Laundry is a frustrating business. It's a struggle trying to find the perfect detergent or unique combination of cleaning agents that will remove odors and actually clean.
As it turns out, TikToker Alexis Novoa (@alexisssnovoa) found a more affordable answer — white vinegar and OxiClean. The results, posted in a TikTok video, were convincing, winning over many in the response posts. "I'm going to start doing this. Thank you!" one said.
@alexisssnovoa Replying to @Kirstie ✨ vingear results 🫣 #laundryday #cleantok ♬ original sound - alexis novoa | wfh mom 🤰🏽
The scoop
It's as simple as that. Adding a combination of white vinegar and OxiClean to the laundry cycle — typically one scoop of OxiClean in the drum and one-half cup of white vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser — is all it takes. After the regular cycle, the clothes go in the dryer, and you're all set.
White vinegar is a diluted acetic acid, according to Healthline, lowering pH and destroying alkaline odor molecules. OxiClean, as the name implies, is an oxygen-based bleach and stain remover, in the form of hydrogen peroxide, making it an effective teammate.
How it's helping
The combination of white vinegar and OxiClean brings together a stain remover and an odor remover, both working in tandem with your laundry detergent.
Since laundry detergents often fall short of stain and odor removal, regardless of how heavily they are glamorized in commercials, white vinegar and OxiClean pick up where they leave off.
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Cleaner clothes that smell fresh will cut down the number of laundry cycles, reducing water usage and laundry detergent waste. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average home uses 21.7% of its annual water usage on the washing machine.
Fewer loads mean less use, especially for consumers using high-efficiency washing machines. Unfortunately, the combo is not a complete alternative to laundry detergent.
However, it can serve as a partial replacement, reducing the amount of detergent needed to effectively wash clothes. On the bright side, that means longer-lasting detergent and less consumption, two crucial factors in reducing plastic waste and landfill use.
For lightly soiled clothing or odor-only cleaning, white vinegar and OxiClean can be effective as a complete replacement, but they're not as good at removing oil, grease, or dirt.
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Only once ☝️ What everyone's saying
Alexis' TikTok video is convincing, and many of the response posts threw in some additional tips.
"I use vinegar instead of softener in all my laundry!!" one person said.
A few others attested to the fluffiness of laundry when using this combo. "I have been washing our towels with vinegar for years now, no softener," someone else added.
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