Does it also happen to you that freshly washed laundry, despite the use of scented washing powder and fabric softener, does not smell, but has an unpleasant smell. Why is this so? A lot of detergent, fabric softener and dirt build up in the washing machine. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the washing machine is also cleaned from time to time. Baking soda and vinegar can solve these problems, but they should not be mixed together.
Why should you use vinegar and baking soda in the laundry?
Adding baking soda or vinegar to your laundry can help clean your washing machine and clothes better. It's an effective and inexpensive way to help remove moldy odors, soften laundry, and even brighten white laundry. Since these are natural ingredients, it means that they are also safe for the environment.
Washing clothes with baking soda and vinegar
The odors that our clothes and bedding pick up after use are caused by bacteria. These bacteria are removed during washing when the washing powder molecules break up the bacterial cells on the surface of the fabrics.
bicarbonate of soda helps regulate the pH value in the washing machine water. Its effect prevents the water from being too hard or too alkaline. By adding half a cup of baking soda to one load of laundry, the detergent can work more effectively and remove bacteria from clothes better.
Adding vinegar to laundry it also has some powerful cleaning properties as it is a mild acid that helps break down mineral deposits from hard water. It is also effective in breaking down and releasing dirt, grease, and bad odors.
Baking soda and vinegar in laundry are powerful additives, but they are not substitutes for detergent. If you want to actually remove dirt and stains, you'll also need the strength of a detergent to wash your clothes.
Baking soda also helps brighten faded clothes, while acetic acid does in vinegar strong enough to dissolve residue soap and detergent, making clothes softer – but don't worry, it's still mild enough to not damage your fabrics.
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Karolina Grabowska/ Pexels
Benefits of using baking soda or vinegar in the washing machine
- It disinfects
- Removes unpleasant odors
- Dissolves detergent residues
- Cleans clothes
- Clean washing machine
- Brightens clothes
- Softens clothes
How to use baking soda in a washing machine
Give before washing clothes into the drum one cup of baking soda. Then add your favorite detergent and wash as usual.
As much as you want clean the washing machine add a cup of baking soda to the drum and then run the machine on the highest temperature program. For extra cleaning power, you can apply some baking soda to a sponge or microfiber cloth and clean the inside of the drum before starting the wash.
How to use vinegar in the washing machine
When doing laundry add one cup of distilled white vinegar to the fabric softener compartment and run the desired program. For even better results, add vinegar to the rinse cycle.
To clean the washing machine you can use baking soda or vinegar, but not both at the same time, as the vinegar and baking soda neutralize each other, negating the benefits of low and high pH. First, add a cup of baking soda directly to the drum and run the hottest and longest cycle of the washing machine. After washing, add vinegar to the detergent or fabric softener compartment and restart the washing machine on the warmest cycle.
