10 Surprising Other Uses for Downy Unstopables
Downy Unstopables are designed to be used with your regular laundry detergent to extend the fresh scent of your laundry. However, there are several other ways that you can use Downy Unstopables in your home. A tiny amount of beads goes a long way.
- Give a Boost of Scent to Homemade Laundry Detergent: Making your own laundry detergent can save a lot of money every year. Read up on how to make your own HERE Give the detergent a great boost by adding the Unstopables beads into the mix when you add the hot water (so they dissolve). You want 2-3 teaspoons of beads for each gallon of laundry detergent that you make.
- Homemade Fabreeze-like Fabric Spray: 1/4 capful and water can make an entire bottle of fabric spray to refresh carpet, upholstery, and linens.
- Homemade Air Freshener: Poke holes in the lid of a used clean baby food jar. Add a teaspoon of Unstopables beads. Seal the lid tightly and place it in direct sunlight or by heating vents in order to activate and circulate the fresh scent.
- Create a Homemade Sachet: Pick up some of those tiny drawstring, mesh-like party favor/jewelry bags from the dollar store. Add a teaspoon of Downy Unstopables to each bag. Tie each one tightly and your have homemade sachets that can go in your drawers or linen closets to keep things smelling fresh.
- Kitty Litter Odor Reducer: When you add fresh kitty litter to your cat’s box, mix in some Downy Unstopables. It should extend the life of your kitty litter and make it smell fresher for a longer period of time.
- Vacuum Bag Refresher: Spread some Downy Unstopables Beads onto your carpet and vacuum them up. It will make the room smell good while you vacuum and help keep away that “musty” vacuum smell.
- Get Rid of Garbage Disposal Odors: This can be done two ways. If you need to get rid of odors right away, pour some of the beads down your garbage disposal, run and grind with hot water. For a more long term fresh scent, pour the Unstopables beads down the disposal and let them sit overnight. That will keep your garbage disposal smelling fresh longer.
- Get rid of Kitchen Garbage Odors: Put a teaspoon of beads into a snack sized plastic ziplock bag. Poke tiny holes in the bag with a sewing needle and place it in the bottom of your kitchen trash can (beneath the trash bag). Plastic can sometimes absorb stinky smells. The Downy Unstopables can help stop that from happening.
- Add Scent to Homemade or Scent-Free Baby Wipes: Add a nice smell to scent-free wipes by adding a teaspoon of Unstopables beads to the bottom of your wipes container. Over time, it will diffuse its smell into the baby wipes. This also works well for homemade baby wipes.
- Scented Foot Soak: Add 1/2 teaspoon to a basin of hot water. Stir and dissolve the beads and then add cold water until it’s a comfortable temperature. This makes a really nice and cheap foot soak.
*Note: Not all of these uses will work for everyone. Please check the ingredients to make sure no one in your home has allergies before using Down Unstopables. This product may not work well with those with sensitive skin.
Related Resources:
Other Uses for Rubbing Alcohol
Other Uses for Laundry Detergent
Other Uses for Downy Unstopables
Ways to Reuse Toilet Paper Tubes
you can also put them in a wax burner and your whole house will smell super fresh!
When you put them in a wax burner do you add a little water so they will dissolve
You don’t have to add water.. **do not let it get on your skin it’s not like wax it will just spread around the burn***
I add coconut oil with the beads in my warmers.
I tried it and it don’t work
I also use them in wax burners all the time work really well!
Do you just put the beads in or add water to the burner?
Ugh, you don’t know what kind of toxic chemicals might be in these things! They are definitely not approved for skin contact or inhalation! Laundry detergents don’t have to disclose ingredients or have them approved by anybody. The thought of people adding these things to baby wipes makes my skin crawl. This reminds me of people putting lead powder on their faces back in the old days.
I agree with you, Kathleen. I do add mine to garbage disposal though with some dish soap when it gets stinky. Seems to clean it and leave it very fresh smelling…like my butt.
You don’t then use the wipe on the baby chic…it’s for other uses…????
Thank you! Makes me so angry Mommysavers is promoting these uses when the manufacturer doesn’t even recommend and most likely for very good reason because they aren’t safe for any other use than what’s directed on the product! Breathing these chemicals in all day who knows what cognitive and respiratory damage that is doing! Put near heat registers! AND adding to baby wipes, wiping them into delicate porous skin of babies!!!!! Mommysavers please back this up with proof the ingredients are safe (not the 3 ingredients listed but what’s actually in each of those 3 ingredients as they dont have to list them) or stop promoting this!
I agree who in the hell would put Unstoppables in baby wipes, thats idiiotic to me.
Touché! They are actually banned in France & I believe the EU due to them containing butylphenyl methylpropional. Which is a known carcinogen. Isn’t it lovely how our government always has all of our best interests at heart & strive to ensure the overall wellbeing of all of its population!!! We are truly lucky!! ( please forgive my sardonicism. )
Do you just put the Downy Unstopables in and nothing else or do you add oil ?
i know there is a recipe for room spray using downy un stopables but i can not find the recipe i know it is made with hotwater then poured into a spray bottle can you tell me how much water and how much downy unstopables to use
There is no certain amount for that,half cup hot water enough to dissolve and then mix enough water to make the spray bottle fill and spray where needed,I just read the instructions.
I put it in my diffuser. It worked great
I use them in there too. Of course anything with a scent I like goes in my diffusers too.
I love these in my wax warmer, however. If you sprinkle these on your carpet to vacuum up, they will melt in your vacuum and make your canister sticky and dirty. I don’t reccomend it. However, I do put a dryer fabric sheet in my canister to keep my vacuum smelling fresh.
I put them in sachet bags and slide them on the paper tissue holder in my rv..my small bath smells so good all the time…keep them away from pets and kids…you wouldn’t want them 2 eat these crystals.
Are these REALLY safe to use with children and pets?
These ideas are all great with the exception of one, at least it created a NIGHTMARE for a friend of mine…
…she tried the kitty litter trick, and her cat started peeing on her freshly laundered clothes ( the litter box was cleaned out daily, so it wasn’t a factor ) The veterinarian suspected that her cat came to associate the smell of the unstoppables with relieving itself. Now she’s had to switch to not only another scent, but another brand (which makes her crazy, because Downy is her favorite…)
I live in a house built in 1928. It was very musty under the sink and I had tried everything to deodorize it. I took a jar lid and put about 1/2 a cup of scent beads in it and put it under the sink. There is absolutely no musty smell under that sink now!!!! Yeah!!! It also makes a nice air freshener for my car. Great product.
I would advise against using these for baby wipes! The ingredients are not disclosed and could be harmful. Plus we know that fragrances are not good for baby’s lungs.
Please don’t consider using them in the cat litter box. Cat’s lick their paws and the beads could get stuck in their paws. EWG rates Unstoppables with an F grade due to carcinogens. For fresher smelling cat litter, use a natural, chemical-free litter like S’Wheat scoop, Yesterday’s News, Feline Pine, etc. It’s not worth risking your cat’s health or life for a fresher smelling litterbox.