How much vinegar to put in washing machine to get rid of smell?

Author: Olga Johnston  |  Last update: Sunday, January 25, 2026

You can also use vinegar to get rid of washer smell. Simply add 2 cups of distilled white vinegar into your washer's detergent dispenser and run a cycle on your machine's hottest setting and longest cycle.

Will vinegar get rid of washing machine smell?

To fix a smelly washing machine, run an empty load and add white vinegar to the machine, along with some baking powder. Once it's ran through, leave the door open so the machine can dry out. In the future, leaving the machine open when not on can help reduce mould and smell build up.

How much vinegar do I put in my washing machine for smelly clothes?

If you have smelly clothes, add 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar straight to the washer during the last rinse cycle. This will remove the smells from your clothes, without making them smell like vinegar. 1. Stop colors from fading. Pour 1/2 cup of white, distilled vinegar into a load of laundry to protect color from fading.

How do I get rid of the horrible smell in my washing machine?

Use Vinegar and Baking Soda: Pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the drum. Add 1 cup of baking soda directly into the drum. Run a hot water cycle (usually the clean cycle if your machine has one). Commercial Cleaners: Alternatively, you can use a washing machine cleaner designed to remove odors and residue.

Can I use vinegar and laundry detergent together?

Yes, you can mix white vinegar and laundry detergent. In fact, many people use white vinegar as a natural fabric softener and to help remove stubborn stains and odors from their laundry. To use white vinegar in your laundry, simply add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washing machine.

How to Add Vinegar to Laundry

Where to put vinegar in a washing machine?

Using vinegar in laundry is simple. You can add it to the fabric softener dispenser in your washing machine or pour it in during the final rinse cycle. When adding vinegar towards the end of the cycle, manually pause your machine right before the final rinse cycle and add a 1/2 cup of diluted white vinegar to the load.

Is distilled vinegar the same as white vinegar?

White vinegar, also known as distilled vinegar or spirit vinegar, is made by fermenting grain alcohol (ethanol) which then turns into acetic acid. Water is then added to the vinegar, so white vinegar is made of five to ten percent acetic acid and ninety to ninety-five percent water.

What can I put in my washing machine to stop it smelling?

Set the machine to a hot cycle and add a cup of bicarbonate of soda & vinegar to the drum. The mixture will help clean your drum. Leaving your machine door open slightly after each wash allows air to circulate the drum. This helps to stop germs breeding and reduces any unwanted scents.

How do I stop my washing from smelling?

Here are 8 ways to prevent your washing machine from smelling:
  1. Leave the door open after each wash: ...
  2. Use a bleach spray: ...
  3. Put Domestos bleach in your drum: ...
  4. Ventilate washing machine enclosures: ...
  5. Turn up your hot temperature settings: ...
  6. Use adequate soap powder in every wash: ...
  7. Don't use to much washing powder in your laundry :

How do you make homemade washing machine cleaner?

Pour 2 cups of vinegar into the detergent dispenser, filling all the sections. Then, select the largest load and hottest water setting and run a complete cycle. Pour 1 cup of baking soda into the washer drum and run a second cycle set to the largest load and hottest water setting.

Can you put too much vinegar in washing machine?

Can using too much vinegar ruin your washer? It's important to make sure you only use white vinegar and do so in moderation. 'Unfortunately, over time, the acidity from the vinegar can wear down rubber seals and hoses inside the washing machine,' explains Simon Allen.

Does white vinegar remove odors?

"Vinegar can help neutralize odors in the home, such as in the kitchen or refrigerator," says Katie Dills, senior vice president, The Cleaning Authority. The best part? All you have to do is leave a dish filled with 1/2 inch of white vinegar in the offensive-smelling room for it to work its magic.

How to get bo smell out of clothes?

You can try using vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser of your washing machine. Not only will it help remove odours but it will also soften your clothes. If you have the option, drying the clothes in the sunshine will also help.

How much vinegar do I use to get rid of smell in laundry?

1. How much vinegar should I use in my washing machine? For a regular-sized load, you can use about 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar as a natural fabric softener and odor eliminator.

Why does my washing machine smell stagnant?

Poor plumbing. Another reason for a smelly washing machine is poor plumbing. If your washing machine doesn't drain properly, stagnant water could be sitting in your pipes or drum for days. Not only could this create a bad smell, but it also makes it easier for mould and bacteria to populate.

How to make washing smell nice?

How Can You Make Your Laundry Smell Good?
  1. Deodorize With Baking Soda.
  2. Clean Your Washing Machine.
  3. Do Smaller Loads of Laundry.
  4. Use Scent Boosters.
  5. Choose the Right Detergent.
  6. Pre-Treat Any Stains.
  7. Don't Let Wet Clothes Sit.
  8. Try Scented Dryer Balls.

How do you deodorize a smelly washing machine?

For both top-load and front-load washers, start by adding 1/4 cup of baking soda directly into the washer drum. Then, pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser. Run a hot wash cycle without any laundry.

How to use vinegar in laundry?

Combine 4 cups of warm water with 1 cup of white vinegar. Test the solution on an inconspicuous area of your shirt before applying it to the stain. Wet the stain with the mixture and gently massage it into the fabric. Soak the shirt directly in the vinegar solution for stubborn stains.

How to freshen a washing machine?

Use a combination of white vinegar and baking soda to naturally clean your washing machine; pour half a cup of baking soda into the drum followed by two cups of vinegar in the detergent dispenser, then run a hot wash cycle. For stubborn grime and odors, consider commercial washing machine cleaners.

Will vinegar stop my washing machine smelling?

Use Vinegar to Deodorize a Washing Machine

You can also use vinegar to get rid of washer smell. Simply add 2 cups of distilled white vinegar into your washer's detergent dispenser and run a cycle on your machine's hottest setting and longest cycle.

How much vinegar to clean a washing machine?

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.

What is the best washing machine cleaner for bad smell?

The Calgon Hygiene Plus Washing Machine Cleaner & Limescale Remover stands out as our top pick. Its powerful formula tackles limescale, odours, and detergent buildup with ease while protecting vital components like the drum and pipes.

Is cleaning vinegar the same as white vinegar for laundry?

Cleaning vinegar, with its higher concentration of acetic acid, can power through soap scum, scale, and eliminate bacteria associated with malodor in laundry, to name just a few uses. It can also be used for cleaning jobs that call for white vinegar.

Can you use normal vinegar instead of white vinegar for cleaning?

Any vinegar can work as an alternative when you don't have a bottle of white vinegar at hand—or if you want to avoid the smell.

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