Vinegar: put in bleach or softener dispenser?

13 years ago

I rarely use bleach. yesterday, I found out that the bleach is dispensed during the first rinse cycle, in my Samsung.

I got to thinking, would it be sensible to put vinegar in the bleach dispenser instead of the softener one? That way, the vinegar smell would have an extra rinse with which to be removed (not that I notice vinegar when the clothes come out of the washer when using the "Extra Rinse" option, which I use for every type of load, given the small amount of water used in a HE FL such as the Sammy). But I'm thinking it can't hurt for there to be TWO rinses, following the vinegar rinse. Anyone see ANY downside to this idea?

Featured Answer

dave1812
Original Author

13 years ago

caviumum, I'd never add vinegar to the wash cycle, as vinegar helps to neutralize the alkalinity of the detergents.

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Comments (9)

georgect
13 years ago
Put bleach in the bleach dispenser and vinegar in the softener dispenser.
The vinegar smell will dissipate quickly and you shouldn't even notice it.
whirlpool_trainee
13 years ago
I tried this as well and it works fine. Commercial laundries call this process souring, I think. They add a chemical to the first rinse to neutralize the detergent.

Alex
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ArliVie
13 years ago
Being that the diluted vinegar is very weak, I think the intent is to wait until the final rinse to dispense it so that it can effectively remove the scant detergent in the final rinse water. Otherwise, because the first rinse still has a lot of detergent dissolved in it, the diluted vinegar gets spent before it can act on the detergent still on the fabric. (The max line on all the compartments is equal to 1/2 cup of liquid.)

In the Samsung, when the "Extra Rinse" option is selected, the machine does not dispense what is in the softener section until the 3rd and last rinse. What happens is that the during the 1st and 2nd rinses, only the bleach dispenser section gets flooded with water (all other compartments left dry). And then finally at the start of the 3rd rinse, the machine dispenses what's in the softener compartment, followed by a flooding of all the other compartments (I think to do a final purging/cleaning of laundry products left in the other compartments).
mysteryclock
13 years ago
I put it in both. Seems to do a good job helping get the last bit of detergent to rinse out.
livebetter
13 years ago
I use it often in the FS compartment. Love it for fine cottons and other things I don't use FS on. I might try adding to the bleach compartment too - just never thought of it before :)

FWIW, Miele Canada told me using vinegar in your machine helps to keep it clean.
Cavimum
13 years ago
If the bleach is dispensed during a rinse cycle, I think putting vinegar in there is a great idea. Our Miele W4842 dispenses the bleach during the last part of the wash cycle itself, so we won't have the same benefit you have. I don't know what would happen with vinegar getting added to the detergent mixture of the actual wash cycle, but it would definitely alter the chemistry somewhat due to the small amount of water.
livebetter
13 years ago
Ah ... thanks Cavimum. I would have checked first but now I don't have to. FS compartment it is!
Dana Free
7 years ago
Great minds think alike. It makes perfect sense to use vinegar in the bleach dispenser and softener where it should go if you use the extra rinse