Ditch fabric softener for common pantry item that makes clothes 'soft and fresh'
A cleaning enthusiast has hailed a pantry staple for leaving her laundry feeling soft and smelling wonderful, all while giving commercial cleaners with their harsh chemicals the boot.
Carolina McCauley let her social media followers in on her secret ingredient, which many will already have in their kitchen cupboards.
Carolina has pointed out that using off-the-shelf fabric softeners can lead to residue accumulation inside your washing machine, which could end up spoiling your garb.
However, by swapping it out for this everyday household staple, you're able to get snug, soft togs minus the unfriendly additives.
In a fresh TikTok tutorial, she disclosed that she opts against ordinary fabric softeners when it comes to cleaning her clothes, opting instead for white vinegar to achieve that desired snuggly touch from her laundry.
When it's laundry time, Carolina goes for white vinegar rather than the usual fabric softeners to keep her delicate pieces out of harm's way. Simply carry out your regular wash routine but swap out your fabric softener for a mere half cup of white vinegar, reports the Mirror.
The cleaning aficionado is confident that your clothes will come out "soft and fresh" post-wash.
White vinegar is touted as a natural fabric softener because it excels at dissolving residual detergent, mineral deposits, or 'body soil' such as sweat, body oils, and dead skin cells, which can otherwise make fabric feel rough and inflexible.
By mixing vinegar into the washing machine's dispenser, it addresses all the issues that can make clothes uncomfortable to wear.
Using vinegar in your laundry can do wonders, making whites brighter and eliminating those stubborn mildew smells along with intense sweat or other odours.
It's also great at preventing pet hair and lint from sticking to your clothes. However, a word of caution – too much vinegar can cause chaos for both your washing machine and garments; overuse or incorrect use may harm fabrics or lead to corrosion.
Indeed, frequent douses of vinegar could damage the rubber parts and seals of your faithful washing machine.
Jennifer Kaminshi, from Affresh appliance care, warned Better Homes and Gardens: "White vinegar is an acid that can break down the rubber gaskets and hoses in your washing machine, leading to costly damage."
The home advice experts at Better Homes and Gardens have also offered their advice, recommending reining in vinegar use particularly when washing different colours together. They've given a particularly strict caution against mixing vinegar with any kind of chlorine bleach.
These substances combined create harmful fumes that are anything but fun at a party. Plus, stretchy materials don't take kindly to white vinegar - its acidic nature can destroy the elasticity in your fitness gear, leaving your stretchable attire disappointingly loose.
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