8 reasons why vinegar can be useful in the washing machine and how to use it

July 02, 2023

Vinegar is one of the most commonly used food products for household cleaning; whether it is made from wine, apples or alcohol, vinegar has several very useful properties. Vinegar is a degreaser, a deodorant and a sanitizer, but also a very useful descaler. Vinegar can be used to clean sinks, showers taps, the dishwasher and the washing machine.

In the washing machine in particular, vinegar - especially the white type - is very useful. In fact, vinegar can occasionally be used instead of a detergent. This is good for the environment and our wallets.

Today we show you 8 reasons why vinegar is useful in the washing machine and the best ways to use it:

Creativo

There are many benefits to using vinegar in your washing machine, if you know how to use it properly:

Eliminates bad smells: as we know, vinegar is able to eliminate bad smells and the laundry is no exception to this. Persistent smells - such as from cooking, sweat or smoke - disappear much more easily if you add some vinegar to the washing;
Stain remover: it often happens that our deodorants leave unsightly stains on our clothes, which can be easily eliminated using vinegar; even in the case of particularly stubborn stains, vinegar is also very useful: soak your stained clothes in a basin with hot water and 125 ml of white vinegar and leave overnight before proceeding with a regular wash;
Detergent additive: by adding 125 ml of vinegar directly into the washing machine drum, the effectiveness of the detergent can be increased. It will also help preserve the colors of your clothes, which will be more intense and brilliant;
Eliminate soap residue: vinegar can also be useful in eliminating any detergent/soap residue which a normal rinse cycle cannot remove;
Remove pet hair: this use is unknown to most, but if you have a pet, it can certainly come in handy. By adding a glass of vinegar to the drum, you will see that your clothes - once dry - will be completely free of pet hair;
Softener: added directly to the softener tray, white vinegar is an excellent substitute for a commercial softener and will make your laundry softer and more fragrant (and is also more eco-friendly);
Anti-limescale: vinegar can be put directly into the drum of the washing machine and put on an empty wash to eliminate any limescale buildup on the various working components. For an even more effective action, you can mix vinegar and baking soda in equal parts, place the mixture into the drum and start an empty, 60 degree C wash cycle.