I’m starting a new section on the blog…I’m calling it Pantry DIY. I’m a compulsive DIY’er. I ask myself if I can make something myself instead of buying it. A lot of times I can! This applies to cleaning products, beauty products, bubbles for my kids and even pillows. I’m super committed to being as crafty as possible. So here is my first post on Pantry DIY: Recharge your towels! I originally saw this on Pinterest and I tried it and it worked! It was incredible. I posted it to my personal blog and it was a huge hit. I don’t really have time to post over there anymore so I thought I’d post it here and spread the word to even more.
Okay, I should point out that I do wash my towels regularly but after a while they seem to develop a rather funky smell. I switched detergents with more powerful scents but that didn’t work. I read somewhere that after a while soap and fabric softener build up and your towels need to be stripped to get rid of it all. So I tried this and it worked perfectly! No more funk.
– I have a front load washer. I’ve tossed the vinegar straight onto the towels and I’ve also poured it into the detergent tray. The tray only holds about half a cup so I toss the rest onto the towels. Seems to work both ways. I ALWAYS toss the baking soda onto the wet towels, never load into detergent tray.
– It works for all colors, not just white towels. I’ve used this process for white towels, green towels and dark blue towels.
– I’ve also done this with some eternally stinky work clothes and it worked like magic.
I had a lot of questions about this process so I tried to outline the process in detail. If you have any questions, leave it in the comments.
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- Run a load of towels through your washer on a normal cycle using hot water. DO NOT USE DETERGENT. Instead, pour vinegar onto the towels. If you have a top load washer, you can pour the vinegar in as the water is running. If you have a front load washer, you can pour the vinegar onto the towels and then close the door for the cycle to start.
- When the first cycle is done, open the washer and sprinkle the baking soda over the now wet towels. Start a normal cycle again with hot water and NO DETERGENT.
- When the second cycle is done, your towels are now clean and can be put in the dryer!
- DO NOT USE DETERGENT. This process only uses vinegar and baking soda. If you want your towels to have the scent of your detergent, you can run a third normal cycle with detergent....but your towels are already clean so, why waste water?
Joy
December 16, 2016 at 4:33 amhi. I have been doing this for 39 years! By baby was allergic to all soaps … my grandmother had me do this… 🙂 Thank you for bringing back sweet memories.
Darlene
March 7, 2017 at 3:46 pmI did this but learned to run a cycle though using this to remove crud from washer first because baking soda removed soap scum from the wash machine you don’t want to leave it on your towels or clothing.
Glaiza
July 28, 2016 at 3:13 pmThis is a good guide which household keepers should know. Thanks for sharing a good one.
Jackie
July 3, 2015 at 5:21 pmDoes this work only on white towels?
Nichelle
July 20, 2015 at 3:54 pmNo, it works on all colors. Even clothes!
Amanda
June 30, 2015 at 1:57 pmi washed mine in the vinegar solution in the sink,then with the bicarbonate of soda solution then rinsed in the washing machine.My towels smell great,not fluffy but definitely fresh.thanks
Nichelle
July 20, 2015 at 3:53 pmAwesome!
Sidney Colbert
June 16, 2015 at 1:39 amCurious as to why it has to be two different cycles. Couldn’t I just mix the vinegar and baking soda into the towels together? Just hate the thought of running two washes since I have to use a laundry mat.
Nichelle
June 19, 2015 at 4:58 pmYou want each one to do their job independently so two separate cycles are needed. Did you ever make a volcano in school and mix vinegar and baking soda to make it erupt with “lava”? Yeah, not ideal for laundry.
Dianna
May 9, 2015 at 9:04 pmOMG this worked GREAT! Yes I will have to admit I did have some doubt, but I will be supplying my House with a Large bottle of Vinegar and I wl be keeping plenty of baking soda on hand…amazing how many things can be cleaned with just these two products…Thank you very much to whomever figured this out…my towels smell awesome now.
Stephanie Gail
April 18, 2015 at 6:22 pmWhat about bleach? Will the vinegar and baking soda get them white without it?
Nichelle
April 27, 2015 at 4:02 pmI don’t think adding bleach would hurt. If you try it, please let me know how it turned out.
Tunny
April 14, 2015 at 7:08 pmHow hot should the water be? 60 degrees?
Nichelle
April 27, 2015 at 4:01 pmTemp doesn’t matter
Rachel
February 25, 2015 at 12:48 amHave you ever added scent boosters with the baking soda? I know it’s not necessary but I love the smell of the boosters.
Nichelle
March 4, 2015 at 5:48 pmI have not but that’s a great idea! Thank you!
Carrie Soden
January 30, 2015 at 3:33 pmHow often do you do this? Every wash? Or just once they get funky?
Nichelle
January 30, 2015 at 6:27 pmI do it only when they get funky. Maybe once a month or so.
ellie
January 26, 2015 at 5:43 pmGreat idea, I hope it works!
Nichelle
January 30, 2015 at 6:28 pmLet me know if it worked for you!
Amanda
September 24, 2014 at 5:52 pmDo you just use white vinegar?
Nichelle
September 25, 2014 at 7:07 pmYup! 🙂
Tish
September 6, 2014 at 12:01 pmHow big of a load is this “recipe” good for?
Nichelle
September 12, 2014 at 4:49 amA FULL load! It’s awesome. I have a front load that holds a pretty decent sized load (like 16 bath towels) and it works.
Tish
September 12, 2014 at 5:10 amThanks for the reply!!! Gonna give this a try soon!
Baking Soda: The Ultimate Cleaning Tool | Bonomo House Rules
July 21, 2014 at 4:35 am[…] also used baking soda and vinegar to recharge my towels. It was as simple as running the laundry once with vinegar in the fabric softener cup and then […]
Recharge your towels with Vinegar and Baking Soda
April 18, 2014 at 6:44 pm[…] ***I posted this process again and with a little more detail on my other blog here. […]