There’s nothing worse than putting a load of laundry in for a spin, hanging it up and leaving it to dry, only to come back to clothes, towels and bed sheets that feel crispy and smell like mildew despite being freshly washed.
Leftover laundry detergent and moisture can lead to mould growing inside the machine door, which is why it’s essential to always do this one cleaning task. But even if you regularly clean your washing machine after using it, being too generous with detergent can lead to a build up of it in the fabric, which often leaves fresh laundry feeling tough and smelling bad. If you find you’re struggling with this issue, switching your detergent out for one unusual ingredient can help it “smell fresh” and “feel softer” in no time.
Julia Hunt regularly shares tips on how to keep your home clean using natural products, and in a video recently posted on her Instagram account @julialhunt, she revealed what she uses to keep clothes feeling and smelling their best.
In the caption of the video, she wrote: “Orange peel vinegar for your laundry? Yes please.” She explained how making the simple swap from laundry detergent to the natural products helps clothes “smell fresh, feel softer, and stay free of synthetic fragrances”.
While you might have already heard of adding white vinegar to your laundry to help make it soft and fluffy again, orange peel is slightly more unusual, and this solution is made my mixing the two ingredients together.
Like lemon peel, oranges also work to deodorise unpleasant smells, and when used in your wash, the scent can help get rid of musty scents left in clothes, towels or bed sheets that laundry detergent has built up in over time.
Not only do orange peels deodorise dirty laundry, House Digest explains that they can also help break down oil and stubborn stains thanks to the D-limonene content found in the skin, which is the name of the fragrance found in citrus peels.
The method requires a bit of patience however, and the orange peels need to be left to soak in the white vinegar for some time before the solution can be added to a wash.
To make your own solution, Julia said: “Just steep orange peels in white vinegar for two to three weeks, then strain and use ½ cup per load.” She explained that it can be added to the rinse cycle or fabric softener compartment.
She also advised shaking it every few days, and once it’s ready, straining it into a bottle or jar so that it can be easily used as and when needed.
If you don’t feel like waiting, House Digest advised leaving the solution to soak for a week before using it, and simply spraying it onto dirty or stained clothes, towels and bed sheets for it to work.