Using vinegar in your washing machine can cause serious damage. Vinegar is acidic and can corrode the internal parts. It can also dissolve the protective coating on many materials, including the rubber seals and gaskets found inside the washer.
Can using too much vinegar ruin your washer? Using too much vinegar or the wrong type can actually harm the rubber seals in your washer, so it's important to make sure you only use white vinegar and do so in moderation.
As a general rule, wherever you find rubber, keep the vinegar away. The vinegar's acid can eat away at rubber just as it does natural stone. Soap and water or a solution of soap and baking soda are the best grime busters for rubber parts.
To use vinegar as a fabric softener and static reducer: Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse cycle of your washing machine. If you are washing blankets and comforters, add two cups of vinegar to the final rinse.
Like all machines, a well maintained and clean one is more efficient and extends its life, saving you money and the planets resources. If you don't have time for a deep clean, a quick tip is to simply pour in some white vinegar through the detergent drawer and put on the hottest wash you can.
Although vinegar and baking soda shouldn't be harmful to your washing machine if used in moderate amounts, extreme use can impact some of the coatings on the drive shaft components, which are the parts responsible for switching cycles from agitate to spin.
Rinsing is not necessary! If you're simply using a vinegar and water solution to wipe and disinfect, you won't need to rinse. However, if there's also plenty of dirt and grime you're wiping away, you may also want to rinse with some extra water.
Now, don't confuse distilled with basic white vinegar, which is stronger and has up to 25% acetic acid. That vinegar is sold exclusively for cleaning purposes and is not a good idea to ingest. However, beyond cooking, distilled white vinegar can be used for many of the same household chores.
Simply add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser or to a fabric softener ball. The white vinegar will act as a fabric softener AND it will keep your washing machine smelling fresh and clean!
For softening your clothes, add the vinegar to your fabric softener dispenser. To fight mild odors, add it directly to the washing machine basin during the rinse cycle, or use it in place of regular detergent and add it again during the rinse cycle if you need to remove really strong odors.
For best results, add vinegar to the rinse cycle after the detergent has done its job in the wash cycle.
"We recommend cleaning your washing machine about once a month or about every 30 cycles to prevent buildup and soils," advises Martinez. "Without cleaning your washing machine, you may experience buildup of detergent or soils that cause clothing to smell," she adds.
Not everyone has vinegar on hand, or you just might not think vinegar is enough to sanitize a washer. In this instance, you can use bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or dishwasher tablets to clean out their washer.
White distilled vinegar is an acid with a pH of around 2 to 3. In comparison, sulfuric acid -- which destroys many substances it comes in contact with -- has a pH of around 1. So, be aware that vinegar can break down the rubber gaskets and hoses in your dishwasher, leading to costly damage.
Set your washing machine to the highest and hottest water setting. Add in four cups of white vinegar, and start a cycle. Once the washing machine is filled up and barely started, pause it and allow the water and white vinegar to soak the drum for an hour.
The best way to clean your machine is to use both bleach and vinegar – but NEVER together as they produce toxic fumes. Put the bleach in the drum first and the vinegar in the conditioner drawer after the bleach has been washed out. Make sure it is white vinegar and non-chlorinated bleach that you are using.
Can I use ARM & HAMMER™ Super Washing Soda in an HE washing machine? ARM & HAMMER™ Super Washing Soda is 100% sodium carbonate, so there should be no issues with adding it to an HE machine. However, it is suggested to start with 1/4 to 1/3 of the recommended dose because the HE machines use much less water.
Due to the high pH in baking soda, it can make certain dyes fade, particularly with natural fibers like wool, cashmere, and silk. For these fabrics, vinegar is a better option for a natural detergent booster.
The results will be exactly the same, however white vinegar is most definitely the more environmentally option (and it's more affordable too). Just remember to never mix the both bleach and vinegar together or even use them at the same time, as this can cause a dangerous reaction and release chlorine gas.
Vinegar and baking soda are the best grime-busting pairing for cleaning the washing machine. Most people already have these ingredients in their kitchen cupboard, so why not put them to good use? If you don't clean your washing machine, there's no way your clothes are properly clean and smelling fresh.