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donny_pauly

Vinegar and Detergent In Laundromat Washer Question?

last year

It's been a long time since I went out and did laundry at a public laundromat. A while back when I did it, I would just put everything in a washer and then pour detergent into the slot like in the first minute after the machine starts and that was it. Like I would go and tell the cashier what machine I put my clothes in and pay them and they start the machine from their computer/counter. I recall I would only have like a few minutes to put in the detergent before you no longer can? Then I would take the clothes out and dry it in the dryer machine. I use this detergent called foca detergent. It's powder form and not liquid.



The thing is now I want to clean one bed cover/sheet. It is extremely light and that is the only thing I want to clean. It's even lighter than a bed sheet... it's like a bed sheet cover? It's as thin as a table cover. I would then use a drying machine afterwards at the laundromat. The issue is there is some white mold in many areas of the sheet and I heard vinegar kills mold. I know that if I handwash it just with detergent or just water, that white mold disappears. But I want to use vinegar to kill the mold and do it with a laundry machine. Now normally I would just put it in a washing machine and then put detergent and that is it. But since there is white mold on it, can someone explain to me how I would put the vinegar in the washing machine and then the detergent? I know when you start the public washing machine, it gives you a short amount of time to put the detergent and other things like that. But after that short amount of time, the machine no longer let's you put any liquid/detergent or anything else afterwards right? I read online you could presoak it in vinegar in a bucket for an hour but that wouldn't apply to me right? I mean I can't imagine doing that at the apartment and then putting that light wet bed sheet in a plastic bag while it's soaking wet and bringing it to laundromat to then wash it and dry it again? Can I do everything at the laundromat here?



I believe almost all washing machines give you an option to pour whatever you need to at 2 different times but once it's past that, you can't put anything in it anymore right? I recall when I would go to public laundromat, after the machine starts, I pour foca detergent into the machine and that was it. Usually it would be take around 40 minutes or so and then you take the clothes out. But after like 10 minutes when the washer is running, can you still pour something into the washer? I know near the end, there is that cycle where it cleans it the last few minutes. Now since I want to put vinegar as well... do I put vinegar first? Do I pour it in the same slot? I remember there are like 3 slots where you could pour detergent or whatever in. If so, then how far later do I put the detergent? I don't want an issue where I can no longer put anything else into it. I heard you first want to use vinegar first and then the detergent because using both doesn't clean it that well? Wouldn't there be an issue when a slot has bleach residue from someone else and now you pour vinegar in that same slot?



The other thing is I heard you should use hot water for this? The last time I was at this laundromat, I am not sure there is a hot water setting but if there is, should that be the one I use here? I just remember choosing the standard option which is regular wash and cold water? Or should every laundry machine have this hot water option? I know this light bed sheet/cover certainly isn't a delicate though. I know there are like 5 different options, normal, delicates and few other options but if there is no hot water option, what do I pick?



The other issue here is I heard you should never mix bleach and vinegar. So the last person who used the washer before me, even if they use a lot of bleach, the washer should be free from any bleach right or maybe not because there is some bleach residue? The thing is I do have a bucket at home where I can soak clothes but I'm pretty sure they have oxiclean residue. So would it be a good idea to wear gloves and go in the shower and like pour vinegar on the very light bedsheet with the shower head water running and sort of scrub it with my hand where I'm wearing gloves and then hand rinse it? Then put that light bed sheet in a plastic trash bag and then go to the laundromat and just put that wet bed sheet into the washer and just put foca powder detergent and that's it? Then use dryer afterwards?




Comments (3)

  • last year

    Can you perhaps provide some photos of the machine, the dispenser "slots," the control panel and descriptive text on it for the available options?

  • last year

    I'm not there at the laundromat now. I just recall there were 2 or 3 slots where you could put detergent and things like that inside. I recall I would always pour the foca detergent in a certain slot because that was how it was done. I never poured detergent into any other slot nor have i poured anything else into the machine. I recall there is a normal wash option and warm option and delicate option but not sure if there is a hot water option.



    But what about the vinegar though? Is it okay if I handwash in the shower while wearing gloves, pour some vinegar on the very light paperthin bed sheet and wash it and rinse it and then just put it in a trash bag and then take it to the laundromat and then wash it in the dryer with foca detergent and then put it in the dryer afterwards? There should be no concern of any bleach residue right from the people before me who have used the machine? Like whether it's bleach on the inside of the machine or where bleach was poured into the machine? The thing is if I'm not pouring any vinegar into the washing machine, would there be no concern of the residue of bleach and vinegar in the pouring area of the machine?



    Or could I just go there and just bring a bottle of vinegar and then pour vinegar into the machine and then detergent as well and if so, when do you pour it each? I know you have to pour whatever thing you need when the machine starts within the few minutes the machine starts but I'm not sure if there is another time where you could pour another thing into it? These machines last like 37 minutes or so for a full wash. The thing is I read you not suppose to mix vinegar and bleach but if you pour vinegar into a washing machine dispense slot, isn't there going to be likely bleach residue so vinegar touches it?

  • last year

    Vinegar is an acid (low pH). Detergent is alkaline (high pH). Mixing them together has a neutralizing effect on both.

    Vinegar typically is added to the rinse, which has it counteract residual detergent alkalinity toward a neutral pH. This function is known as a laundry sour. Commercial laundries, which may use very strong (alkaline) detergents, often add a laundry sour product to the last rinse period to reduce fabric harshness. What are Laundry Sours?

    Chlorine bleach is also alkaline. Mixing vinegar with it can generate chlorine gas.

    Use bleach in the wash period with detergent. Many household frontloader washing machines with dispensers release chlorine bleach into either the last few minutes of the wash period or into the first of two or three rinses.

    If you want to try vinegar in the wash period, don't add detergent or bleach with it.

    Or, add vinegar to the last rinse (in place of fabric softener) after the detergent (and bleach) is drained out of the machine.

    If the coin-op/laundromat machine you're using has separate dispenser "slots" for detergent, bleach, and softener and the products are added to those "slots" immediately when starting the load, then it may function by a) the detergent "slot" dumps immediately into the drum and b) the bleach and softener "slots" may hold the product until the correct moments in the operation at which time water is flushed through the "slots" to dispense the products into the drum.

    If one for both detergent and bleach, and a separate one for softener ... then the detegent/bleach may dump immediately, softener held until the last rinse.