Vinegar - 1001 uses!

ashmit

Lydia and Gingham, you were saying?!? :eek:

I've heard of vinegar being used as a final rinse for hair before - prob wouldn't really work as a conditioner, but seems to be useful. I have tried it but by the time I'd rinsed enough to stop me smelling like a chippy I think any benefit would have been lost. If anyone has any tips, why not share them here?

Ember999

Gingham_Ribbon wrote:

Ember, yes that's how you use it. The benefit is (apart from the cost) that your clothes will be softer without a layer of chemicals clogging the fibres in your clothes. It makes them more breathable so they keep fresh for longer in my opinion. To me it's a bit like the difference between using an antiperspirant and a deoderant. (The conditioner being the deoderant that doesn't stop the smell coming but tries to mask it!)

From what I can work out, and so,eome please correct me if I'm wrong, if you use too much washing powder (and by too much I generally mean as much as the manufacturer tells you to) the powder doesn't wash off completely. So you need a fabric softener to stop your clothes ending up hard from the excess powder. It adds a fragrance too but it does just put layers of stuff on your clothes. One from the excess powder, and one to counteract the affect of the powder, by covering it up and making it all smell nicey!

I use about half the recommended amount of washing powder, which is enough except in the dirtiest loads. (I cut down gradually until I felt that it wasn't quite as clean, then increased it slightly.) I use a small amount of vinegar which does make the clothes nice and soft but not chemically soft like conditioner; there's no film on it. It doesn't smell like vinegar except maybe for a second after the washing machine door is opened. Then the clothes just smell clean from the washing powder. They don't have a strong fragrance of anything really. I suppose you could put lavender or something in the tray with the vinegar? Or put an essential oil in your ironing water if you iron things? I've never felt the need but I was never a fan of the smell of fabric softeners in the first place.

Sorry I rambled here!

Thanks for your explanation Gingham I'm going to try it on my hubbys work clothes later today. I'll let you know how it gets on...I'm looking forward to becoming more 'old style'

Gingham_Ribbon

Careful, Ember. It's pretty addictive!

Good luck with the wash load.

Liney_2

Does anyone know where you can buy BIG bottles of white vinegar. I have only seen the small Sarsons bottles around - thanks

mariejader

I have read this thread with interest, I use vinegar to de-scale the lime scale from my kettle! maybe it will also help with the washing machine.

Do you all use white vinegar? as I use the brown in my kettle

Gingham_Ribbon

From previous threads, I don't think anyone has had any problems with the brown stuff, but it smells a bit stronger so I don't think I'd use it on my clothes. I think it's as good at cleaning grease etc though. But I haven't used it myself, except on my mum's tiles round her cooker. Worked a treat too.

I don't know where to get big bottles of it though. I'm waiting for the day that you can buy it in the cleaning isles in shops!

SnowyOwl_2

I've been using the brown vinegar in most of my washes - I happened to try it when I'd run out of white and had a bottle of brown in the cupboard. It has never stained anything - it gets quite diluted when it is washed out of the conditioner drawer. If you're doubtful then perhaps stick to white vinegar for washing which is white but chuck in some brown for anything else if brown is all you've got in.

diamondsky

Hi,

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

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!!!

Liney_2

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?

onthegin

I've seen vinegar mentioned as used as an alternative to laundry bleach in other places on the web but use it myself as a softener using a quarter of the amount that the big fabric conditioner bottle tops will hold. There is no vinegar smell after washing. I also told my 16 year old son to start using it in place of hair conditioner during his 'rinse' cycle on the grounds that dandruff has a bacterial source and 5% acetic acid might have some effect in alleviating this and even I was surprised at it's efficacy. Now he washes his hair by grabbing a handful of bicarbonate of soda and rubbing it in well to his damp hair, this to get rid of grease, rinses that out then goes for the vinegar bottle which is an old washing-up liquid bottle. Then it's a good rinse to make sure he doesn't smell like a bag of chips. I'm impressed by the fact that the kid I couldn't get near a bar of soap for so many years now spends so much time in the shower. (Or is he getting interested in girls! Now I'm off to contemplate the possible loss of my little boy!!)