Everyone knows the age-old cleaning tips like vinegar and baking soda, or lemon juice and salt – but there’s one item at home that is a lifesaver not only for laundry stains, but for banishing mould too.
The hidden cleaning supertool can be found in your first aid kid – aspirin.
Aspirin contains acetylsalicylic acid, which helps break down stains, brighten whites, and even tackle mould spores lurking in fabric, according to the CEO of Laundryheap Deyan Dimitrov.
It’s a game-changer for anyone dealing with yellowed shirts, sweat stains, or mildew odours on towels.
At just 54p a pack, aspirin is a cheap alternative to costly stain removers.
It’s also eco-friendly, free from harsh chemicals or artificial whiteners, and gentle on fabrics, unlike bleach, which can weaken fibres.
If you want to use this cheap stain-busting solution, crush five to six uncoated aspirin and dissolve them in a bowl of warm water. Soak any stained clothing in the bowl for a few hours or overnight, then wash as normal in your washing machine.
It’s not just laundry that aspirin can help with though – it’s also a mould-busting solution.
In the same way that aspirin can help plants fight off fungal infections when added to water, it also removes mildew from clothes, curtains and washing machines.
Just crush five aspirin tablets and mix them with water to create a paste. You can add white vinegar or lemon juice for an extra boost.
Apply the paste to affected areas, leave for 30 minutes, then wash as usual. You can also add dissolved aspirin to your detergent drawer to deep-clean your machine.
It can also fix one of life’s most frustrating problems – if you’ve ever accidentally washed a tissue you know how annoying it can be to have tiny bits of paper all over all your clothing, and through your washing machine.
Facebook user Susan Attisha asked Mrs Hinch fans on the social media platform how to remove tissue from her clothes that had been in the washing machine.
Geraldine Baines said: “Put them back in the machine put four or five dissolvable aspirins in the drum wash at 40C and it will all disappear. I’ve been using this method for years.”
Steph Martin replied: “Aspirin soaked in a bucket gets it out the best.”
Mandy Harrison Carhart agreed and wrote: “Put them in a bucket of water with aspirin overnight. I don’t know how but it works!”
Diane Ingamells commented: “Soak two dissolvable aspirin in cold water for half an hour then rinse through. Works for me every time.”
