Last updated on April 14th, 2022
You follow all the laundry dos and don’ts. Check the washing instructions before tossing your clothes into the machine. However, your clothes still appear to be old and dingy, and the stains just won’t come out, even after washing them several times. Maybe the detergent is the main culprit. But don’t you worry, we’ve got your back. There are several natural ingredients available in your kitchen that could boost the cleaning power of your laundry detergent. Take a look.
1. Baking Soda
The same baking soda that you use in food is actually a great detergent booster. It helps in removing foul odor from clothes, acts as a bleach, and softens your clothes. Simply mix 1/2 cup baking soda into your detergent for whiter and brighter colors. Additionally, baking soda helps in softening the water, which means you can use less amount of detergent. If you are washing clothes in the machine, add 1/2 cup baking soda for top loading machines, and 1/4 cup in a front-loading machine to boost the cleaning quality of the detergent.
2. Lemons
To expel rust and mineral stains from cotton T-shirts, empty 1 cup lemon juice into the washing machine during the wash cycle. The acidic property of lemon will remove the stains effectively, making your clothes shine like new.
3. Mouthwash
Gym clothes and socks are usually filled with bacteria that might not come out in one wash. So, the next time you put your smelly and sweaty clothes into the washing machine, ensure that you add a cup of alcohol-based, sugarless mouthwash during the wash cycle. Additionally, mouthwash is also a great agent to disinfect your washing machine. Simply add 1/2 cup of mouthwash into the washing machine on a rinse cycle and you have a clean machine at your disposal!
4. Vinegar
There are so many advantages to adding 1 cup of white vinegar to your machine’s rinse cycle that it’s almost shocking that most of us are not aware of it. Here are a few of the uses of vinegar:
- A cup of vinegar can help get rid of any bacteria that might be present in your clothes.
- A cup of vinegar will keep your garments feel soft and crisp. Now you can bid goodbye to your fabric softeners.
- Adding a cup of vinegar will act as bleach lightening up your white clothes.
- Added to the last wash cycle, a cup of vinegar will keep your garments lint and static-free.
- Adding a cupful of vinegar to the last wash cycle will set the colors of your newly-bought colored clothes.
Happy cleaning, everyone!
