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Sunday is my day of laundry. I know it is supposed to be a day of rest but after church, I grocery shop and then begin baking and cooking and packing lunches for the week ahead. In between the cooking, I am doing laundry. You know the drill. Sorting, washing, drying, folding and then putting it away. Only to repeat the same drill the next week.
After almost 12 years of being a mom, I’ve learned a few tricks to help make laundry a little easier. From odor control, static cling, stain treatments to keeping my washer and dryer clean. Even tricks for saving a few bucks, like making my own laundry detergent and using vinegar, like Four Monks vinegar, for a cheap fabric softener.
Vinegar, in fact is the one thing I use each week to help with my laundry and to keep things sparkly clean and odor free.
- Fabric Softener. I don’t buy fabric softener, I just pour Four Monks vinegar into the fabric softener compartment of my washer. The vinegar helps to break down the soap during the rinse cycle. Static cling takes place when you have a build of soap on your clothes. The vinegar prevents this. My clothing is soft and free of static after coming out of the dryer.
- Four Monks Vinegar Gets Rid of Odor or Mildew Smells. Sometimes, I will leave a load of clothing in my washer overnight and they will start to smell like mildew. I simply put them through the rinse cycle with vinegar and the smell is gone. My husband’s coat smelled like smoke after visiting a friend’s home, I washed it and used vinegar in the rinse cycle, the smell was gone.
Keep your HE Washing Machine Smelling like New. Each Sunday after I’m done with the laundry, I wipe the inside of my washer and the rubber seal around my HE washer with a damp rag soaked in Four Monks Vinegar. I then wipe the rubber seal dry. This helps prevent a smelly washing machine. HE washing machines are known to have a mildew odor if the rubber seal is not regularly cleaned. I can honestly say that I’ve never had any issue with my washer because I wipe it down each week and use vinegar for my fabric softener. If you do notice that your HE washing machine smells, consider running your washing machine empty on the white/hot cycle and adding 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. If you do this twice, you’ll notice that your washer will be sparkling clean and odor free!- Removes Antiperspirant Stains. My husband’s white shirts have antiperspirant stains and to remove
them I warm up a large pot of water, add ½ cup of Four Monks Vinegar and let the shirts soak overnight. I do the same for any stained or stinky socks. - Removes Stuck on Gum from clothing. Luckily, I have only had this a few times but to remove any gum stuck on fabric, I warm ½ cup of vinegar in the microwave and pour over the stuck on gum. The acid from the vinegar dissolves the gum.
- Reduces Lint. Using vinegar as a fabric softener helps to reduce the amount of lint build up in my dryer, an added benefit.
- Odor Eater. My laundry room is also my mudroom, which means I have stinky tennis shoes. To help prevent the stink, I have a spray bottle with ½ cup of Four Monks Vinegar and ½ cup of water. I simply spray the inside of the tennis shoes each Sunday evening. It is a natural odor eater.
- Four Monks Vinegar Removes Salt Stains from Suede Shoes/Boots. Living in Northern Michigan, I cannot prevent the line of salt stains that appear on my boots or shoes. I can however, remove the salt stain. I simply take ¼ cup of Four Monks Vinegar and ¼ cup of hot water and mix. Using a toothbrush or clean rag, I gently scrub the area of my boot that is stained and the vinegar removes the buildup of salt that makes the white ring around my boots or shoes.
These are just a few little tricks for keeping laundry clean, fresh and my laundry room odor free. What tips do you have for using vinegar? If you have not tried Four Monks Vinegar, I highly recommend this brand because it’s low odor. If you do not like the smell of vinegar, Four Monks Vinegar is the solution for you! You can even get a coupon to save $1.00 and more tips for using vinegar for your laundry or to clean your bathroom or even to clean your dog’s ears!
Disclaimer: Four Monks Vinegar has provided me with product samples. I am compensated for my time. My opinions are my own.