9 Things That Happen When You Add Vinegar to the Laundry

If you have yet to experience the wondrous abilities of white vinegar for your laundry routine, you may want to give it a whirl. It is natural, doesn’t cost much, and although the smell does not compare to roses, it is better than inhaling bleach fumes.

Speaking of its scent, you don’t have to worry about the vinegar leaving its signature on your laundry. The smell fades without a trace after drying. Instead, you will be left with cleaner clothes that retain their original colors without excessive buildup on the fabric.

Do not be afraid of grabbing a bottle to keep exclusively for washing your linens, garments, and tools of the laundry trade. That’s right. Take a peep at all the ways this fermented concoction can make washing, drying, folding, and ironing better.

  1. Freshens Machines

    If you have a front-loading washer, white vinegar can be used to clean the seals around it that tend to create a mildew smell. For any machine, run a full, empty cycle using hot water and 1/2 gallon of vinegar to disinfect it.

  2. Launder Baby Clothes

    Gentle and hypoallergenic, white vinegar can clean baby’s belongings without interfering with flame retardant fabric. Add 1 cup to the wash cycle. You can also pre-soak stained items (like clothes or cloth diapers) with a 1 to 1 ratio of water and vinegar, and a teaspoon of baking soda.

  3. Repels Lint

    Prevent lint and pet hair from clinging by adding 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.

  4. Clean Irons

    Knock out iron buildup from the inside out with white vinegar. While the iron is cool and set to “off”, pour ½ cup distilled water and ½ cup vinegar into the reservoir. Turn the iron on at its highest heat level and steam a cloth for about 15 minutes, clearing out deposits.

    Once clean, turn it off, allow it cool, and pour out any excess liquid. To clean the outer plate, make a paste with baking soda and vinegar, and use it to wipe the plate down.

  5. Soften Blankets and Denim

    While vinegar is known as a good fabric softener on its own, it is particularly good for softening hard jeans (especially new) and making blankets extra soft. Start out by adding ½ to 1 cup of it to the rinse cycle for jeans.

    To get your blankets extra soft, add 2 cups of vinegar to the rinse cycle for machine-washable fabrics like wool or cotton.

  6. Kill Odors

    Unsavory smells like mildew and sweat can be cured with a dose of vinegar in the rinse cycle. If you have tougher odors like smoke to get rid of, add a cup to the wash cycle.

  7. Handwash Delicates

    Wash your delicates per usual with a gentle cleanser, but add about a tablespoon or two of vinegar to the rinse water to get rid of soap deposits and odor.

  8. Zap Static Cling

    Either add ¼ cup vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser or pour in ¼ – ½ cup during the rinse cycle to prevent static.

  9. Stain Fighter

    You can make a pre-treatment stain formula to keep in a spray bottle that is a half and half mixture of vinegar and water. For stains like yellowing, juice, or coffee, try soaking the item in ½ cup water and ½ cup vinegar.

What is your white vinegar laundry secret? Which of these uses is new to you? Will you try any of these tips out?