History have it that Vinegar seems to have an endless array of uses in the 
household, industries and even it uses in laundry con not be overemphasized.
With the use of white vinegar in laundry it helps to gradually reduces the traditional harsh chemical softeners during laundry activities. It was noted that long before now, People have been using vinegar in their laundry for decades to help soften, whiten, brighten, and reduce odors as a natural means of preparing the clothes.
Onething must be noted about Vinegar is that that it is eco-friendly and safe for the everyday environment which means that it is safe to use in households with septic tanks. It can even be used in high-efficiency washers if applied.
We continue to ask the question of “why use laundry over commercial fabric softener” and the likely answers might be the following.
With the use of Vinegar it helps us to avoid the use of Traditional fabric softeners which are loaded with chemicals, particularly fragrance, which acts as a major threat to our central nervous system and the environment at large.
Research have shown that the normal fragrance in most cleaners and household products is actually a mixture of several dozen to several hundred chemicals which is not really friendly to the body and the environment with none of the components of the chemicals disclosed because of the rules surrounding the umbrella term “fragrance” which might leady to low sales.
These chemicals reduce the quality of air inside the home, which we then breathe in day in, day out.
By contributing to indoor air pollution, these chemicals can exacerbate allergies and weaken lung function.
The worst thing about these chemicals is that they’re built to last. That’s why you can still smell the fragrance on clothes for weeks at a time.
But why use laundry over commercial fabric softener? There are a few reasons…
Why You Should Avoid Fabric Softener
Traditional fabric softeners are loaded with chemicals, particularly fragrance, which acts as a major threat to our central nervous system.
The fragrance in most cleaners and household products is actually a mixture of several dozen to several hundred chemicals. None of these chemicals have to be disclosed, because of the rules surrounding the umbrella term “fragrance”.
The following are some of the reason why we use Vinegar for Laundry.
– It act like a Natural Softener for clothes.
It must be known and also be noted that adding vinegar to your laundry cloth cycles will leave your clothes and towels feeling soft and fluffy again and also Vinegar leaves no residue on your fabrics, unlike many fabric softeners which have one or more disadvantages.
Based on usage it is advised that to soften your clothes, add 1/2-1 cup of vinegar to the softening dispenser or to the final rinse cycle during the cloth rinsing.
– With the Use of Vinegar it help to Brighten and Whiten Clothes.
If you are used to Vinegar you will know that Vinegar strong enough to dissolve any residues left by soaps and detergents during washing and at the same time being gentle enough to not destroy fabrics involved.Based on usage it is advised that by adding just half a cup of vinegar to the final rinse cycle or to the fabric softener dispenser will make your clothes brighter and whiter at all times.
– Vinegar reduces Cling and Lint.
With the use of Vinegar it will prevent lint and pet hair from sticking to your clothes and these is done by adding just 1/2 cup of vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser just before the last rinse cycle of the cloth after washing. The Vinegar will also help get rid of excessive lint that might occur if you accidentally wash dark fabrics with lint-producing towels as noted.
– Natural Deodorizer to Cloths.
It is a well known fact that the Vinegar is a great natural deodorizer. When you notice that your clothing smells like mildew or simply doesn’t smell the greatest, adding vinegar can help to destroy the bacteria that cause these smell on your cloth.
Based on usage adding 1/2-1 cups of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washing machine will be enough to get rid of unpleasant odors you noticed and for smells that are particularly strong, you can pre-soak the cloth in one cup of vinegar mixed with cold water for twenty minutes before washing them.
For smokers, to get rid of cigarette or cigar smoke odor, just add 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar to the wash cycle. You can also pre-soak the items to make more of a lasting effect on the cloth.
It must be noted that Vinegar can even be used to remove the smell of heavy smoke odors from small household fires like kitchen fires.Vinegar goes further to remove perspiration Odors and Stains let say if you find ou that your clothing has strong perspiration odors and yellow stains under the armpit area, you can fill a spray bottle with pure distilled white vinegar and spray it directly onto the problem area. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes before adding the garment to the washing machine and finally you will see that the stain is gone.
– Act as Hypoallergenic Alternative.
Based on fact it was observed that Vinegar is a great alternative to conventional fabric softeners that use harsh-chemicals in their formulations. It is user and earth-friendly, reduces allergies, and is perfect for individual with sensitive skin.
We are know that most people who have sensitive skin can’t use laundry detergents or fabric softeners because of the chemicals in them as they will leave them with an allergic rash called contact dermatitis.
With a lot of fabric softeners and laundry detergents which are also quite harmful to the environment and the body and if you’re looking to be more enviro-conscious, it would be wise to switch over to vinegar at all times.
– Vinegar helps to keep Dark Clothing Dark always
Let say practically if you have any soap or detergent residue on your black garments, you can just add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the final rinse cycle of your machine to help remove it. This should help bring out the darker hues and prevent your clothing from looking dull.
– Vinegar reduces the Static nature of dress.
By using Vinegar we where able to observe that it will not only soften your clothes, but it will help reduce some of the static as well. This means you can also skip the toxic dryer sheets that come with a host of negative health effects both to you and your cloths.
Practical ways of using it is that While washing your clothes, just add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the fabric softener compartment on the last rinse cycle of the cloth.
– Vinegar helps to kill Bacteria odor in cloths.
Because Vinegar naturally have these anti-bacterial factor so it can kill the odor-causing bacteria on your clothing and other fabrics when applied in good quantity. You must also note that If you have any odors that stick around even after a rinse with vinegar, try soaking them in a 1:1 mix of vinegar and water overnight. The acids in the vinegar will break away and eat at the bacteria, making your fabrics softer and smelling better the next day.
– Makes Cloths last longer.
It was noted that the traditional fabric softeners made with harsh chemicals will eat away at your fabrics over time, making them dull and lifeless but with the Vinegar on the other hand, is more gentle on cloth and doesn’t break down the threads as easily which means that you can extend the life of your clothing and towels simply by switching with vinegar.
– Vinegar prevent Bleeding of Colors.
Regular users of Vinegar know that the Vinegar helps to prevent the bleeding of colors by “catching colors” in the event that you have to wash colors together. It can actually avert the bleeding of colors onto other fabrics which might prevent spoiling other clothes.
Just add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle to help hold in colors instead of having them bleed out.
– It makes your Washing Machine cleaner and better smell.
Apart from it effect on clothes it must also be noted that if you want a cleaner and better-smelling washing machine, vinegar can help you achieve that when used regularly. The cool thing is, is that this effect will occur naturally when you use it in your laundry.
Finally we must note that a cleaner washing machine will reduce soap scum and mineral deposits that can build up in the lines and hoses of your washer.
Every couple of months you can do a main clean with vinegar by running a complete wash cycle with hot water and 2 cups vinegar to enable you achieve and make your washing machine better.
