Does vinegar disinfect laundry

If you are looking for the right solution to help you brighten, whiten, soften, disinfect and reduce odors in your laundry with no need to use harsh chemicals, distilled white vinegar is all that you need. Is it safe to use vinegar in washing machine, then? Just so you know, vinegar is found to be safe to use in high-efficiency and standard washing machines and can also benefit septic tanks and even the environment as a whole.

Quick facts about vinegar

All of the different kinds of vinegar have acetic acid content that can work to soften, brighten, eliminate those nasty odors in your clothes, and act as a natural disinfectant for laundry. The acidity range of cider vinegar is around 5% to 6% and this is made from juice of apples. This is golden amber or yellow in color.

Distilled white vinegar, on the other hand, is produced during the second fermentation of the dilute distilled alcohol. This alcohol can be made from barley, rich, potatoes, or corn starch or from grain. Distilled vinegar is often less acidic compared to cider vinegar and this has an acidity range of 4% to 7%. It can also be labeled as cleaning vinegar and is also safe to use in laundry.

Always go for distilled white vinegar when shopping for vinegar that you can use in laundry. This doesn’t contain any tannin or natural plant dyes that could stain your clothes. This is also cheaper. If you want to use cider vinegar, it is best to use a smaller amount then dilute this with water first before you pour it directly on your clothes.

Disinfect your laundry with white vinegar

If you are running a cycle in cold water or washing your white clothes, your first go-to disinfectant is probably bleach. The only problem here is that bleach is a very harsh chemical that using it on a regular basis might not be a good thing.

You can start with white vinegar if you are looking for a disinfectant that you can safely use every day. White vinegar contains an ingredient called acetic acid that can kill bacteria and viruses so they could be washed away easily during the cleaning cycle. Just one half cup of white vinegar could already serve as an effective deodorizer and disinfectant at the same time to remove the pesky germs and work to soften the fabrics.

It has also been found that vinegar also helps in cleaning colored items and whites alike so that your clothes will all come out smelling good, soft, and bright each and every time.

Get rid of underarm odor with vinegar

Fill up a clean spray bottle with distilled undiluted white vinegar. You can keep it handy in your laundry room to get rid of perspiration stains and odors on your clothes. Spray the solution directly on the fabric on the underarm areas and let it work for 10 minutes or so before you toss the garment into the washer. In case the fabric feels a bit stiff prior to washing, you can break up the residue with a soft bristled brush. The vinegar can help cutting through any residual deodorant that accumulated on the clothing and avoid underarm yellowing.

White vinegar to expel mildew odor

A moldy smell and mildew growth can form if you leave a load of wet clothing in your washer or wet towels in the hamper. To ensure that everything smells fresh, pour hot water into the washer, add 2 cups distilled white vinegar then run a complete wash cycle. Add a detergent to run a second complete cycle.

It can work well for sour smells and small amounts of mold. You might need a more aggressive treatment for more serious stains and mold problems.

Keep your clothes bright and white with vinegar

The acetic acid content in distilled white vinegar is actually so mild that it won’t cause any harm on washable fabrics but is still strong enough for dissolving residues or alkalies left by detergents and soaps. You only need to add one half cup of vinegar to your final rinse to get clearer and brighter colors. Put the distilled white vinegar to fabric softener dispenser or you can also add vinegar manually at the start of the rinse cycle.

Vinegar’s mild acetic acid also serves as a brightener and whitener for dingy and gray clothes. To make your dingy dishcloths and stained white socks white again, just put a cup of white distilled vinegar to a large water pot. Heat it to boil before adding the dingy items. Let them soak overnight and launder them as usual. You should only use it on 100% cotton fabric.

Soften fabrics the natural way

If you are not fond of those commercial fabric softeners with their heavy scents but you want your clothes to be softer, distilled white vinegar can serve as a natural fabric softener that won’t leave any residue on your laundry. You just need to add a half cup to the last rinse.

If you want a bit of scent, you can add two drops of essential oil such as lavender to your bottle of vinegar. The commercial fabric softeners tend to interfere with children’s clothing’s fire retardant qualities, especially pajamas so you should never use these for their laundry. A hypoallergenic and safe choice for all types of children’s clothes is none other than distilled white vinegar.

Reduce pet hair and lint

Adding a half cup of white distilled vinegar during the rinse cycle can help ensure that pet hair and lint won’t cling to clothes. This can also help eliminate excessive lint in case you accidentally washed your lint-producing towels with something dark.

Enjoy a clean washing machine with vinegar

A clean washing machine means cleaner laundry. Mix two cups of distilled white vinegar and hot water and run a complete wash cycle to get rid of soap scum and keep those hoses clean.

Now that you know how vinegar can disinfect your laundry, give it a try and experience the difference yourself!