Many households looking to improve the texture of their line-dried laundry this summer may want to consider a simple kitchen staple: distilled white vinegar. Tesco is selling one of the cheapest options on the market with its 568ml bottle for 35p.
While air-drying clothes outdoors is an energy-efficient practice, it often results in stiff, scratchy fabrics, particularly in regions prone to hard water. According to specialists, using vinegar in your laundry is a simple way to keep your fabrics soft without commercial softeners.
How Vinegar Works on Fabrics
This technique is effective because of acetic acid's chemical nature. Regular fabric softeners often leave a waxy residue on clothes, which can make the fibres stiff over time and reduce their breathability. In contrast, white vinegar serves as a cleaning solution that removes this buildup.
It also tackles the problem of hard water, where mineral deposits can get stuck in the fabric fibres during washing. By breaking down these mineral deposits, vinegar helps keep clothes and towels soft and fluffy.
How to Use Vinegar in Laundry
Incorporating this method is quite easy. Professionals suggest pouring 1/4 to 1/2 cup (around 60 to 120 ml) of distilled white vinegar straight into the fabric softener compartment of the machine. This allows the vinegar to be dispensed automatically during the last rinse cycle. Many homeowners worry about a strong smell; however, the vinegar scent fades completely as the clothes dry, leaving no trace.
Additional Tips for Air-Drying
Using vinegar can really enhance the feel of your fabrics, but if you air-dry your clothes, there are a few extra steps you can take for the best results. Shaking your clothes well before you hang them up helps to loosen the fibres. According to Lenor, once you've washed your clothes, give them a "good shake before you hang them up."
On the Lenor website, it explains: "Shaking fabric fresh from the machine helps to fluff up its fibres and prevents static cling, which can build up during your laundry load. Plus, garments should be fully stretched out, not crumpled, to keep wrinkles at bay – saves you ironing your clothes, too."
Also, drying your laundry on a windy day rather than in still air helps the fibres dry more evenly. Lastly, while sunlight is great for drying, it's best to avoid excessive direct UV exposure, as it can make natural fibres like cotton brittle and stiff.
Lenor says: "Consider whether to dry your clothes in the sun or have clothes drying indoors. If you're lucky enough to have lovely weather, we recommend drying white clothes and linen outside, to keep the whiteness of your white garments. Drying bacteria-prone items like socks and underwear is also ideal outdoors, as the sun's UV rays can effectively kill pesky, odour-causing bacteria. If drying laundry indoors, we recommend investing in a heated drying rack and leaving windows open, if possible, to stop drying clothes from causing damp air."
