White vinegar is an omnipresent ingredient in grandmother's recipes. Not only is it used in cooking, but also to restore shine to white clothes.
Bonsoirs gives you some tips for maintaining your laundry using this natural ingredient.
5 good reasons to soak your laundry in white vinegar
Soaking your laundry in white vinegar can have several benefits. We also advise you to do this regularly.
An effective bactericide
If you want to eliminate bacteria present on your laundry without using chemicals, there is only one word of advice: white vinegar. This can also be combined with baking soda.
This mixture kills almost all germs that get stuck on clothes, sheets or even cotton towels.
In addition, they are natural and hypoallergenic ingredients. Thus, for the most fragile and atopic subjects, white vinegar is the perfect alternative to bleach. It poses no danger, not even to infants. So you have nothing to fear.
Use white vinegar to restore shine to clothes
Do you keep wearing your favorite shirt so much that it starts to lose its color? Don't worry, white vinegar is here to save the day. It allows the colors to be fixed on the clothes to prevent them from fading.
The ideal is to initially wash them with white vinegar or leave them soaked in a basin overnight before carrying out the usual washing. You will see, their longevity will be much greater.
As for black clothes, white vinegar helps eliminate excess limescale which could make them dull and grayish. For white textiles, this natural product has a double effect: it eliminates stubborn stains, while restoring shine to the fabric.
So, if you want to revive your shirts that tend to yellow over time (especially in the armpits), white vinegar is the perfect solution. In addition, it is not corrosive and does not weaken clothing items. You can use it as much as you want without any problem.
If you don't have time to do manual washing, you can add a dose of this ingredient to your washing machine to fix the color of clothes during washing.
Deodorize laundry with white vinegar
It is sometimes difficult to get rid of bad odors from clothes. They remain encrusted in textiles despite numerous machine washes.
The effectiveness of white vinegar is simply astonishing, even on underwear. It works in two different ways. First, it eliminates bacteria and parasites which are the cause of many odors (such as sweat) and maceration which results from fungal proliferation.
Then, it helps fight against humidity and mold which also do not smell good.
So, in addition to bringing clothes back to life and disinfecting them, white vinegar also neutralizes any bad odor, whatever its origin. You can then perfume your laundry as you wish.
Many people fear white vinegar, thinking that its smell might linger on fabric after use. This is not the case, the latter disappears after a simple rinse with water.
White vinegar to fight stubborn stains
Vinegar is known as the perfect trick to get rid of different stains on clothes. You simply need to know the acidity index to know which vinegar to use for which laundry.
Indeed, there are different types, each with a different name: crystal vinegar, spirit vinegar, household vinegar, etc. The percentage of acetic acid varies between 4 and 15%.
For simple stains (caused by ice cream or mud, for example), we recommend a small percentage. For the most stubborn dirt (grease, pen ink, etc.), you have to aim a little higher.
However, there is no fixed rule. Since vinegar is not abrasive, you can use any vinegar to combat unsightly stains.
If using this ingredient alone is not enough, consider adding a little baking soda to increase its effectiveness.
White vinegar to soften clothes
Some materials are quite difficult to maintain. Simply set the temperature a little too high and your laundry will come out wrinkled and rough.
Fortunately, there is an easy, quick and economical solution which is to use white vinegar when washing. We advise you to use it alone or in combination with other natural products, such as essential oils which provide a delicious scent. Baking soda and Marseille soap also restore shine to your clothes.
All of these ingredients can be used in machine washes. If it is a fairly thick product, we recommend pouring it directly into the drum.
How much white vinegar for laundry?
There is no strict dosage to follow and the quantity of white vinegar depends on several parameters.
If you want to soften your laundry, disinfect it or restore its shine, we advise you to pour 1/3 white vinegar to 2/3 water. This dose is very economical. So you won't have to clutter your laundry room with bottles of vinegar.
As for fixing the colors, you have to go a little more slowly (about 1/4 vinegar to 3/4 water). Do not boil the water so as not to denature the ingredient.
If you want to get rid of a stubborn stain, it is better to use alcohol vinegar.
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