Adding 35p simple kitchen staple to your laundry has three 'powerful' benefits

27 February 2024 , 13:26

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There are three benefits to adding it into your laundry (stock image) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Vinegar isn't just good on chips - it's a wonder tool when it comes to household chores.

We all hope for crisp, white laundry to come out of our washing machines - and apparently adding the simple kitchen cupboard item to your wash can help you achieve this. White vinegar can be used for a whole host of household cleaning chores as well as cooking as it's non-toxic and safe to use. It's also a great tool to use when it comes to laundry. Due to it being high in acetic acid - a colourless compound - it's powerful enough to remove and dissolve dirt, grease and grime, as well as killing bacteria making it a laundry staple for helping stop colours fading and acting as a natural fabric softener.

According to Better Homes & Gardens, white vinegar has detergent boosting and fabric softner qualities as well as being an effective textile cleaner. It can be used as a detergent booster to help protect colours and "remove excess detergent residue" the experts explained.

So if you want to incorporate white vinegar into your laundry load, Better Homes & Gardens experts suggest washing towels and clothes with half the recommended detegrent amount and 1/2 to one cup of white vinegar. It can also be used as a softener and remove static - and doesn't include any of the harsh chemicals found in shop-bought fabric softeners. To use it as a softener, it's suggested to add a cup to the final wash or rinse water.

White vinegar is a much more natural and non-toxic substance to use, as many shop-bought products are made up from many different harsh chemicals. It is also a fraction of the price making it a much more cost effective way to do your laundry.

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Another use for white vinegar is to use it as a tool to remove stubborn mould, which can grow on windows when the cold air outside meets warm air inside and causes condensation. If that condensation isn't wiped away and treated it can lead to nasty mould growth, which can cause all sorts of unwanted health issues if not dealt with properly.

Thankfully Matan Korin, an expert at Ecoline Windows, has shared some easy ways to get rid pesky mould and stop it from coming back for good. The first trick Matan suggested was to use white vinegar. The expert advised to mix equal parts of white vinegar and water into a spray bottle and spray the area. The acidic properties make it a natural mould killer. You can buy white vinegar for 35p from Tesco.

Niamh Kirk