Style

Why You Should Put Mouthwash In Your Washing Machine

September 21, 2016 by Justine Schwartz
shefinds | Style

This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.

The 125 Best New Beauty Launches Of 2023

Laundry is a necessary evil–everybody hates doing it, but you don’t want to be the stinky kid at school, so you have to. It’s also essential for keeping your clothes in top shape. Since we have a love-hate relationship with laundry, we’re always looking for ways to make it better. Here’s one I just came across today: did you know that running a load with mouthwash is how you clean your machine?? Me neither. Game changer.

READ MORE: How To Wash Your Jeans So They Last Forever

This is obviously more relevant for people who own their own washer and dryer (shout-out to you laundromat girls!). If your machine smells a little funky or otherwise requires disinfecting, you simply run a half a cup of mouthwash in an empty load on normal cycle? This cleans the machine and will make your future laundry loads smell amazing.

READ MORE: The Millennial’s Guide To Laundry: Everything You Need To Know

I used this technique after a little incident with poison ivy. I had poison ivy oils on some gloves I used during gardening (I know, so suburban) and was paranoid about the oils sticking to the machine and getting all over future loads. I used the mouthwash trick and never had an issue with the ivy. It also got rid of a musky smell that lingered in my machine from the prior owners (my house is *really* old). If you’re a clean freak, this is definitely something you should do immediately.

READ MORE: 5 Reasons You Should Fold Clothes As Soon As You Take Them Out Of The Dryer

So, there you have it–another super simple laundry hack. Now you can go back to reading about the Brangelina break-up. *Devastated*

READ MORE: You’re Doing It Wrong: Washing Your Swimsuits

Author:

Editorial Director

Justine Schwartz is a veteran women's lifestyle editor; she's written extensively about style & beauty tips, health advice and wedding planning for more than a decade. Her work has appeared in New York Magazine, Huffington Post and New York Weddings. Justine has been with SheFinds since 2010; you can reach her via email at [email protected].

From Our Partners

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

From Our Partners

Learn more about RevenueStripe...
LOAD MORE
+
LOAD MORE POSTS