Will Vinegar Bleach Clothes?
As much as you would love to bleach your clothes to make them look new, you may not want to use bleach due to the detrimental effects it can have to the environment. Therefore, you may be wondering if vinegar can bleach your clothes.
The answer is, yes, vinegar can lighten the darker fibers of your clothes. However, you should know that vinegar will only work on some fabrics.
Fabrics That Respond to Vinegar
Vinegar will bleach some fabrics, including:
- Cotton:Cotton is an absorbent fabric, allowing it to absorb the acidic properties of vinegar making it ideal for bleaching.
- Silk:Silk is another type of fabric that reacts well with vinegar. It is important to be careful with bleach and other chemicals on silk as it is a delicate fabric.
- Linen:Linen is a fabric made from the cellulose fibers of a flax plant, and it bleaches nicely when mixed with vinegar.
How to Use Vinegar to Bleach Clothes
The easiest way to bleach your clothes with vinegar is to add 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar to your washing machine as you would a detergent. Then, when the cycle has finished, hang your clothes out to air dry in the sun.
The sun will help to further lighten the color of the fabric. Repeat this process until you are satisfied with the results.
Things to Consider
Bleaching with vinegar works with the fabrics mentioned above, but it is not recommended for other fabrics and materials. If you have delicate fabrics that you are unsure if vinegar would bleach, it is best to try a small, discreet area first to determine the results before you attempt to bleach the entire garment.
In conclusion, vinegar can be used to bleach some fabrics. It is important to know which fabrics respond best, and how to use vinegar to bleach them. As always, be sure to take caution when trying this method, as it is possible to damage fabrics or discolor them.