Using white vinegar as a fabric softener

After reading a lot of blogs about DIY fabric softener, I decided to try just straight white vinegar. I don't need more scents and irritants, but it seems a lot of people add perfumes to the wash just because it makes the clothes smell "clean." 

you have to trust me on this one

So, I just filled my Downy ball with vinegar and threw it in with the wash. The clothes came out of the dryer soft and unscented. They do not smell like vinegar. This just elevated the joy of fresh, clean sheets to a new level of dreamy softness! And a bonus: the dryer ball is clean! 

I won't be buying fabric softener ever again!

Additional bonus: the vinegar worked beautifully to wipe off all the lint and detergent drippings to make my washer portrait-ready. 

Update: I'd recommend filling the Downy ball completely full, especially for a full load of towels and sheets. That's about one cup for those of you with other types of dispensers. For this load I experimented with only filling it to the line, and I wasn't as impressed as in previous trials.