Wondering if it is safe to use vinegar in your washing machine? Read on for all you need to know.

White vinegar is an amazing natural cleaner, and has long been a staple in my low-impact cleaning routine. It’s affordable, widely available, and works so well at making my surfaces sparkle, without the use of any harsh chemicals.

In fact, I use vinegar in almost every room of my house – with just a few exceptions.

Vinegar has also found its way into my laundry routine. I’ve used it for years as a natural alternative to fabric conditioner. And I also use vinegar to clean the washing machine itself. I’ve found it’s great at removing limescale, bacteria and mould from the machine.

However, sometimes I get emails from concerned readers who are worried about using vinegar in their washing machine, for fear it may damage the seals and other components and inner workings. After all, it is acidic.

So, what is the deal about using vinegar in your washing machine? I’ve done A LOT of digging in the hope that we can find a definitive answer. Here’s what I found:

Is It Safe To Use Vinegar In Your Washing Machine?

Here’s what the brands say (warning: it’s mixed!), and my take on this mixed messaging:

What Washing Machine Brands Say

Some major washing machine brands – including Whirlpool and Bosch – advise against using vinegar in your machine.

They warn that the repeated use of vinegar can damage the rubber seals, gaskets and hoses in some washing machines. Eventually, these brands warn that using vinegar can cause leakages and expensive repair bills.

Other washing machine brands, such as Candy, recommend cleaning your washing machine with vinegar. Meanwhile, other washing machine brands – including Haier, Hoover, Samsung, LG, and Miele – recommend using vinegar to soften your clothes and/or clean the machine.

In fact, Haier specifically says, and I quote: “Don’t worry about the vinegar harming your machine”.

Making Sense Of These Mixed Messages

If some of the biggest names in kitchen appliances disagree with each other, then how do we get to the bottom of this laundry conundrum?

I did a little digging and found that many commercial washing machine and dishwasher cleaners contain citric acid. This is slightly more acidic than vinegar.

What’s interesting is that Bosch specifically advises not to use citric acid or vinegar to clean your washing machine because it can damage the rubber components. Instead, they advise using their own brand descaler that retails at £10.00 per single-use pack. And what’s one of the main ingredients in it? Citric acid!

Why do these brands contradict themselves? Well, vinegar is cheap, as is citric acid. As such, it could be that some brands might be deliberately perpetuating the vinegar in your washing machine myth to sell their own (hugely expensive) products.

So, What’s The Answer?

I would say it’s best to make your own mind up as to whether you use vinegar in your laundry routine or not.

You might decide it’s fine to use, particularly if you want to cut back on harsh chemicals and reduce product build-up. Or you might decide it’s not for you, and you’d rather not take the risk – and that’s also ok.

For many households, a middle-ground approach feels sensible: using food-grade vinegar when doing your laundry or cleaning your washing machine, and not using high-strength cleaning vinegar, which is more acidic.

You may also want to avoid frequently wiping down the rubber seal of your machine with neat vinegar when you are cleaning it. Instead, try something that isn’t acidic, like my liquid Castile soap spray.

What I would say, though, is that you may want to hold off on the vinegar if you have a new washing machine. Some manufacturers say that using vinegar can void the warranty. Therefore, it’s best to check your warranty before busting out the vinegar.

My Opinion

Personally, given that most washing machine brands say you can use vinegar, and the ones that say you can’t sell more expensive products that contain citric acid, I’m going to continue using vinegar in my washing machine.

I also feel like conventional fabric conditioner does a lot more harm to your washing machine than vinegar.

Conventional fabric conditioners work by coating your clothes with a waxy coating. Whilst this coating softens your clothes, it locks bacteria and bad odours into your clothing. Plus it encourages the growth of bacteria and mould in your washing machine, causing a whole manner of stinks and potential plumbing problems.

White vinegar, on the other hand, softens your clothes without coating your clothing. This means your clothes smell fresher, and your machine doesn’t get clogged up.

My Own Experience Using Vinegar In My Washing Machine

As I mentioned, I’ve been using vinegar in my laundry for about 18 years now. So far, I’ve never had a problem related to the seals, hoses or gaskets.

My previous machine was seven years old and failed after its bearings went (nothing to do with the rubber). This machine saw me through two newborn babies and two rounds of cloth nappy usage, so it was on multiple times a day. It had a hard life, and I feel like I worked it to the absolute max!

My current machine is about eight years old, and I’ve had zero issues with it. I only ever use standard food-grade vinegar. I don’t use cleaning vinegar, which can be more concentrated.

That’s just one experience, of course, but it does suggest that vinegar isn’t automatically the villain it’s sometimes made out to be.

With conflicting advice, it’s hard to know how to proceed. But I think, when used sensibly, vinegar is a simple, affordable and lower-impact option that works well for many households – including mine.

Wendy Graham