Washing with vinegar in the washing machine is a great way not only to deal with stubborn stains, but also to freshen your laundry. Vinegar is known to be a powerful germ killer; almost all bacteria die quickly in an acidic environment. This substance also has a beneficial effect on washing machine condition: removes scale and unpleasant white deposits that appear inside the drum due to the fact that small particles of powder constantly settle there.
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.
Methods of use
Adding vinegar during washing is possible for different purposes, for example:
- For conditioning;
- As a bleach and stain remover;
- With the aim of disinfection;
- As an anti-scale agent in a washing machine.
As a conditioner
Housewives knew how to wash with vinegar back in the days when fabric softeners did not exist at all. In the old days, laundresses, who handled large quantities of heavily soiled linen every day, always tried to add vinegar to give clothes and bedding a fresh, pleasant aroma.
It happens that newly purchased clothes become highly electrified and smell unpleasantly of factory impregnation. In this case, 200 ml of vinegar (9 percent) is poured into a special tray for conditioner in the washing machine. After this, the laundry is washed as usual. Things acquire a pleasant aroma of frosty freshness and become soft to the touch.
Like bleach
How much acid to add to remove stains depends on how old the stain is and the area it occupies. If the stains are large, stubborn and old, you can add more vinegar. For small dirty areas with fresh stains that have just been washed, just a little acid is enough.
It happens that bedding and tablecloths. Once snow-white, they turn yellow over time. In this case, you can use vinegar to restore their original color. The substance is added directly to the water. Even when the washing machine is fully loaded, acid will help solve the problem.You will need one glass, or 200 ml of table vinegar.
For disinfecting laundry and washing machines
You can add vinegar to water for disinfection purposes. The acid contained in this substance is known to kill body lice and head lice. Dust mites and bed bugs.
You can use acid like this: dilute it with water and add it to the detergent compartment instead of washing powder. Next, you need to set the washing machine to rinse mode. After this, the laundry becomes clean and smells pleasant, the ingrained smell of sweat completely disappears and all bacteria die. You can even use this method when washing clothes for newborns.
As a stain remover
For processing the “insides” of a washing machine
Drum descaling products can be purchased at any household chemical store. However, industrially produced drugs are expensive and can be toxic. Vinegar can be successfully used instead. Five glasses of the substance must be poured into the compartment for the main detergent. Next, the machine switches on to normal washing mode, but there is no need to load laundry into it; let the drum spin “idle”. At the end of the cycle, all scale will successfully dissolve and go away along with the drained water.This method can be used even in the most difficult cases, when the washing machine has not been cleaned for several years.
Comprehensive care
For scale prevention with the washing machine and to improve the quality of washing, you can periodically mix a small amount of vinegar with the main detergent. In this case, the substance will simultaneously perform several functions: conditioner, stain remover, bleach and disinfectant.
Such comprehensive care can significantly extend the life of the washing machine and reduce the amount of electricity consumed by the device (since a machine contaminated with scale consumes much more electricity than a device with a clean drum).
The interaction of vinegar with soda
The two substances are diluted in a 1:1 ratio. This solution is effective in cases where the machine has a lot of scale and there is a pronounced unpleasant odor coming from the drum. Next you need:
- The mixture is added to the loading hopper;
- The longest washing mode is set;
- The highest temperature is selected;
- The washing machine turns on without any laundry in the rinse mode. During operation, the “insides” of the machine are cleaned of acid and scale.
After this, you need to carefully remove the drain filter and rinse it thoroughly to remove any remaining dirt. Next, the drum, machine hatch glass and rubber band are wiped several times with a microfiber cloth.
If it is difficult to get to distant areas of the rubber cuff, you can clean them with a toothbrush soaked in the solution. When cleaning is finished, wipe all parts dry with a soft cloth. You can use this cleaning method quite often, since baking soda and vinegar do not have a harmful effect on metal and plastic. Ideally, it is recommended to carry out treatment at the end of each washing machine cycle.
In order for washing to be effective, it is definitely worth using vinegar. However, if this substance is not at hand, it can be successfully replaced citric acid. Perhaps outwardly the effect will not be so noticeable, but the acid will successfully kill all microbes and corrode the rust on the metal parts of the machine. Each housewife decides for herself which substance to choose.
