Although baking soda, borax, and vinegar are popular choices, CR tells you if laundry experts recommend them
You want your clothes to look or smell better, and TikTok says adding additional ingredients like baking soda or borax could do just that. But do they really work and are they safe?
By Jodhaira Rodriguez
In the search for whiter whites and more radiant colors, you may be tempted to add some unconventional products that you see on social networks to your washing machine. Or maybe you’ve come across one of the many TikTok videos I’ve seen myself, of people creating their own laundry detergents with a variety of powders, bars of grated soap, and even sea salt (yes, the same one you use to cook).
I was interested in finding out, once and for all, what products I could safely include in my laundry routine, without risking damage to my washing machine or my clothes. To find out, I spoke with CR laundry expert Richard Handel and Alliance Laundry Systems PR and content manager Randy Radtke, who has more than 15 years of experience in the laundry industry.
Baking Soda – Possibly beneficial for those with water high in minerals
Baking soda, sometimes combined with distilled white vinegar, is a popular homemade cleaning ingredient on social media. Some users claim that adding half a cup of this powder to the washing machine helps eliminate odors and whitens white clothes in a way that other detergents and laundry additives have not been able to achieve.
When I asked Rich Handel, CR laundry expert, about using this product in your washing machine, he said: “If you have water with high levels of minerals (hard water), baking soda can be useful, as it helps to soften the water. There are also claims that it can help eliminate odors, although we have not tested this.”
On Arm & Hammer’s site, one of more than a dozen recommendations for using baking soda at home includes adding half a cup of the powder to the washing machine’s rinse cycle to help eliminate odors and “soften towels.” that feel rough or have residue.”
Borax – useful for poor quality laundry detergents
Borax (Amazon, Walmart) is another all-purpose powder formulated to be used as part of your laundry routine. It is primarily used by people who follow the complicated (and perhaps unnecessary) process of “deep cleaning” their clothes, but some people also add the powder directly to washing machines to improve the effectiveness of their laundry detergent.
However, Handel doesn’t think it’s necessary if you use the right detergent. “Borax powder is promoted as a laundry detergent enhancer. It’s not necessary if you use a high-quality detergent, but it can help a poor-performing detergent. Make sure it is not swallowed and avoid contact with eyes and skin. “It can cause irritation.” It probably won’t affect your routine, but if you’re looking to simplify your laundry day, you might be better off just using a better laundry detergent and skipping the powder. If you plan to use it in your washing machine, be sure to follow the instructions on the box.
Distilled white vinegar: OK in very small amounts, but use with caution
Distilled white vinegar (Amazon, Walmart) is promoted as a more natural alternative to fabric softener, but the washing machine is one of 9 places in the house where CR warns against using vinegar, as it can cause damage to the rubber parts of some machines. On social media, there are videos of users adding anything from a splash of vinegar to half a cup, and even disproportionately pouring the liquid directly into washing machines.
Randy Radtke of Alliance Laundry Systems (makers of the often overused Speed Queen laundry appliances found in many laundromats across the country) told us that he has used small amounts of home distilled white vinegar to help eliminate stubborn odors from clothing. However, he warns against using any home remedy without considering a few aspects first. “The best advice I can give is to do a test on a small area of the clothes first, before putting it on all your favorite clothes, and always consult your washing machine’s user manual.” Whatever you decide to do, never try to put the vinegar directly into the detergent container, this will help you avoid adverse reactions between the chemicals in the detergent and the vinegar. One online content creator discovered the hard way about the complications this can cause.
Fabulous All-Purpose Cleaner: Better not to use it in the washing machine
There are many ways people use Fabuloso at home in unconventional ways, including in washing machines. As with other products that are not specifically formulated for use in washing machines, Handel does not recommend adding Fabuloso All-Purpose Cleaner (Walmart, Target) to your washing machine. If you mix the product with laundry detergent, you could cause an unexpected reaction between the chemicals in both products. Excess suds is also a concern, as it can damage the washing machine and leave detergent residue on your clothes.
Dettol Dettol Antiseptic Liquid: Keep the first aid kit out of the laundry room
Dettol Antiseptic Liquid is a product from the United Kingdom designed to treat cuts, scrapes, and insect bites, as well as “kill germs on household surfaces,” according to the product label. Although the antiseptic is not officially sold in the United States due to the FDA’s ban on antibacterial soaps containing certain ingredients that have not been proven to be more effective than using plain soap and water, it remains a common and popular product. in Caribbean-rooted homes across the United States, and is available in grocery stores in many Caribbean communities (including those near my home in Queens, New York).
Some social media users also add the liquid to their washing machines to remove germs from their clothes. The brand mentions that the product can be used in the washing machine, but since it is a concentrated product, the recommended dosage is only 30 ml, an amount that could be difficult to measure at home. Handel doesn’t think it’s a good idea to add this to your clothes. And he says, “This is a topical antiseptic for cleaning cuts and wounds. “I don’t see any reason to use it in the washing machine.” The brand also makes a laundry sanitizer formulated specifically for use in washing machines, although we haven’t tried it yet.
Dish soap: Effective for treating specific stains, but not a drop more
At home, I use small amounts of dish soap to treat grease stains before putting clothes in the washing machine. Some online users have taken this further, directly pouring dish soap into the drum of their washing machine or saturating a cloth with dishwashing liquid and then putting it in the washer along with the load of laundry. We’ve written a separate article explaining why you shouldn’t try this trend at home. There are 3 main reasons: excessive foaming caused by using dish soap could damage your washing machine, it does not contain the ingredients that laundry detergents are formulated with that protect the quality of your clothes, and the ingredients in dish soap dishes could irritate those with sensitive skin at home.
Homemade laundry detergent: Not worth the potential problems that may arise
Of all the homemade laundry additives I’ve seen on social media, this is the most elaborate and possibly the riskiest for your washing machine. To make these homemade laundry detergents, social media users grate bars of Zote or Fels-Naptha soap, then mix the grated soap with a half-dozen other ingredients, including baking soda, borax, Arm & Hammer laundry enhancer , sea salt and Epsom salt. It’s unclear where or when exactly the trend started, but it is very popular among many content creators on social media who are looking for more “natural” alternatives to store-bought products. Some of the most popular videos under the search term “laundry detergent recipe” on TikTok have more than 100,000 likes and hundreds of comments from other users sharing their own versions.
Handel has no experience with these homemade mixtures, but noted that the ingredients people use to make the detergent and the proportions they use could affect its effectiveness. Radtke also does not recommend these homemade mixes. “Be careful with things like dish soap or mixing multiple cleaners, as they could create too much suds in the washing machine and leave that suds on your clothes; “the same type of problem that occurs when users put in too much detergent.”
It’s impossible to know what the proper dosage is for these homemade laundry detergents, and some of the comments on these videos indicate that homemade powder detergents have also clogged their front-loading washing machines. If you decide to try this trend, make sure you don’t use the same grater you use in the kitchen to grate bars of soap, or any other common kitchen utensils to mix the powder.
Lemon juice: It has no important benefits for washing clothes
Squeezing half a dozen lemons and then putting the juice in the detergent dispenser of your washing machine doesn’t seem like the best way to start my weekly laundry routine, but there are users online who claim that this is an effective way to eliminate lemons. unpleasant odors from clothes. This is another trick that Handel has mentioned before on our website. He doesn’t recommend trying to add lemon juice to your washing machine, and it’s also probably a good idea to keep all foods in general out of your washing machine.
Hydrogen Peroxide: A Less Powerful Alternative to Chlorine Bleach
Hydrogen peroxide is a good option for removing blood stains from mattresses and treating small blood stains on clothing, but can this chemical be a good alternative to chlorine bleach and help whiten clothes? According to Handel, probably not. “Hydrogen peroxide is not as strong a bleaching agent as chlorine. If you want to whiten or disinfect, chlorine bleach is the best choice.”
In a 2021 study published in the journal Molecules, experts used a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution in washing machines to determine if this helped remove stains and disinfect loads of laundry, without damaging the integrity of the fabrics. They found that in loads where hydrogen peroxide was added during the main part of the wash cycle, bacterial growth was reduced by more than 99.9999%. Almost all of the normal soil stains in the study were removed better from fabrics with hydrogen peroxide than without, and caused no discoloration or significant damage to the strength of the washed fabrics. However, the study did not compare the results of using chlorine bleach versus hydrogen peroxide.
If you’re trying to avoid using bleach at home, this could work as an alternative, but don’t expect the same results as with chlorine bleach, which usually contains additional ingredients to whiten clothes and prevent dirt from sticking again. the clothes in the washing machine.
Conclusion on laundry additives
Before adding anything new to your washing machine, it is important to carefully read the appliance’s user manual to make sure you are not voiding the warranty without realizing it. account. If you have any concerns, use products specifically formulated for use in washing machines and follow the recommended dosages to avoid damage to both your clothes and the internal workings of your washing machine. And please ignore any advice that recommends adding food to your washing machine.
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