Vinegar - 1001 uses!

kscour

diamondsky wrote:

Hi,

I still don't understand why my blacks have faded so much, oh well..

Are you drying them outside? - I always turn mine inside out as you'll be surprised how much the sun bleaches them.

diamondsky

Hi,

When the weather is good I dry outside but have them the right way. Maybe this is why they've lightened.

kscour

Liney wrote:

Well I tried 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in my wash load last night (1st time user - yay!). When I removed the clothes they didn't feel any different to me than if I hadn't used any softener. Do you think I should increase the amount?

I mix mine up 50/50 with water in an old ecover fabric condition bottle and then add a couple of drops of lavender oil. I use the same amount as I would of with the ecover conditioner so in short you're probably using more than me!

It did take a little while to make a difference and I'm sure it has made things easier to iron. Have you tried cutting back slightly on your washing powder/liquid?

kscour

diamondsky wrote:

Hi,

When the weather is good I dry outside but have them the right way. Maybe this is why they've lightened.

I found it bleaches the kids uniform - royal blue - really badly. In fact it was only when I was trying to work out how they faded so badly and realized that the colour was alot darker on the inside of the sweatshirts that the penny dropped! Their new sweatshirts I've hung out inside out and there is next to no fading.

Also remember to hang v-necks with the "v" bit away from the sun or you eventually end up with a lighter patch when you turn it the right way round again!

diamondsky

HI,

You mentioned you add lavender to your rinse solution, can you smell this on your clothes? My partner likes the smell of lavender.

kscour

Very slightly - but I don't put much in
Since switching to vinegar I've found the clothes smell "fresh" there doesn't seem to be a particular smell at all "fresh" just seems to describe it. With the lavender you can just vaguely smell it in with the nice clean fresh smell. It is nice though!
I did find a bottle of "normal" conditioner the other week and being frugal decided to use it up. I did one wash of OH's clothes and threw the conditioner in the bin as the smell seemed really overpowering - if it had been raining the clothes would still have been on the line because of the smell! :eek: I think perhaps we get used to smells and then ignore them. Strangely enough he didn't realise I had switched conditioners and when he started wearing those clothes he complained that they were "scratchy" and they all ended up straight back in the wash - especially his underpants!

black-saturn

I really love the smell of fabric conditioner. I think I'm addicted to it. I couldnt substitute it for vinegar but I do substitute the washing powder for Bicarb.

Savvy_Sue

diamondsky wrote:

I buy my white vinegar from a Chinese supermarket in a large container for a couple of pounds. It really is a bargain. I must have saved a fortune, I used to buy conditioner every week!!!

Crikey, how much were you putting in? There are 5-6 of us in the house and a big bottle lasts at least a month! Mind you I'm probably a bit mean with it!

A warning for those who like their clothes to smell: I once had to line manage a team member that no-one wanted to sit near! Many, many complaints, so many that I had to involve Personnel who referred her to the company doctor. Eventually, after someone said that at least part of the smell seemed to be the smell of really nasty fabric conditioner, the problem started to improve. She changed her detergent and fabric conditioner!

catherineblack

I also thought this thread was about vinegar for using as hair conditioner! I've used vinegar on my hair lots. My mum showed me this tip when I was little. One part vinegar to around 6 or 7 parts water in a jug, pour over hair as a final rinse. Your hair will be very shiny and smooth! It doesn't moisturise the hair but makes it soft and shiny. I've never thought it smelt bad - in fact never noticed a vinegary smell on my hair.

black-saturn

catherineblack wrote:

I also thought this thread was about vinegar for using as hair conditioner!

Its also very good for killing headlice.