Using White Vinegar to Wash Clothes: What a Great Idea!

White vinegar helps intensify colors and keep clothes white. And we don't need to worry about the smell, given that it goes away.
Using White Vinegar to Wash Clothes: What a Great Idea!
Valeria Sabater

Written and verified by psychologist Valeria Sabater.

Last update: 27 May, 2022

We’re sure you have white vinegar in your house. If that’s true, you should know that you have a marvelous ally on your side when it comes to washing clothes. You’ll also be able to save a lot of grocery shopping money!

By using natural cleaning products, not only do we spend less money on softeners and detergents, but we also contribute to maintaining a more ecological household that respects the planet.

White vinegar is basically vinegar distilled from pure sugar cane, corn, or malt alcohol. You’ll be happy to know that it has many more uses than just adding flavor to our salads.

The process through which it’s made makes it very useful for household cleaning as well as facial lotions. It’s a strong cleanser that doesn’t damage the epidermis and helps eliminates any bacteria or toxic elements.

On certain occasions, nature has fabulous remedies to our most common problems that are within our reach. Below are some good examples we’d like to share with you.

Take note how white vinegar can help you when it comes to washing your clothes.

White vinegar may help recover the color of your clothes

Whiten towels.

Although it may seem incredible, white vinegar doesn’t damage colors. It may even actually help intensify tones that are faded by using detergents.

To achieve this, you just need to fill the softener compartment in your washing machine with a little white vinegar.

Don’t be afraid that your clothes will smell bad. Generally speaking, the wash cycle and the detergent itself will make sure that no trace of white vinegar’s characteristic smell is left behind.

Discover: 5 Home Remedies to Achieve Much Softer Towels

White vinegar can replace your softener

Using softeners may damage your clothes as well as your washing machine. If you look closely, softeners tend to stretch out the elastic in clothes.

At the same time, it’s yet another contaminant that has a major impact on the environment. What if we made a change by using white vinegar instead of softener?

  • To do this, you only need to follow the procedure stated above. Add white vinegar to the compartment where you usually put softener.
  • The quantity will depend on how much clothes you’re washing.

Avoid clothing lint

Certainly it’s happened to you. You bought a sweater or a beautiful set of pajamas and, after a few washes, it started to develop lint.

To avoid this, don’t think twice: a little white vinegar may help the fabric of your clothing last much longer in better condition.

To do this, when your washing machine is already on the last rinse cycle, add half a cup of white vinegar (100 ml).

Clothes that smell bad or “musty”

Clean clothes.

The clothes that we take out of the closet from the previous season always have the classic “closet” or musty smell that’s so hard to get rid of.

Something that also commonly happens is forgetting clothes in the washer overnight. The next day, they smell horrible.

  • To help eliminate these uncomfortable smells and make sure that your clothes smell fresh and clean, you can resort to this product.

Once again, you only need to add it in the softener compartment during your washes.

Remove sweat stains

Delicate, white clothing is often left with bothersome sweat marks. To eliminate them, we often turn to aggressive products that wear out fabric over time.

However, you can also:

  • Apply a teaspoon of white vinegar (100 ml) diluted in a glass of water (200 ml) in the armpit of the article of clothing.
  • Rub for a few seconds and then leave on for 10 minutes.
  • Wash the article immediately after as normal in your washing machine.

White vinegar for lengthening the life of your washing machine

Dirty washing machine.

This tip is well-known. Running a wash cycle with only water and white vinegar once a month may help prolong the life of your washing machine.

To keep the rubber in the washing machine in good condition and remove the left behind detergent or mold, a wet rag with white vinegar may help.

The regular use of this product may help us avoid bad smells and, above all, lengthen the life of these appliances.

Don’t think twice about achieving a cleanliness that’s much more environmentally friendly with white vinegar.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.