquid laundry detergent 1/2 cup
- White vinegar 1/2 cup
- Water 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
- Measure 1/2 cup ammonia into a spray bottle.
- Add 1/2 cup homemade liquid laundry detergent.
- Add 1/2 cup white vinegar.
- Add 1/2 cup water.
- Close the bottle and shake well prior to use.
- Spray on stained laundry items before washing.
- https://www.budget101.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/homemade-laundry-softener-stain-remover-1.jpg
i am using 1/2 dawn dish soap and 1/2 hyrodogen peroxide seems to be working great.