Vinegar: laundry's best friend
- by M.E. Williams on Aug 2nd 2007 1:00PM
- Filed under household hacks, staying green, cleaning
A few years ago, I vacationed in a house full of chain-smokers. When I made it back to my own non-smoking home, I found that all my clothes smelled like I also smoked at least a pack a day. I like my friends, but not that smell! Multiple washings did nothing, and Febreze only helped a little bit, so I turned to Google in despair. I soon found a solution that seems nearly foolproof.
Many people already know that white vinegar in a small bowl will remove smoky or musty odors, and that you can put the bowl on a closet floor or shelf if those odors happen to be stuck in your coats and jackets. What many people do not know is that, if you put white vinegar in your wash water at the beginning of a laundry load, it will both freshen and soften the clothes being washed. The scent of vinegar will have miraculously disappeared by the end of the wash cycle, but everything will smell very clean. You don't need much vinegar: a half cup is sufficient, a full cup is plenty, and exact measurements probably aren't necessary. Don't forget to add your usual detergent, too!
You'll find more reasons to add some white vinegar to your laundry routine after the break.
This is helpful if your clothes are full of a seemingly permanent smoke scent like mine were, if you leave them in the washer too long and they go sour (something a simple rewash doesn't always cure, especially if the clothes need a cold-water wash), if you have dog bedding or dog-bathing towels to wash (it removes the dreaded smell of Wet Dog), and for washing linens anytime.
Why linens? Commercial fabric softeners can create a coating on cotton fabrics, causing them to lose their absorbency, which is the last thing you want to happen to your towels; vinegar will help the towels and sheets stay soft and fluffy without the negative side effects. However, make sure there are no stains that you wish to remove from the linens; vinegar may set them.
DIY Life readers may have noticed that we like our vinegar around here. White vinegar has dozens of household uses, but this one is my favorite. (Most vinegar-related household tips are specifically for white vinegar; other kinds of vinegar are generally food items, though apple cider vinegar may work in some cases where white vinegar is called for. This isn't one of them.) Don't forget to check out our other great vinegar tips!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-03-2007 @ 8:59AM
Laurie Clark said...
Having Asthma I can no longer use most of the hosehold chemical cleaners. I now use a mixture of Vinegar, water and a couple of drops of Dawn in a spray bottle. I now use this to clean my Tub, Shower Doors, Chrome, Windows. Toilet , and Stove. It leaves a clean, and bright shiny surface. It also works great on my car windshield. It is cheap and very effective.
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8-03-2007 @ 12:26PM
nicole said...
I have found several other uses for white vinegar. I like to put a few capfuls in with my laundry when I wash a load of jeans and denim items. It keeps the colors from fading and bleeding out to others. Also, try turning your jeans insided out and do not dry them as often. Another use for vinegar involves cleaning urine. I have had to deal with both dog and cat urine for years-- cat urine is particularly smelly. If you catch it soon enough, vinegar is just about the only thing known to man that will get rid of the stench. Water, dish soap, and vinegar if on an unlaunderable item. A few capfuls in the laundry if the urine is on something that can be machine-washed. If too delicate for the washer, soak in water and vinegar.
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8-03-2007 @ 3:59PM
Judy Rosicker said...
I discovered white vinegar when my son played soccer during his teenage years. Pouring it directly on the underarm area of the jersey before placing in the washing machine worked like a miracle.
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8-03-2007 @ 4:12PM
M.E. Williams said...
Yes, to all the previous comments! I'm not sure whether these have shown up in our vinegar tips before, but I'll double-check and maybe give some their own post sometime. :) Our readers are awesome!
The other thing that's really effective for pet urine is Nature's Miracle (there are similar cleansers, also sold in pet stores, that also work), but a lot of people make the mistake of pouring it on something and then washing that item. These enzymatic cleaner/stench-killer/stain-removers ONLY work if you let them dry, and you may have to reapply several times. This sort of goes against the impulse to immediately wash something that has pee on it.
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8-04-2007 @ 4:03PM
F.T. said...
I use white distilled vinegar as a weed killer. It seems to be as effective as the commercial products without the toxicity. Putting a couple of tablespoons of salt in a gallon of vinegar seems to make the effect last longer. However I'm now reluctant to use distilled vinegar on my salads.
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8-06-2007 @ 2:00PM
kem said...
another great use for white vinegar is removing white calcium from cars. If you park in a commercial garage and water drips through the concrete it can leave a white calcium streak on your car. Straight vinegar and a little elbow grease gets the mark off where a car wash will not.
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