There are a lot of myths out there about laundry.
In general, there’s some accepted wisdom about the practice: separate lights and darks, use warm water, and add a little fabric softener if you want your clothes to feel better.
However, while these may be common practices, that doesn’t mean they’re the best choices for your clothes. Internet users have warned about the problems with fabric softener, advised about the issues using warm or hot water instead of cold, and provided nuance about the idea of separating one’s clothes by color.
At the very least, when doing laundry, one often trusts that the measurements provided on the label of the detergent are accurate to how much of that detergent needs to be used. That said, this might not be true either, as recently explained by dry cleaner and TikTok user Zachary Pozniak (@jeeves_ny).
What’s wrong with laundry detergent?
In a video with over 1.3 million views, Pozniak details various laundry “scams” of which viewers might not be aware.
Throughout the video, he advises against alternatives to detergent, saying that “magnets can’t clean your clothes” and that products like Ozone Machines are also ineffective at removing stains.
He also discusses laundry detergent sheets, saying they “prey on your desire to be eco-friendly without delivering real results, as they clean extremely poorly.”
Furthermore, he states that vinegar, while a good pre-treatment and rinse product, cannot remove the most common clothing stains, which are related to body oil. Finally, he says that “luxury” washing products don’t provide customers with a better wash than the alternatives.
However, the part of the video that has sparked the most discussion is Pozniak’s claim regarding how much laundry detergent one should use.
“The detergent dosing cap,” he sighs. “The most you should be using is 2 tablespoons, which is barely going to get you to the top of that first line [on the dosing cap]. If you follow their instructions and go to the 5th line for large loads, you’ll be using 4 times the amount needed.”
He continues by saying that, while some manufacturers have adapted and are now advising that customers use less detergent, others are “stuck in the past.”
Do you really only need two tablespoons of detergent?
While it may seem counterintuitive, laundry experts are generally in agreement that two tablespoons of laundry detergent is all one needs—and in some cases, it can be too much.
In a 2023 article for the New York Times’ Wirecutter section, author Elissa Sanci says that one only needs two tablespoons of detergent at most for big loads weighing 12 pounds or more. One tablespoon is often enough for cleaning an average load.
Some may see this and question if there’s a downside to using a little extra detergent. Sanci says that there is. Using too much laundry detergent can leave residue on clothes, making them scratchy and uncomfortable. Not only that, but excess detergent also creates extra suds, which prevents garments from rubbing together while being washed, which she notes is an essential step for effectively removing trapped dirt.
@jeeves_ny Here are a few laundry scams you should know about: 1) Laundry magnets…. not much to say here. I can’t believe we have to discuss this! 2) The dosing cap needs a serious upgrade as 2 tablespoons is already a ton of detergent. And recommending EIGHT TABLESPOONS for a large load is criminal. 3) The O3 Waterworks ozone machine claiming it can replace detergent is truly insane. I truly despise this product as it’s likely taken advantage of hundreds of people. 4) Laundry detergent sheets prey on your good nature of wanting to be sustainable without providing real cleaning performance. Plus they’re almost all made in Asia which offsets all of that great packaging. 5) Vinegar cannot be used in lieu of detergent. It has its place in the laundry room but it isn’t a magical swiss army knife of cleaning clothes. 6) Most luxury detergents are overpriced and are fillllled with perfume, masking poor performance with ‘clean’ scents. It breaks my heart that these tactics are used to scam consumers when all of us are tasked with the never ending chore of laundry. Let me know what you think #scam #scams #laundryscam #cleaningscam #laundrymagnets #laundrydetergentsheets #sheets #moziwash #o3waterworks #ozone #laundry #laundrytips #vinegar #cleanwithvinegar #luxurydetegents #tylerdetergent #thelaundress #laundrydetergentdosing #howmuchdetergentshouldiuse #mythbusting #explained ♬ Someday – Khaim
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, users shared the benefits of using less detergent.
“I switched to powder laundry detergent and I’ve saved sooooo much money as a family of 6,” wrote a commenter. “I spend maybe $100 on detergent a year, and that’s with an average of 2 loads a day.”
“Friend was an engineer at whirlpool, he said no matter how much detergent you think you need, you still probably need less,” offered another.
Still, some weren’t quite sure.
“Do I believe him when he says that’s how little detergent I need to use? Yes. Am I going to do that? No. I am brainwashed by Big Laundry,” joked a commenter. “It’s too late for me.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Pozniak via website contact form.
Update 3:06pm ET, April 14: In an email to the Daily Dot, the creator noted, “In general, modern machines that are [high efficiency] require less detergent than old school high water use machines. For older machines, I highly recommend using a water softener to improve the efficacy of your detergent. Also, smaller machines don’t need as much as larger machines.”
He continued by noting the differences in the dosing instructions provided by detergent manufacturers.
“I agree with the dosing for products like Mrs. Meyer’s and 7th Gen easy dose bottles, but disagree with most brands who still use the large plastic cap for liquids,” Pozniak wrote. “I would use 2 tbsp of liquid for most soiled and large loads, a bit more for larger and dirtier loads, and less for refresh and small loads. When using powder, I’d use a touch more than liquid.“
That said, Pozniak also stated that “dosing can be difficult as variables change based on the product, machine, and what you’re washing.”
“You want to see some suds, but not too many,” he shared. “Too many suds means the soap has saturated the water and needs to escape into the air, too few and it means that you likely aren’t getting enough of a clean.”
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