Vinegar.
When I get new towels, here is what I do after I get them home from the store. I add about 1 cup of vinegar to the wash cycle. No need to measure, just pour. I do this for the first couple times I wash them. This allows the towels to absorb water better. If you have colored towels, vinegar also helps to set the color.
I also use vinegar as a fabric softener. Don’t worry about the smell of vinegar in your laundry. The smell is gone after the clothes are washed. If you still smell vinegar, just give your clothes or towels an extra rinse. Much cheaper than store bought fabric softener!
If you have stinky washcloths or dishcloths, try adding vinegar to the wash cycle to get rid of the smell. If that doesn’t work, try soaking the cloths in a solution of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water for an hour and then throw them in the washing machine. Vinegar has natural antibacterial properties which gets rid of that yucky smell!
Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
As Always,
Sandra
Simple is Pretty Parties Here…
I do vinegar in the rinse cycle with a few drops of essential oil in lavender or something like that. It replaces fabric softener and makes them smell great too!
ReplyDeleteSo do I! So much cheaper and not all the chemicals :)
DeleteThanks Shauna for sharing.
I haven't used vinegar as a fabric softener (YET), but I use it at least once a month to clean my front loader washer and then use it to wash the towels, etc. It seems to be worse with front load washers because of the big rubber gasket, but towels do get that moldy smell after a few washings, so I just use vinegar. I'm thinking I will just start using the vinegar every time I wash towels.
ReplyDeleteI also use vinegar to clean my coffee maker, but y'all probably already know that. Here's another use for vinegar: when I have a slow-moving drain, I dump in some baking soda and add some vinegar. It bubbles and cleans away any clogs.
Thanks Carol. I agree front loaders are worse to clean and can also stink up the whole house if they aren't cleaned regularly-- I know from experience ;) Vinegar is inexpensive so I find it great for every load of laundry- especially as a softener. Also try using Shauna's tip from above and use a few drops of essential oil (I also use lavender) in the vinegar when using it as a softener.
DeleteI just cleaned my coffee maker on the weekend, I have a Keurig, and I also used vinegar, and it works well. Thanks for the tip for slow moving drains-- I'll give that a try!
Sandra