Aurelia Butler

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We’ve seen plenty of people on social media adding vinegar to their laundry loads in hopes of softening their fabrics and removing odors. But cleaning pros have shared a vinegar laundry hack warning, suggesting you may want to skip this internet-famous tip. So what is the vinegar laundry hack? It generally just involves pouring vinegar in your machine’s fabric softener dispenser, with the goal of removing odors and residue from clothes and making fabrics feel softer. We tapped Carolyn Forté, the executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care and Cleaning Lab to fill us in on whether the trend is worth trying.Should You Use Vinegar?While many people are using vinegar in the laundry consistently and swearing by the results, Forté reveals that it’s not actually the best idea, especially when done with every load.”We don’t recommend adding vinegar to the washing machine with any regularity. Over time it can degrade the hoses and internal parts of the machine,” says Forté. “Once in a while likely won’t hurt, but it’s not something you should do often. I would recommend using a fabric rinse like Downy Rinse & Refresh instead to remove odors and residue and soften fabrics.”The bottom line? Use products that are specifically meant for the washing machine. Otherwise, certain household ingredients—like vinegar—may end up damaging it in the future. 5 Ways to Soften FabricsWhile adding vinegar to your next load might not be recommended, there are plenty of other safe tips and tricks to help soften fabrics. Kinga Krzeminska//Getty Images✔️ Use dryer balls or fabric softener: As mentioned earlier, fabric rinse or softener can help remove odors and soften fabrics. You can also opt for dryer balls, which reduce static and wrinkles, helping your clothes stay soft. ✔️ Always measure detergent: “Avoid adding too much. It can leave residues behind that make clothing stiff. Only use what you need to get good cleaning,” says Forté. If you notice your clothing feels stiff or the load still has suds after it’s done, Forté recommends giving them a second rinse. ✔️ Avoid overloading the machine: When the machine is overloaded, clothing can’t move around freely. This can lead to damage or residue build up, which could affect how soft the fabrics feel. ✔️ Shake clothes before loading them into the dryer: If your clothes are clumped coming out of the washer, it’s best to shake them out before putting them in the dryer. This will help ensure they dry evenly without any stiffness in certain areas. ✔️ Be careful not to over dry: Over drying leads to shrinkage, pilling, and other damages that can cause fabrics to feel rough. When in doubt, air drying is always an option. Laura Millar (she/her) is the assistant lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home design. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she wrote for NBC’s TODAY.com, where she covered everything from entertainment news to pop culture updates.  More

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