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I find it very interesting that fabric softener is one of those products that have become almost obsolete. The companies that make fabric softener are very clever. They have found new ways to package and market the product in such a way that the unsuspecting public actually thinks they are buying something completely new. And we seem to be willing to pay a premium price for these "new" products.

Fabric softener is added to a load of laundry, during the final rinse. This reduces wrinkles, especially when you hang your clothes on a clothes line to dry. But there are at least three other ways to use fabric softener, and one of them may shock you! Since most people don't even buy fabric softener anymore, the first step for all these uses is to buy the cheapest generic or store brand of concentrated liquid fabric softener you can find on the store shelf.

1. FABRIC SOFTENER
Well, duh, this is what the product is meant for, read the directions on the bottle.

2. FABRIC DEWRINKLER
Fill a spray bottle with one part concentrated fabric softener to ten parts water. Shake well before each use. Hang wrinkled clothing item on a clothes hanger. Spray a light mist all over item. Use clean hands to smooth the fabric down, pulling fabric taut. A dewrinkler does not replace a good pressing, but it will relax the fabric and reduce wrinkles. This works great on t-shirts. You can also spray it on a clothing item you or your child is wearing. In fact, just the other day, I dewrinkled the t-shirt my son was wearing. And it made a huge difference.

3. DRYER SHEETS
The "dirty" little secret about dryer sheets, is that they are merely little squares of fabric soaked in fabric softener and allowed to dry. You can make a dryer sheet by pouring some of the Fabric Dewrinkler mixture onto a small, clean scrap of fabric (I use an outgrown t-shirt cut into six-inch squares). Rub it into the fabric until it is well distributed. Use more if needed. Toss it into the dryer with your wet clothes. Wash and reuse your fabric squares.

4. HAIR RINSE
No! I am not kidding. The basic ingredients in fabric softener are the same as those in hair rinse. I don't use this all the time, but I could. I should say I did. I grew up using this home-made rinse on my hair. It wasn't until I was an adult that my hair ever experienced real hair rinse. If you want, you can think of this as an emergency replacement when you find yourself completely out of hair rinse. There are two methods for applying the detangler. You can spray it on, or massage it in. The mixture is different depending on which method you use.

Spray method: Shampoo hair, rinse out shampoo, spray a liberal amount of Fabric Dewrinkler all over hair. Rinse out with water.

Massage method: Fill a squeeze bottle with one part concentrated fabric softener and one part water. Shake well. The mixture should be similar to the consistency of your regular hair rinse brand. Add a little water or softener to correct the consistency. Squeeze some of this mixture into your hand, rub both hands together to coat palms and fingers. Run hands and fingers through your hair.

Learn more about this author, Barbara Cox.
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