You’re wasting a ton of money every year (and getting worse results from your washing machine too) because you put too much detergent in. You might be shocked at how little you actually need.
We’re All Using Too Much Detergent
Practically everyone puts too much detergent in their washing machine, whether it’s an old top-loading model or a newer front-loading high-efficiency one. This is partially the fault of the detergent makers (who encourage you to use more than you need) and partially the fault of our brains (who have a more-is-better bias).
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But too much detergent isn’t just a waste of money; it’s also bad for your washer and your clothes. Excess detergent just ends up sent down the drain but not before leaving residue on your clothes. That residue can show up as chalky marks on your clothing and give clothes and towels a crunchy or sticky feeling. Excess detergent also encourages a build-up of soap scum and biofilm in your washer, which leads to stinky clothing and towels. In fact, using less detergent is one of our tips in our guide to dealing with smelly towels.
Despite our general inclination towards using too much detergent, if you’ve ever accidentally run a cycle without putting detergent in you know that the detergent is actually not all that important unless your clothes are seriously soiled.
I remember walking down to the laundry room to switch out a load of laundry and, while in route, remembering that I never put the detergent in. Much to my surprise, my clothing was clean and odor-free (neither smelling dirty nor smelling like fresh laundry). Warm water itself is a pretty great cleaning agent, and just an hour of jostling and rinsing in warm water had done a great job cleaning the clothes. We certainly aren’t going to recommend not using detergent at all, but it highlights how we overemphasize the role the detergent plays.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how much detergent you need for your high-efficiency and traditional washing machine.
How Much Detergent Do You Need for a High-Efficiency Washer?
We’ll break it down for you in a moment, but if you want the straight-to-the-point answer: use two teaspoons of liquid detergent or two tablespoons of powdered detergent. That’s barely a splash of detergent in the dispenser (or if you use a large bottle with a valve, about a one-second press of the button).
We’re not kidding. High-efficiency washers need next to no detergent to operate super efficiently. Whether you’re using liquid detergent or powder, you barely need any. In fact, if you have really soft water, you can even use even less. Whether your water is naturally soft or you use a softener, you can get by with 1-1.5 teaspoons or tablespoons, for liquid and powder respectively, instead.
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Source : How Much Laundry Detergent Do You Need? (Way Less Than You’re Using)
