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NON-TOXIC CLEANING 101
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FEATURED
YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS
ExPLORE
NON-TOXIC CLEANING 101
Vinegar is acidic, which helps dissolve mineral deposits, soap scum, and mold. Baking soda is a mild abrasive and deodorizer, which helps scrub away grime and neutralize odors. Together, they seem like the perfect natural cleaning duo.
And they can be effective when used correctly.
Here's what most DIY cleaning guides don't tell you: when vinegar and baking soda are combined, what's left behind is salt, water, and carbon dioxide. That fizzing reaction might look impressive, but it's not actually cleaning anything. The acid and the base cancel each other out, leaving you with basically just water.
When used together, baking soda and vinegar neutralize each other, effectively canceling out their respective cleaning benefits.
So if you plan to use baking soda and vinegar to clean your washing machine, make sure to run them in separate cycles, not mixed together.
If you want to clean your washing machine with these household staples, here’s how to do it safely and effectively.
Step 1: Run a vinegar cycle. Pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser or directly into the drum. Run a hot water cycle. The vinegar will help dissolve mineral deposits, soap scum, and kill mold.
Step 2: Run a baking soda cycle. After the vinegar cycle is complete, sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda into the drum. Run another hot water cycle. The baking soda will help scrub away any remaining residue and deodorize the drum.
Step 3: Run a rinse cycle. Run one more cycle with plain water to flush out any leftover vinegar or baking soda.
(That's three cycles total, which takes time, water, and energy.)
Step 4: Wipe down surfaces. After you’ve run these cycles, use a damp cloth to wipe down the outside, the door seal, and the detergent dispenser to get rid of any leftover baking soda residue.
While occasional use is generally safe, frequent vinegar cleaning could potentially cause wear on certain machine parts over time. For example, cleaning your washing machine too often with vinegar can impact some of the coatings on the drive shaft components, which are the parts responsible for switching cycles from agitate to spin.
Plus, the method is time-consuming. Cleaning the washer with vinegar and baking soda requires multiple cycles, manually wiping surfaces, and hoping you've addressed all the buildup. And if your machine has a serious mold or mildew problem, vinegar and baking soda alone might not be strong enough to fully eliminate it.
Truly Free Home Laundry Machine Cleaner is specifically formulated to clean washing machines in one cycle—not three—and is designed to break down detergent buildup, eliminate odors, and remove mold and mildew without toxic chemicals you’ll find in conventional washing machine cleaners.
Just add the sachet to your washing machine, run a heavy, hot water cycle (or your washing machine’s cleaning cycle), and you're done. No separate vinegar cycle, no baking soda cycle, no extra rinse.
And because it's formulated with plant-powered ingredients, like citric acid, it's safe for your machine, your septic system, your family, and the environment. Plus, when you clean your washing machine with Truly Free Home Laundry Machine Cleaner, you don’t risk potential wear from excessive vinegar use.
Experts recommend cleaning your washing machine about once a month or about every 30 cycles to prevent buildup. If you start noticing odors or visible mold, it's definitely time for a deep clean.
For ongoing maintenance tips, check out our guide: How Often Should You Clean Your Washing Machine.
Vinegar and baking soda can clean your washing machine if you use them correctly—in separate cycles, with proper technique, and with realistic expectations. But they're not as efficient or convenient as a purpose-made washing machine cleaner.
Truly Free Home Laundry Machine Cleaner simplifies the process, saves time and water, and delivers better results in a single cycle. Sometimes the DIY route works; other times, using the right tool for the job just makes more sense.
