Vinegar Could Be Your Secret Solution for Loving your Laundry!
There is a growing movement towards using less chemicals in our lives and changing to more natural alternatives. And what we use for cleaning our homes, appliances and even our laundry is a great example of where that change can take place.
Vinegar works very well as a cleaning agent
And this is because it is acidic.
The white distilled vinegar is your best option. It has a pH of 2.5 making it ideal for dissolving soap scum, hard water stains and even the glue which you can find left behind when you remove a label.
Here are some suggestions on where and how to use vinegar for your laundry...
Ensuring an odor-free environment
Vinegar can destroy the bacteria that can lead to odors.
For towels that have spots of mildew, add 2 cups of distilled vinegar to your washing machine's hot water wash. Wash your towels on a normal cycle.
When you want to freshen and deodorize your clothes, add half to one cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
For persistent smells that just won't go away, pre-soak any items of clothing in one cup of vinegar mixed with cold water for twenty minutes. Then wash as normal.
Removing stains
Use a spray bottle filled with vinegar and spray any affected areas. Allow the vinegar to do its work for ten to fifteen minutes before washing. If a stain is especially bad, use a paste made from one tablespoon of baking soda and vinegar. Use sparingly because too much baking soda can be damaging to washing machines.
Protect color washing from soapy residue
This soapy residue can stick to the fibers of your clothes, making dark items become lighter after several washes. As a preventative, add one half to full cup of vinegar into the final rinse cycle.
Preventing static in your clothes
If you add half a cup of vinegar into your washing machine's rinse cycle, you will find static will no longer be a problem.
Vinegar is a natural fabric softener
Yes, add half a cup of vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser to effectively soften your clothes, your bed linens and your towels. What could be simpler and more natural?
You can reverse any dye-damage while keeping your whites white!
Add one cup of vinegar to the wash cycle with your regular detergent to stop the color in your clothes from running or bleeding. If you find your whites are no longer so white, add one and a half cups of vinegar with your regular detergent to the wash cycle.
Just a few words of warning when using vinegar
When using with detergent, don't mix them together. Add to the rinse cycle after the detergent has been used up or add to the softening dispenser where appropriate. Use instead of regular detergent, when dealing with odors. Be wary when dealing with delicate fabrics and do a fabric test first if concerned. To brighten your clothes, add it to the bleach dispenser.
Improve the look, feel - and the smell - of your clothes with these simple vinegar tips but without unnecessary chemicals and artificial fragrances.
And then hang that washing outside to dry if at all possible for added freshness!
Sources:
Mold Allergy - Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment | AAFA.org
https://propaintcorner.com/
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.