Use Vinegar to Remove Hard Water in a Laundry Machine

Effects of Hard Water

• Hard water has high amounts of dissolved minerals, most notably calcium and magnesium, and its deposits can cause lime deposits and rust in a washing machine, its water lines, hoses and other parts. The hard-water buildups reduce the machine's efficiency, causing it to wear down faster and leading to higher energy bills. Additionally, more detergent is needed to wash the loads effectively, and clothing washed in hard water can suffer damage to the fibers, increasing the wear and shortening the lifespan by up to 40 percent.

Vinegar Usage

• Set the washing machine to a high temperature and water level. Let the tub fill with water. Add 3 cups white distilled vinegar and let the cycle run. Run another cycle with hot water only to rinse out the barrel. It is also a good idea to remove the washing dispensers to let them soak in soapy water. Scrub off hard-water deposits after they soften.

Alternatives Solutions

• Lemon juice also can get rid of hard-water deposits in your laundry machine. Set it to a high temperature and water level. Let the tub fill with water. Add 2 cups of lemon juice. Let the cycle run its course and follow with another hot-water only cycle. You can also clean the hard-water buildup in the tub by using soapy water and a sponge or light-duty scrub brush.

Additional Benefits of Vinegar for Laundry

• Vinegar not only gets rid of hard-water deposits, it also helps with laundry in numerous ways. Adding 1 cup to each wash load stops lint from clinging to clothes, while 1/2 cup added to the rinse cycle gets rid of lint already on clothes and brightens colors. Clothes will rinse better if a cup is added to the last rinse water, as it dissolves alkalies in detergents. Vinegar is also a stain fighter, helping get rid of wine, deodorant, coffee and other tough stains.