We’re all familiar with traditional cleaning hacks like vinegar and baking soda, or lemon juice and salt – but there’s a household item that’s not only a lifesaver for laundry stains, but also for eliminating mould. This hidden cleaning powerhouse is none other than aspirin, typically found in your first aid kit.
Aspirin contains acetylsalicylic acid, which aids in breaking down stains, brightening whites, and even combating mould spores hiding in fabric, says Deyan Dimitrov, CEO of Laundryheap. It’s a game-changer for anyone dealing with yellowed shirts, sweat stains, or mildew smells on towels.
Priced at just 54p a pack, aspirin serves as an affordable alternative to expensive stain removers, reports the Express. Moreover, it’s eco-friendly, devoid of harsh chemicals or artificial whiteners, and gentle on fabrics, unlike bleach, which can weaken fibres.
To utilise this budget-friendly stain-busting solution, crush five to six uncoated aspirin and dissolve them in a bowl of warm water. Soak any stained clothing in the bowl for several hours or overnight, then wash as usual in your washing machine.
But aspirin’s benefits aren’t limited to laundry – it’s also a mould-busting solution. Just as aspirin can help plants fend off fungal infections when added to water, it also removes mildew from clothes, curtains and washing machines.
Simply crush five aspirin tablets and mix them with water to create a paste. For an extra boost, you can add white vinegar or lemon juice.
Apply the paste to affected areas, leave it for 30 minutes, and then wash as usual. Add dissolved aspirin to your detergent drawer for a deep machine clean.
This trick can solve one of the most exasperating laundry mishaps, as well as those pesky bits of tissue that scatter over clothing after accidentally tossing a tissue in the wash. On Facebook, Susan Attisha queried the Mrs Hinch community for tips on extracting tissue remnants from her laundry.
Geraldine Baines advised: “Put them back in the machine put four or five dissolvable aspirins in the drum wash at 40C and it will all disappear. I’ve been using this method for years.”
Steph Martin suggested: “Aspirin soaked in a bucket gets it out the best.”
Endorsing this approach, Mandy Harrison Carhart said: “Put them in a bucket of water with aspirin overnight. I don’t know how but it works!”
Diane Ingamells added her two-pence: “Soak two dissolvable aspirin in cold water for half an hour then rinse through. Works for me every time.”