Back away from the capful of detergent and listen up. If you’ve done your own laundry, you’re probably guilty of using way more laundry detergent and softener than necessary.
Laundry expert Taryn Rooms of Washerman’s Laundromat (@washermanslaundromat) claimed that detergent companies are banking on you not knowing how to do laundry properly in order to get more money out of you. Her video on the matter was viewed over 180,000 times.
Logic dictates that the more soap or cleaning solution you use, the cleaner an item will get. You’d think it’d be better to be more generous with the laundry soap than not.
But in reality, in this case, if you use too much detergent, it can make your clothes dirtier.
An expert opinion
Holding up a fabric softener bottle, Rooms shows that the brand advertises that you can get 105 loads out of one bottle.
“They’re not lying to you, but they’re taking advantage of the fact that you make assumptions,” Rooms says.
Rooms shows that you have to fill the cap a fraction of the way to the indicated line, rather than all the way, as many are guilty of.
Think about it: If you switch to using less than a quarter of the amount you usually use (as you’re supposed to), you’ll get four times more uses out of the bottle. That will ultimately save loads (pun intended) of money on laundry.
She adds that with fabric softener specifically, overusing it makes your clothes more flammable. You especially want to consider that when dealing with children and baby clothes.
@washermanslaundromat Using too much of your laundry products can have negative effects on your laundry. Fabric softener alone will make your clothes more flammable. Using too much fabric softener can make your clothes MORE FLAMMABLE than using the suggested amount. #laundry #laundrytok #laundrydetergent #laundromat #education ♬ original sound – washermanslaundromat
In an interview with the Daily Dot, Rooms shared that a good alternative to fabric softener is vinegar and baking soda. She said those ingredients “are not only more natural, but are super effective for cleaning (and no, your clothes will not smell like vinegar). You can put baking soda directly into the drum of the washer and the vinegar in the fabric softener compartment.”
How much detergent should you use?
The average load of laundry weighs 8 pounds. For that amount you need a mere one tablespoon of detergent. (You’re probably using 10x that.) For a large load of 12 pounds or more, two tablespoons of detergent will suffice, Wirecutter reported.
Consumer Reports recommends using a shot glass instead of the detergent cup to more accurately measure how much you need. It recommends one shot of detergent for normal loads and two for large or heavily soiled loads.
And you need even less if you’re using a high-efficiency detergent since those formulas are super concentrated.
“Some detergent manufacturers are going to lie on the label,” writer Sarah Bodgan warns in a Wirecutter video about laundry stripping. “But remember, they’re selling a product, and they want you to buy more of it.”
Rooms backed this up when speaking with the Daily Dot. She said, “Laundry products are advertised in such a way that consumers are fooled into using more product than they need. Even the manufacturer recommendation is more than you need to get your clothes as clean as you want them.”
How do you get built-up detergent off your clothes?
When detergent and softener are overused, they actually leave behind a film of buildup on your clothes.
“Based on the science behind laundry detergent, you should be using the correct amount for the amount of water your washer uses. Since water can only mix with a certain amount of detergent before it becomes saturated, the left-over detergent will end up on your clothing and in your machine,” Rooms explained to the Daily Dot.
That’s why they can sometimes feel waxy or crunchy to the touch, or some clothes come out looking more matte than they should or have visible detergent stains. (CR reported that excess detergent also further pollutes our water systems.)
The simplest way to get this buildup off of your clothes is to soak them in your tup with a mixture of water and vinegar. Wirecutter recommends 1 cup of vinegar for every quart of water.
If you need a detergent recommendation, Wirecutter experts recommend detergent over pods and powders since they’re redissolved.
Commenters react
People in the comments section had a lot to say on the matter.
“That’s the amount you’re supposed to use… always … More detergent just makes dirty clothes because the macuine can’t rinse it properly,” a commenter wrote.
“I will be doing my laundry and my dad is like no do another cap full. And I’m like ANOTHER?!! He’s like it’ll rinse out and I’m like NO,” a person said.
“Buut it leaaveees my clothess smellinngg geeewdd,” another wrote.
“Fabric softener makes my clothes feel waxy I do not ever use it,” a viewer shared.
The Daily Dot reached out to the laundromat for comment via email and Instagram direct message.
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