Any green cleaning enthusiast will tell you that vinegar is a powerful multi-functional cleaning agent because of its chemical composition.
Vinegar can remove stains, brighten clothes, deodorize, degrease, and many more. It is a staple in many homes as a constant laundry additive.
When we speak of vinegar as a cleaning agent, we mean white vinegar; fruit vinegar contains natural colorings that will create new stains.
White vinegar offers your clothes many benefits, but you should follow the correct procedure to prevent damage.
Best Ways to Soak Clothes in White Vinegar
When you soak your clothes in white vinegar, they smell fresher.
White vinegar has many cleaning functions; cleaning clothes, surfaces, appliances, etc. However, not every method involves soaking; you can spray clothes and surfaces or add white vinegar to the rinse cycle when washing clothes.
Here are five ways to soak your clothes in white vinegar.
1. Use White Vinegar to Remove Stains from Clothes
White vinegar can remove a myriad of stains. Most stain removal techniques involve spot cleaning, but with tougher stains, you can soak the clothes for a while.
White vinegar will loosen the stains from the clothes fabric, making it easy to remove when washing.
Procedure:
- Separate your clothes by color and fabric type. Check the care label to see if the clothes support soaking and the correct water temperature.
- Get a sizable bowl, bucket, sink, bathtub, etc., that can contain the clothes you want to soak.
- Pour one cup of white vinegar into one gallon or five liters of water.
- After filling the container with the desired amount of water and vinegar, submerge the clothes.
- Let the clothes soak in the solution for an hour.
- Check the clothes for any hidden stains. If you see any, gently scrub the area.
- Put the clothes back to soak for another 15 minutes.
- Rinse the clothes with cold water.
- Place the clothes in the washer for a wash cycle.
2. Brighten your Clothes with White Vinegar
Over time, clothes lose color and luster due to wear and tear, frequent usage and washing, dust particles and detergent residue that will not leave.
The acid in white vinegar can neutralize the alkaline residue stains and remove them from the clothes, allowing the clothes to regain their brightness.
This treatment can work on white and colored clothes but ensure to separate them to avoid color bleeding and transfer.
Procedure:
- Separate your clothes by color and fabric type. Check the care label to see if the clothes support soaking and the correct water temperature.
- Fill a large pot with water and boil it.
- Get a sizable bowl, bucket, sink, bathtub, etc., that can contain the clothes you want to soak.
- Pour the boiling water into the preferred container.
- Pour two cups of white vinegar into the hot water and use a clean stick to stir.
- Place the clothes into the hot solution, ensuring the water covers them.
- Leave the clothes to soak overnight.
- Afterward, rinse the clothes with cold water and place them in the washer.
- To boost the brightening of your white clothes, add ½ a cup of lemon juice or a ¼ cup of borax.
3. Soak Clothes in White Vinegar for Deep Cleaning
White vinegar is suitable for deep cleaning your clothes when you require a thorough cleanse.
Those old clothes at the back of your closet that desperately need cleansing, stripping, deodorizing, freshening, etc., will feel the love from a vinegar soak session.
People who sweat or exercise excessively know that their clothes need extra TLC occasionally, but they do not want to damage or fade their clothes. White vinegar will dissolve sweat stains from clothes without causing damage.
Procedure:
- Separate your clothes by color and fabric type. Check the care label to see if the clothes support soaking and the correct water temperature.
- Get a sizable bowl, bucket, sink, bathtub, etc., that can contain the clothes you want to soak.
- Pour one part of white vinegar and four parts of water into the container.
- Submerge the clothes into the solution and soak for 45 minutes.
- Afterward, rinse the clothes and place them in the washer.
Treat New Clothes
Clothes manufacturers apply certain chemicals to them for better finishes. Chemicals like dyes, water repellents, softeners, etc., help get the clothes in the condition for purchase.
However, some people might be sensitive to these chemicals, especially people with sensitive skin.
It is advisable to soak your new clothes in white vinegar for an hour to remove these chemicals.
4. Soak your Denim and Dark Clothes in White Vinegar to Keep them from Fading
Dark Clothes
Dark clothes have gloss and luster that make them appealing when new. However, they lose color over time, fading during subsequent washings.
The ability white vinegar has to remove detergent residue from clothes comes into play when you’re trying to prevent dark clothes from fading.
Usually, you will add one cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle when washing your dark clothes to remove the detergent residue before drying them. But for severe cases, you can soak the clothes in a bowl of diluted white vinegar to revive the color.
Denim
Denim tends to bleed color like no other fabric during the wash, so you should always separate them from other clothes.
A simple solution to the color bleeding problem can be to soak new denim in a vinegar wash.
Vinegar Wash Procedure:
- Separate your clothes by color and fabric type. Check the care label to see if the clothes support soaking and the correct water temperature.
- Pour one cup of vinegar into a bowl of cold water.
- Submerge the clothes into the solution and let them soak for an hour.
- Afterward, wring the clothes and air-dry them away from direct sunlight.
5. Soften Clothes with White Vinegar
Another consequence of frequent usage and washing is the loss of the clothing’s signature softness. Items like towels, sweaters, bathrobes, and blankets are famous for their cozy softness, and users want them constantly.
Unfortunately, these items fall victim to detergents or bad laundry practices, and they feel starchy, which is not a feeling you want in your towels and blankets.
White vinegar is also suitable in this instance. As part of its multi-functionality, white vinegar is a fabric softener that doesn’t contain fragrance and dyes that affect some people and doesn’t leave behind residue. It will strip the items of the detergent residue that coats their fibers and soften them for a better feel.
You can incorporate white vinegar in your usual wash process by adding one cup to the rinse cycle in place of fabric softeners.
Procedure:
- Separate your clothes by color and fabric type. Check the care label to see if the clothes support soaking and the correct water temperature.
- Pour one part of white vinegar and four parts of water into a sizable bowl or bucket.
- Submerge the clothes into the solution and soak for 30 minutes.
- Afterward, rinse the clothes and place them in the washer.
Things to Note When Using White Vinegar
- Never pour vinegar on clothes without diluting it with water. The dilution is a preventative tactic because it might be too harsh for some fabrics.
- Do not swap it for another type of vinegar. Some have coloring, and others have a higher concentration of acid.
- Stick to the minimum amount of white vinegar recommended for each laundry load.