Brilio.net - Washing clothes is an important daily routine to maintain the cleanliness and freshness of clothes. However, there are several things that need to be considered so that the washing results are maximized, one of which is the duration of soaking clothes. If clothes are soaked for too long, especially in dirty water, it can actually cause a musty smell.
This odor occurs because bacteria and fungi begin to grow in humid and oxygen-deficient conditions, resulting in an unpleasant odor on clothes. Unfortunately, some people often assume that soaking clothes for too long can make the dirt fade and make them easier to wash. However, there is a duration limit that needs to be known, which is only 30 minutes.
If more than that, the soaked clothes will actually smell musty. This was experienced by the owner of the TikTok account @mamaholid23. In one of the videos uploaded, she admitted that she had accidentally left clothes soaked in detergent for three days. As a result, the clothes smelled musty, making it difficult to remove.
Even so, TikTok user @mamaholid23 still has a special way to overcome it. Through the uploaded video, she admitted to using special ingredients to remove the musty smell with kitchen ingredients. Reported by BrilioFood from TikTok @mamaholid23 on Saturday (8/17), the kitchen ingredient in question is vinegar.
photo: TikTok/@mamaholid23
In addition, she also uses fabric softener and carbolic acid. How to use it is easy. The first thing to do is rinse the clothes that have been soaked earlier. Rinse until there is no soap left. Do this process several times, then squeeze and move it back into an empty tub.
photo: TikTok/@mamaholid23
Next, pour in enough carbolic acid and water. Once done, press and soak for about 10 minutes so that the musty smell disappears. After that, wash the clothes as usual with detergent, then rinse again until completely clean.
photo: TikTok/@mamaholid23
The last step, soak the clothes with 1 small sachet of fabric softener and 1 tbsp of vinegar that has been dissolved in water. Soak again for a few minutes. Then immediately squeeze and dry the clothes under the sunlight.
"The benefit of vinegar here is to make clothes smell better," said TikTok @mamaholid23.
photo: TikTok/@mamaholid23
Basically, vinegar can remove musty odors from clothes because its acidic properties can neutralize unpleasant odors caused by bacteria or fungi. Vinegar contains acetic acid which is antimicrobial. This acetic acid works by changing the pH of the environment around the bacteria and fungi that cause musty odors, thus preventing their growth and eliminating the odors they produce.
In addition, vinegar is also effective in dissolving detergent and mineral residues that can remain in the fabric fibers that can cause musty odors. By soaking or rinsing clothes in a vinegar solution, unpleasant odors can be reduced or eliminated altogether, so that clothes are fresher and cleaner.