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Apr 30, 2023

Why you should never use white vinegar in your washing machine

Despite what the cleaning guru Mrs Hinch says, you should never try to descale

Despite what the cleaning guru Mrs Hinch says, you should never try to descale your washing machine using white vinegar

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Since the Instagram cleaning guru Mrs Hinch exploded onto the scene and made soda crystals, white vinegar and Minky sponges more popular than an Aldi BBQ, clean freaks have been descaling every machine and pipe in their home using the supposedly all-natural miracle cleaning combination.

For years, we’ve been told to use white vinegar in our washing machines, dishwashers, kitchen sinks and other household drains to descale and deodorise, but it seems that advice may not be best practice.

As one concerned home owner shared on the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Facebook group, washing machine engineers are keen to spread the word that white vinegar should not be used.

"I have just had my washing machine serviced and my engineer who did the work asked, no pleaded with me, to pass the following information onto you all," she wrote.

"PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T USE WHITE VINEGAR in your washing machines either as a fabric softener or to remove limescale.

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"It is an acid and even in tiny amounts eats away at the bearings in the drum of the machine. This means your machines don't last as long you get water leaks and they end up make noises like a jet engine taking off.

"By all means use Bicarbonate of Soda or Soda crystals both won't harm your machine but leave the vinegar alone. Most people don't realise that using vinegar in a new machine will invalidate any warranty and can be deemed as wilful damage.

"He is an independent washing machine engineer who does work for Miele, Bosch and Hotpoint etc and the warranty clause applies to all".

Another group member agreed with the advise and said she received the same recommendation: "I was advised years ago no bleach or vinegar in a washing machine, I said never have never will, not that daft!!!

"This was from a repairman after my machine broke down after 11 months from new. I got a new machine, as machine tested ok no bleach or vinegar used but common sense tells you vinegar is acidic and NO GOOD in washing machines or dishwashers".

"I was told the exact same, in fact when I rang to book a repair, the first thing I was asked was do I service the machine? I said well I throw in a bottle of cleaner every now and again, and the lady said ah that's good because if you were using white vinegar or any of the other ‘hinch’ concoctions, then it can void your warranty," added another home owner.

However, not everyone had the same experience and others said they have only seen good results from regularly using white vinegar.

"I had my 14yr old washer fixed on Monday as the bearings had gone. I use white vinegar in every wash and the engineer said it's the cleanest machine he's ever seen for it's age and said to keep on using it," wrote one memeber.

"Unless you’re using a drum of the stuff that's very unlikely. It gets very diluted in the machine. Most vinegar is only about 18% acid," pointed out another.

"Conflicting advice on internet down to personal choice, there is so little going in mixed with tons of water so cant see the harm. Vinegar is more natural than some of the other products".

To settle the debate once and for all, RSVP Live did some investigating of our own and got some advice directly from the major washing machine manufacturer Bosch.

See inside Mrs Hinch's stunning home makeover in the gallery below

Bosch strongly recommends that washing machine owners do not use white vinegar, saying:

"There are several washing machine tips out there that say that washing machines can be descaled or cleaned with vinegar. However, we do not recommend using vinegar. The reason we do not recommend using vinegar to clean your washing machine is that it may degrade the rubber parts of the machine over time," said the German manufacturer.

"Instead of cleaning your washing machine with vinegar, use the Bosch Descaler to remove limescale and hard water deposits. It's easy to use and we recommend using it every few months to help with efficient performance.

"Also, use the Bosch Washer Cleaner to remove greasy residues, which can create spots on your laundry. Use it every few months for optimal cleaning".

So there you have it. We’re interested to know though, for you die-hard white vinegar fans, have you been put off using the common household product?