You’ve just made it home from a stressful day at the office and your youngest child runs up and gives you a huge hug. Moments like this make your day. Unless that little child’s filthy hands have now ground pasta sauce into your favorite white blouse. You immediately change and try to get the stains out, soaking in water and treating with stain removers. Now it’s time for the washer. How much detergent should you put in for 1 blouse?
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Laundry detergent has gone through several upgrades over the years. There was a time it would take almost a full cup of powder to do a simple load of wash. Now with High-Efficiency washers (HE), the amount needed is far less. The detergents themselves are much more concentrated than they used to be.
How much is too much laundry detergent?
Does your HE washing machine smell terrible? If so, it is because you are using too much detergent. HE washers don’t use a lot of water, which means that if there is an excess of detergent, the washer can’t efficiently rinse all of the soap out. This leaves residue in the washer. This residue is literally a combination of detergent, body oils and dirt, fibers from clothes, and other nasty things. It then sits in the washer and starts to smell. REALLY smell.
To avoid this scenario, use less detergent than you think you should. According to several sources, for a HE full load, use 2 teaspoons of detergent. This is the optimal amount and will not only give you cleaner clothes but will also help with keeping your washer from smelling like something is rotting in your laundry room.
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Never use more detergent than the package says. If using single use detergents, only use 1 pod per load and never more than that a HE machine. If you are noticing that your clothing is a bit too dull or if your whites are turning gray, this is more evidence that too much detergent is being used.
To reduce detergent buildup, use some white vinegar in place of the usual fabric softener and it will help rinse extra soap that is clinging to the fibers where it had built up. It may not be able to restore your clothes to their prior brightness, but it will certainly help.
Always ensure that you are using the right amount of detergent and you shouldn’t run into too many issues with dulling colors or foul odors coming from your washing machine.