The surprising kitchen combo that makes laundry 'smell fresh' and 'feel softer'

When we want soft and fresh smelling clothes and towels without the cost of fabric softener it's always white vinegar we turn to.

But a home hacks guru has revealed we can get them smelling and feeling even nicer by adding another kitchen staple to the mix.

Julia Hunt showed in an Instagram reel how to make an orange-infused vinegar mix to use instead of fabric softener.

Watch the video above.

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"Orange peel vinegar for your laundry? Yes please," she captioned the post.

"It's a simple swap that makes your clothes smell fresh, feel softer, and stay free of synthetic fragrances.Just steep orange peels in white vinegar for 2–3 weeks, then strain and use ½ cup per load (in the rinse cycle or fabric softener compartment)."

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There are multiple benefits to using orange peels in the laundry. In addition to a citrusy scent, orange peels contain citric acid, which helps brighten washing and remove stains, D-limonene, which is a degreaser, and antibacterial properties that help kill germs.

Meanwhile, white vinegar neutralises odours without leaving any hint of its own strong vinegar smell, brightens clothes and softens washing by cutting through residue.

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Making your own white vinegar and orange peel mix will set you back about $3, with white vinegar just $1.85 for a one litre bottle at Coles and Woolworths and oranges priced at just under $1 at the time of publishing.

And since you will likely be eating the orange first, using the peels this way is like getting two things for the price of one.

The homemade laundry booster was a hit with Hunt's Instagram followers who are keen to try it for themselves.

"This one is amazing!! Love the smell of oranges," a woman said.

"Thats awesome!!" one commented.

"Laundry… here I come!!" a follower said.

"Can't wait to try!" another wrote.

While the orange and vinegar mix is great for general washing, Hunt shared another hack to try if your towels and gym clothes smell musty after washing.

"Add five to 10 drops of tea tree oil to your laundry detergent. It's naturally cleansing [and] helps eliminate those stubborn odours that cling to moisture-holding fabrics," she said in an Instagram reel.

If oranges, vinegar or tea tree oil aren't your thing there is another option for removing odours from clothes, towels and linens that will also soften them and it has no fragrance at all.

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It's baking soda (bicarb soda), which, like vinegar, is a cheap pantry item – a 1kg bag of baking soda costs just $3.50 at Coles – that can be used in the laundry to pre-treat stains and as an in-wash booster.

To boost the performance of your detergent you can add half a cup of baking soda with the detergent.

Instead of vinegar or fabric softener, a half a cup of baking soda can be added to the rinse cycle to both neutralise odours and remove residue on clothes.

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