Adding vinegar and baking soda together creates a fizzy chemical reaction that can help dissolve stains and loosen up gunky messes. This makes them a handy cleaning combo, even though the actual solution left behind is basically salt water!

Cleaning: Baking Soda acts a cleaning agent because it is a mild alkali and can cause dirt and grease to dissolve easily in water for effective removal. Baking Soda deodorizes by bringing both acidic and basic odor molecules into a neutral, more odor-free state.

Smelly Stains Stains that have a really bad odor benefit from baking soda as a pre-treater. Dried baking soda sucks up moisture and laundry odors as it sits in contact with them. Pouring baking soda on a wet stain and allowing it to sit can help remove both the stain and the odor.

“Baking soda is basic and vinegar is acidic,” says Bock. “When you put them together you get mostly water and sodium acetate. But really, just mostly water.” Plus, vinegar causes baking soda to foam up. If stored in a closed container, the mixture can explode.

Distilled White Vinegar Always choose white vinegar over apple cider or other types because it will not stain fabrics (and it’s cheaper!). White vinegar is key to removing yellow underarm perspiration stains and odor, removing mildew stains, whitening and brightening your clothes.

While it is always a good idea to spot test a garment when using any product, baking soda is safe to use in laundry and will not cause color fade.

Common Household Agents That Can Remove Laundry Stains

1. 01 of 10. Liquid Laundry Detergent. The Spruce / Letícia Almeida.
2. 02 of 10. Dish Soap. The Spruce / Letícia Almeida.
3. 03 of 10. Baking Soda. The Spruce / Letícia Almeida.
4. 04 of 10. Vinegar. The Spruce / Letícia Almeida.
5. 05 of 10. Hydrogen Peroxide.
6. 06 of 10. Toothpaste.
7. 07 of 10. Rubbing Alcohol.
8. 08 of 10. Shampoo.

• Best Overall: OxiClean MaxForce Laundry Stain Remover Spray, 12 Fl. oz. Buy on Walmart.
• Best Gel: SHOUT Advanced Stain Remover for Clothes with Scrubber Brush. Buy on Amazon.
• Best Wipes: SC Johnson Shout Instant Stain Remover Wipes. Buy on Walmart.
• Best Non-Toxic: Biokleen Bac-Out Enzyme Stain Remover. Buy on Amazon.

Recently Tested Laundry Stain Removers

• Spray ‘n Wash. Max Spray.
• Spray ‘n Wash. Laundry Stain Remover Spray.
• Shout. Advanced Action Gel Liquid.
• Shout. Triple-Acting Spray.
• OxiClean. MaxForce Spray.
• OxiClean. Laundry Stain Remover Spray.

Using inexpensive distilled white vinegar in laundry will whiten, brighten, reduce odor, and soften clothes without harsh chemicals. Vinegar is safe to use in both standard and high-efficiency washers and is beneficial to septic tanks and the environment.

For softening your clothes, add the vinegar to your fabric softener dispenser. To fight mild odors, add it directly to the washing machine basin during the rinse cycle, or use it in place of regular detergent and add it again during the rinse cycle if you need to remove really strong odors.

How to Clean a Top-Loading Washing Machine With Vinegar and Baking Soda

1. Add Vinegar to the Washing Machine and Start a Cycle.
2. Wipe Down the Lid and the Rest of the Washing Machine.
3. Focus In on the Detergent and Fabric Softener Dispenser.
4. Run Another Cycle With Baking Soda.
5. Leave the Lid Open and Let It Air Dry Out.

Pour two cups of white vinegar into the drum, then run a normal cycle at high heat—without any clothes, of course. The baking soda and vinegar should break up any residue stuck to your drum and kill any mold that might be present. They’ll also help remove any foul odors.

Pour a quart of white vinegar into the wash drum with a cup of baking soda. Use a stiff nylon brush and vinegar to scrub the interior of the wash drum. At the hottest temperature setting, run a wash cycle with this cleaning solution in an empty washer; select the heavy-duty wash cycle if available.