Vinegar and essential oils: The eco‑friendly solution for fresh laundry

We all want our laundry to stay fresh and fragrant for as long as possible, so we often use special laundry detergents and fabric softeners. However, some of these products can strain the household budget, and rising prices and environmental concerns make us look for more affordable and eco-friendly alternatives.

Many people opt for natural solutions in their daily cleaning routines. Ordinary vinegar is a valuable ally for every meticulous homemaker. It's cheap and effective, which is why we often use it. Adding it to the wash and rinse cycles can keep clothes fresh and soft for a long time.

How to do it: Measure ½ cup of vinegar, add a few drops of essential oil, and pour the mixture into the detergent drawer, specifically in the section for fabric softener. The choice of essential oil scent depends on your taste—lavender, eucalyptus, or lemon. Here, you have complete freedom.

Place the clothes in the drum, set your favorite wash program, and start the cycle. This will soften the fabrics, give them a beautiful scent, refresh their color, disinfect them, and remove residual detergents.

The washing machine is responsible for cleaning our clothes but also requires cleaning itself. Otherwise, it may not clean fabrics thoroughly and might intensify unpleasant odors. At least once every three months, we should thoroughly scrub the drum, detergent drawer, washing machine door, and rubber parts.

At the end of the appliance cleaning, you should run a so-called "empty wash" (set to a high temperature) with one dishwasher tablet and a cup of vinegar to thoroughly clean all appliance parts.

Detergents will refresh the inside of the washing machine and remove all dirt, deposits, and mold. Additionally, the musty smell from hard-to-reach places will disappear, and most importantly, there will be no trace of limescale.