White Vinegar in Laundry: 12 Ways Grandma Used It
If there was one thing I could keep in my laundry room other than detergent, it would be white vinegar. It's only about $3 per gallon, it can replace at least four different specialty products, and grandmas were using it long before 'laundry boosters' were a thing.
Once you see what this jug does, you'll understand why my mother-in-law keeps it on the shelf right by the washer.
Here's the short version: Adding half a cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle (in the fabric softener compartment) softens fabric, removes odors, brightens colors, and helps fight static – plus it won't leave your clothes smelling like vinegar since the smell fully rinses out as the clothes dry.
First: the vinegar rules
Vinegar should be white distilled vinegar with 5% acidity. Do not use apple cider vinegar as it will stain. Do not use vinegar with bleach, as the two will react and release toxic gas. Half a cup should be effective per load. Pour it in the fabric softener dispenser so it releases it during the rinse cycle.
12 ways to use white vinegar in the laundry
1. Replace fabric softener
Vinegar breaks down the detergent residue that causes fabrics to be stiff — meaning it softens without coating the fibers in wax like commercial softeners do. Towels remain absorbent instead of becoming water-repelling and getting that slickness.
2. Strip musty towels
It can be helpful to wash towels once by themselves on the hottest setting with one cup of vinegar and no detergent. This can help strip years worth of residue from the fabric, returning to the towels the absorbency they had when they were new.
3. Brighten whites
To make your whites look new again, add half a cup to the rinse cycle of the wash. The mild acid will dissolve the detergent film that makes whites look gray and dingy.
4. Kill sweat smell in activewear
Even after you wash them, synthetic workout fabrics retain a smell that is hard to get rid of. A good way to help this is to do a pre-soak using 1 part vinegar to 4 parts cold water and soak them for 30 minutes. After the soak, you can do a normal wash.
5. Cut static cling
Using half a cup in the rinse cycle helps reduce static to the point where most loads won't need dryer sheets at all.
6. Rescue mildewed laundry
If you left a wet load in the washing machine overnight, you will want to rewash it hot and add 1 full cup of vinegar to the washer before you put it in the dryer.
7. Fade-proof dark jeans
For your first few washes, turn new dark denim inside out and wash it with half a cup of vinegar to help remove the loose dye that contributes to rapid fading.
8. Reduce lint and pet hair
Adding vinegar to your rinse cycle makes the fabric relax, allowing lint and hair to release during washing and drying instead of sticking to your black leggings.
9. Pre-treat deodorant marks
Apply undiluted vinegar on the white marks and underarm stiffness on shirts, let it sit for ten minutes, and wash as you normally would.
10. Soften stiff line-dried clothes
If you line dry your towels, adding vinegar to the rinse cycle will make your towels softer instead of crunchy.
11. Freshen baby clothes safely
Vinegar rinses are a great alternative to scented softeners because they do not leave any perfume or residue, which can irritate sensitive skin. They also help to remove old formula and milk smells from hand-me-downs.
12. Clean the washing machine itself
The same jug also services the machine that does all this work — once a month, an empty hot cycle with two cups of vinegar keeps the drum fresh. Full walkthrough here: how to clean a washing machine, front and top load.
Will my clothes smell like vinegar?
No, and this is the question everyone wants to know. The smell rinses out during the last spin cycle and disappears completely while the load is drying. If you can still smell it, you absolutely used more than half a cup.
When vinegar is the wrong tool
Vinegar won't work on clothing grease stains — grease requires a degreaser, and the best one is under your kitchen sink. Here's how to remove grease stains, even set-in ones. Also, skip vinegar on silk and acetate, as they are not fans of acid.
Frequently asked questions
Will vinegar damage my washing machine?
It's fine to put half a cup in the dispenser for each load. Caution stories come from soaking rubber parts in vinegar that's undiluted – normal rinse uses wouldn't do that.
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead?
Negative, tannins may mark light materials. Only white distilled.
Does vinegar disinfect laundry?
It does kill certain bacteria that cause odors, but it is not an actual disinfectant. For loads of sickness, use hot water and a good laundry sanitizer.
