Vinegar is known as a cooking preservative. Although many housewives have probably heard that it can be used for washing things.
There is an opinion that it helps not only to refresh and whiten clothes, but also takes care of the washing machine, extending the service life of the device.
Is this really so, is it possible and why to add vinegar to an automatic washing machine when washing clothes, how much is needed, read the article.
Is it possible and why to add?
You can add vinegar to the washing machine; it will not damage its parts. Unlike many washing powders, vinegar is gentle on the “insides” of the appliance.
Acid is used to wash white and dyed items. Under its influence, colors become brighter and are not washed out of fabrics as actively. With its help, you can effectively whiten things and remove stubborn stains from them.
Five beneficial properties of the substance that many people do not know about:
Vinegar promotes better rinsing of washing powder. This helps prevent the appearance of white streaks after washing and prevent detergents from corroding the fabric fibers.- Unlike chemical detergents, it does not cause allergies.
- Vinegar helps get rid of stubborn stains on fabric. It is especially effective against wine, coffee, jam, and cosmetics. With its help you can remove yellow marks on collars, cuffs and in the armpits.
- Vinegar neutralizes unpleasant odors from cigarette smoke, urine and sweat.
- It can be used to soften water. It is its increased rigidity that causes the formation of limescale on the internal parts of the washing machine, which leads to its rapid breakdown.
Vinegar is an effective antiseptic that destroys pathogenic flora. Bacteria and fungi die under its pressure. Therefore, it is used for disinfection purposes.
Vinegar instead of powder: disadvantages
The main disadvantage of this substance is the smell. It is quite caustic, especially noticeable when heated, so those who decide to boil their laundry in vinegar water should keep in mind that the apartment will quickly be filled with a not very pleasant aroma. There is an opinion that amber dissipates very quickly, but in fact it can last up to several hours in a row.
Before washing things with vinegar, you should check the fabric's reaction to it. If the item is colored, you need to take a piece of identical material (usually it is sewn to the product label) and test the effect of the home remedy on it. If the sample does not fade or acquire a specific aroma, you can wash the entire product with an acidic liquid.
In most cases, vinegar does not cause skin allergies, but it can irritate the respiratory system, so the product should be used with caution by asthmatics and people who have had some kind of respiratory disease.
For those for whom vinegar solutions do not cause health problems, this product can and should be used as a faithful household assistant. Moreover, you can buy it at any grocery store.
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Harm and benefits of using the product
Benefits of using vinegar when washing:
- water softening;
saving detergents;- maintaining the rich color of fabrics;
- whitening things without harming their structure;
- elimination of unpleasant odors;
- help in removing stubborn stains;
- giving softness to things, because vinegar replaces conditioner;
- antistatic effect;
- cleaning and disinfection of the washing machine, destruction of bacteria and mold;
- descaling from heating elements.
Adding vinegar when washing will not harm either your clothes or your washing machine if you use it correctly.
The only negative is the smell of vinegar that remains on things after washing.
To get rid of it, no additional measures are needed. It will disappear on its own within a few hours. To prevent your washing machine from smelling of acid, just leave the door open for 12 hours. At the same time, the bathroom must have good ventilation.
Essence should never be used in a washing machine. Take vinegar with a concentration of 9%, but not higher.
Retains color
How familiar is that unpleasant feeling when your favorite white T-shirt gradually acquires a yellowish tint or slowly but surely turns gray! It turns out that dilute acid can gently bleach without damaging the fiber structure. In addition, it preserves other colors, allowing you to enjoy the original look of your clothes for a very long time without spending a lot of money on expensive chemicals.
If you use too much powder, a soap scum will form on things, which we can also get rid of with this simple method!
How to use it correctly in an automatic washing machine, how much is needed?
To avoid harming things and the washing machine during the washing process, you need to use it correctly. Instructions for using acid depend on the purpose for which it is used:
- for disinfection,
- for removing stains,
- to clean the device itself.
How to wash as usual?
For a classic wash you will need from 50 to 100 ml of vinegar. It can be used with or without washing powder.
This amount is enough to solve the following problems:
- Refresh the fabric.
- Get rid of unpleasant odors.
- Eliminate static electricity.
- Rinse new clothes.
If a more intense effect is needed, for example, removing stains, then the amount of vinegar is doubled.
It is important not only to strictly dose the acid. It needs to be uploaded to the correct section:
- To make the fabric soft, vinegar is poured into the conditioner compartment. In this case, it will only come into contact with the fabric during the rinsing stage.
- Liquid is poured into the washing powder compartment to bleach fabrics, to clean the machine or to remove stubborn stains from clothes.
If you do not use powder for washing, you will need 200 ml of vinegar for the entire cycle.
For whitening laundry
Vinegar helps whiten items that have turned gray or yellow. It washes towels, T-shirts, underwear, tablecloths, and bedding well.
To obtain the desired result, add 200 ml of acid . Pour the product into the first compartment, along with the washing powder.
Acid will not only refresh washed items, but will help make stains on them less noticeable. After such washing, they will not stick to the body and will stop electrifying.
To obtain a pronounced effect, you need to carry out at least 2-3 washes.
As a conditioner
To make the fabric soft and manageable, as well as get rid of foreign odors, 100 ml of acid is enough . It is added to the conditioner compartment before washing.
You can use regular washing powder as a detergent. The sour smell emanating from the laundry immediately after washing will quickly disappear during drying.
You can rinse new items that have never been washed in a vinegar solution. The lower the water temperature, the better. It is not recommended to exceed 20-30 degrees. You can refuse the powder.
Vinegar will refresh the item, fix the coloring pigment and disinfect the laundry. Just pour it into the conditioner compartment and turn on the “rinse” mode.
To get rid of stains
To get rid of stains, you need to soak the item in vinegar.
This is done as follows:
- contaminated areas are treated with acid;
- the item is left for 15 minutes;
- Gently rub the stain with a brush or sponge.
After this treatment, you need to wash the product as usual, using powder. To enhance the effect, add a small amount of vinegar to the washing machine - no more than 100 ml. If stains remain after the first treatment, the procedure must be repeated.
For the purpose of disinfection
Vinegar has the ability to destroy bacteria and fungi. Therefore, it is often used to disinfect fabrics.
With its help you can get rid of:
- Body and head lice.
- Dermatomycetes (fungi that attack the skin and nails).
- Bed bugs.
- Dust mites.
- Viruses deposited on fabric, such as a handkerchief.
- Bacteria that cause the smell of sweat on clothes.
- E. coli, which is often found on underwear.
To disinfect fabrics, acid is used without adding washing powder, pouring it into the desired compartment. The laundry is loaded into the drum and the rinse mode is turned on.
Vinegar is used to disinfect diapers and other things that are used to care for newborns.
To descale the machine
You can use vinegar to remove scale from the elements of your washing machine.
Procedure:
- Pour 3-5 glasses into the main section.
- Turn on the device. You can choose any program. The optimal water temperature is 60 degrees.
- Linen is not loaded.
- Wait for the cycle to complete.
During the washing process, the scale will dissolve and be washed off along with the drained water. This method effectively removes salt deposits that have accumulated over many years. For preventive purposes, treatment is carried out once every 3 months.
Advantages
On the Internet you can find many positive reviews about using vinegar to disinfect laundry in an automatic washing machine. Vinegar for washing clothes greatly simplifies the work of a housewife because:
- Actively fights old, stubborn and difficult to remove stains;
- Reduces water hardness by dissolving calcium and magnesium salts contained in it;
- Removes scale from the washing machine;
- Fights static electricity. Clothes made of silk and other highly electrifying fabrics, washed with vinegar, do not stick to the body and do not generate current discharges.
When processing things manually
A preservative is added not only for machine washing, but also for hand washing. It is used for a similar purpose: to remove stains, soften fabric and disinfect it. The solution is prepared according to a single recipe: for each liter of water take 1 tbsp. l. spoon of acid.
If things shed a lot, the pigment can be fixed by soaking them for 20-30 minutes in cool vinegar water.
To remove stubborn stains and ingrained odors, items are boiled in a vinegar solution. This is an effective way to clean greasy kitchen towels. They are soaked in an enamel basin, vinegar water is brought to a boil and left overnight. In the morning, towels are washed as usual.
How to remove musty smell
If an unpleasant musty smell appears in the washing machine, this should serve as a signal that the internal parts of the machine need cleaning. But first of all, you need to establish the cause of the smell:
- Rare use of the machine, lack of natural ventilation due to a tightly closed hatch;
- Storing dirty clothes in a drum;
- Remains of water at the bottom of the drum, contamination of the tray or detergent supply channel with residues of powder or conditioner;
- Dirty drain hoses, filter
Vinegar combined with baking soda will help remove the smell at home. This method is described in the previous section.
NOTE! The smell may be caused by poor sewerage.
Important Tips
Tips to help you wash things better and disinfect your washing machine:
From time to time you need to run the washing machine with vinegar without any clothes. Idle washing will prevent the formation of limescale.- You need to wash with acid on a delicate cycle. The optimal water temperature is 60 degrees.
- Vinegar is suitable for caring for any item, regardless of the type of fabric from which it is made.
- Hand washing with vinegar should be done with gloves.
You can wipe the drum rubber with an acidic solution after each wash. This will prevent the appearance of mold and destroy harmful bacteria. Particular attention is paid to the bottom of the gasket.
You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products here.
Antibacterial property
Acetic acid is capable of destroying the main types of bacteria that take root safely in a person’s home and clothing. At the same time, it will rid things of unpleasant odors of sweat and “marks” of pets, because these peculiar odors arise due to the proliferation of microorganisms.
When we get tired of old perfume and we buy a new cherished scent, at first we feel a slight mixture of smells, since a persistent perfume can remain on the fabric for some time, absorbed into the fibers. Vinegar can remove all traces, allowing you to enjoy your purchase to the fullest.
