Vinegar can be useful in laundry, but claims that it’s a miracle product for whitening and softening need some qualification.
The right way to use vinegar in laundry
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For odors and detergent residue: Put about ½ cup (120 mL) of plain white distilled vinegar in the washing machine’s fabric-softener dispenser, so it is released during the rinse cycle.
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For towels: Occasional vinegar use can help remove detergent/mineral buildup, which may make towels feel less stiff. Don’t expect it to permanently replace a fabric softener.
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For whites: Vinegar isn’t a strong bleach and won’t reliably make dingy whites bright again. Oxygen bleach or a suitable laundry whitener is generally more effective for whitening, depending on the fabric.
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Don’t pour vinegar directly onto clothing together with detergent; separating it into the rinse compartment is preferable.
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Don’t use vinegar with chlorine bleach. Mixing them can release dangerous chlorine gas.
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Don’t use vinegar routinely in every washing machine without checking the manufacturer’s guidance. Repeated exposure to acid may affect some rubber components and finishes over time.
For particularly hard water, detergent buildup can also be addressed by using the correct detergent amount and following your machine’s cleaning instructions.
So the useful part of the viral tip is using diluted white vinegar during the rinse cycle for residue/odor, rather than treating vinegar as a universal fabric whitener or softener.
