# Tip To Save Money: It Really Works! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 9, 2009, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824 "2009-08-09T08:35:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/1 "2009-08-09T08:35:21Z")
So, in my speech class as an exercise on creating proposals, I had my students get in groups of two to come up with 10 ways to save money. One student came up with a suggestion that I had never heard of. Instead of buying laundry detergent that can cost a lot, buy a large gallon bottle of vinegar and use it instead. “But your clothes will stink like a sad salad at a cafeteria!” my students said. “No they won’t. The rinse cycle cleans out the smell, and if you add any softener to your laundry, it will smell quite nice.” Depending on the size of the laundry load - half cup to a cup. Mind you, this woman is one of the fashion majors at the college where I teach, she has her own business, and knows textiles. She went on to say that this is how people used to clean their clothes, it is a great anti-bacterial solution and far cheaper than most detergents (of which, many have vinegar in their formula). So, today I tried it out. She’s right! Did a load of white undershorts, socks and t-shirts…all came out clean, no vinegar odor and this will most certainly save money - a gallon of distilled white vinegar costs FAR less than regular laundry detergent. When asked if you could use this in the dishwasher, she said, "Yes, but it does make your kitchen smell like vinegar, so not reccommended. Still, good to do occassionally as it cleans the calcium build up. Also, it gives a nice shine to glasses. Did I mention she also worked for a water store - those places that sell bottled water - for many years? At any rate, the vinegar did a fine job on our laundry today - so in case you want to give it a try, and save a few bucks every month, thought I would mention it! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/2 "2009-08-09T08:47:32Z")
Most people use too much detergent in their laundry. So, washing clothes with no detergent in it will get the old detergent out. Using a rinsing agent, vinegar, will help even more. This is OK to do now and then, especially if your clothes aren’t especially dirty, but it doesn’t work over the long run. You’ll still have to use some laundry detergent. ---
**Author:** ![SmashTheState](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@SmashTheState](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmashTheState)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/3 "2009-08-09T09:00:17Z")
Instead of plain vinegar, try [Four Thieves Vinegar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Thieves_Vinegar). It’ll probably smell nicer, is antibacterial, and you could probably add your own nice-smelling spices if you wanted, like cinnamon or vanilla. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/4 "2009-08-09T12:49:08Z")
I’ve linked this here before, but it seems appropriate here - I [make my own laundry detergent with this recipe](http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/how-to-make-your-own-laundry-detergent-and-save-big-money/). I’ve heard vinegar recommended before **as** fabric softener, scented with a little bit of pure (not artificial perfumes) essential oil to avoid any remaining vinegar scent. I’ve done that a few times and haven’t found any lingering vinegar smell. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/5 "2009-08-09T14:11:56Z")
I use about two tablespoons of eco-friendly hippie granola eater detergent, and a quarter cup of Borax. I actually find vinegar to be more expensive to clean with than most things that I use. I use vinegar on some things (floors in particular). ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/6 "2009-08-09T15:38:34Z")
Just how much money are we talking? Will I be able to buy that sports car I’ve been eying, or will I be able to get extra fries at lunch? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/7 "2009-08-09T15:54:43Z")
Extra fries. Once a month. The cost difference between white vinegar and Eco Concentrate is about $.03/oz. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/8 "2009-08-09T15:57:02Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I’ve linked this here before, but it seems appropriate here - I [make my own laundry detergent with this recipe](http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/how-to-make-your-own-laundry-detergent-and-save-big-money/). I’ve heard vinegar recommended before **as** fabric softener, scented with a little bit of pure (not artificial perfumes) essential oil to avoid any remaining vinegar scent. I’ve done that a few times and haven’t found any lingering vinegar smell. The website compares the price of the homemade stuff to “a jumbo container of Tide at [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) [that] costs $28.99 for 96 loads”. That’s a really expensive container of Tide. I regularly buy the 32-load container (of Tide) for about five bucks, or roughly half that price, and could probably get it cheaper if I bought the giant-size container, or bought it from Costco (or used less than the suggested amount). And frankly, the homemade stuff sounds like a lot of trouble to save a small amount of money. (Laundry detergent isn’t that expensive.) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/9 "2009-08-09T16:11:40Z")
1. Buy the cheap stuff at your local grocery store. 2. Use 1/2 the amount the package says to. 3. Save some more money and a lot more time/effort than the silly methods proposed by the \*do it like they did in 1910 \*crowd. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/10 "2009-08-09T16:19:00Z")
It has been quite the fad to say ‘use vinegar’ for many cleaning applications for a few years now. It does not appeal to gut instincts that it will always work. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/11 "2009-08-09T16:23:39Z")
How can a cup of vinegar in a tub of water be anti-bacterial? That’s got to be too much dilution for any significant effect. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/12 "2009-08-09T21:22:10Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Most people use too much detergent in their laundry. So, washing clothes with no detergent in it will get the old detergent out. Using a rinsing agent, vinegar, will help even more. I think you hit the nail squrely on the head. I think you’re just using the leftover detergent in your clothes to wash them. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/13 "2009-08-09T21:30:20Z")
I just washed a load of clothes with vinegar. I’ll let you know my results. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/14 "2009-08-09T22:17:41Z")
I use a small amount of vinegar in some water when I do the final rinse on my hair. It gives it a shine and a bit of volume. I am curious to try it in laundry. ---
**Author:** ![hamster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a8b319/32.png) [@hamster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hamster)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/15 "2009-08-09T22:29:46Z")
I’d suggest washing a load with no soap at all, and I bet you’d find they come out clean. The washing action of the water does a great job of removing dirt, you see… plus if you add a dryer sheet or fabric softener, it will make it smell nice. ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/16 "2009-08-10T00:25:53Z")
What does “they come out clean” even mean? How dirty are you getting your laundry? My clothes are only noticably dirty in that they smell slightly sweaty and…I dunno…worn. Are you getting great swathes of dirt on your underclothes that make it obvious when they’ve been laundered? I always use a normal amount (maybe a little less) of All Free and Clear, but I can’t imagine that over one wash, or even three washes, that I’d notice much of a difference between that and just hot water. Over the long term, I guess I might notice. But one load? Nah. It’ll all be clean. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/17 "2009-08-10T00:32:38Z")
> [@hamster](#): > > I’d suggest washing a load with no soap at all, and I bet you’d find they come out clean. The washing action of the water does a great job of removing dirt, you see… plus if you add a dryer sheet or fabric softener, it will make it smell nice. I’ve found that I need about two tablespoons of concentrated detergent AND the borax to get “clean” clothes - particularly whites. Or more than two tablespoons of detergent. But I have kids - so I frequently have actually DIRTY clothes. If what I was washing was my own grown up “sit around the house without sweat stains clothes” - yeah, no detergent gets them clean - barring a “that time of the month” accident or something. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/18 "2009-08-10T00:32:57Z")
My clothes aren’t very dirty, but my husband works for the US Postal Service and walks for hours outside, and drives in an un-airconditioned truck. So his uniforms do get dirty and stinky, and the borax/washing soda/soap/water mix I linked above works great. ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/19 "2009-08-10T16:31:48Z")
I sweat a lot. I mean A LOT, like leaving puddles. I have started using wicking fabric clothes like Underarmour for exercise and hot weather. They work great, and I get a much less wet, but they require special washing precautions to not clog up the moisture transport channels. Regular detergent, and, especially fabric softeners, can coat the microscopic texture on the fibres and stop the sweat from getting out. So I use a special detergent, Penguin Sport wash, but these fabrics are also prone to trapping odour-causing bacteria that can “reactivate” when wet again, even if they’ve been washed. Plus, the Sport wash is OK for getting out sweat, but it’s not a powerful cleaning agent. Using vinegar as a rinse aid has been a big help in both these regards. The clothes come out cleaner, the wicking works well, and they don’t immediately start to smell bad when you break a sweat. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824/20 "2009-08-10T17:21:20Z")
I had no problem with washing the clothes in vinegar. They came out smelling nice and clean. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tip-to-save-money-it-really-works/505824.md?page=2)