Interesting article on laundry detergent

[OceanAnnie]

I don't remember where I read it though. In it, the author described how many people use too much laundry detergent. He stated if you can see suds, you're using too much. Well, that's me.

He stated it's hard on your washing machine and of course the clothes. It was suggested to run your laundry without any soap and see if it suds up. I did that and yes it did. Now scaling back on the detergent. I was using the lines, but I guess I need to go down a line.

Do you use too much detergent?

 

[AKL_Megs]

I ALWAYS have suds.

Gross, if it isn't sudsy, the clothes usually still have crusty deodorant left on the inside of shirts. Yuck.

I know those energy efficient washers actually don't produce much suds and can clean well without, but the old fashioned kind should.

I fill up the detergent cup for a full load.

 

[KimR]

I used to and then I happened to notice that when I removed my towels from the washer, they still had suds on them. So, I put them through an extra rinse cycle, after which they STILLL had suds. I don't know how many times I had to rinse those towels before the rinse water was suds-free.

So I started paying more attention and eventually discovered that I only needed to fill the little cup maybe a quarter of an inch in order to get all the detergent out - and that is with the machine set to an extra rinse cycle. Since then, I use much less detergent - maybe 1/3 of what is recommended for clothes, less for towels. Towels seems to absorb the suds more and besides, they don't really get dirty the way clothes do, thus smaller amounts of detergent should suffice.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I ALWAYS have suds.

Gross, if it isn't sudsy, the clothes usually still have crusty deodorant left on the inside of shirts. Yuck.

I know those energy efficient washers actually don't produce much suds and can clean well without, but the old fashioned kind should.

I fill up the detergent cup for a full load.

We have an energy efficient washer. I didn't adjust for the change.

 

[jen0610]

I don't remember where I read it though. In it, the author described how many people use too much laundry detergent. He stated if you can see suds, you're using too much. Well, that's me.

He stated it's hard on your washing machine and of course the clothes. It was suggested to run your laundry without any soap and see if it suds up. I did that and yes it did. Now scaling back on the detergent. I was using the lines, but I guess I need to go down a line.

Do you use too much detergent?

If I go by this article I do. I am like you, I need to go down a line. I read this yesterday, was either on MSN or Yahoo home page.

I can't get DH to understand that when he does a mini-mini load of his socks, he doesn't need a full cap of detergent and a full cap of whitener. And he wonders why, when he does the laundry, we go through all the products so much faster then if I just do it.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Hm... apparently I do. Well I'm just gonna try to use less and see what happens!

Thanks for the tip!

 

[AKL_Megs]

We have an energy efficient washer. I didn't adjust for the change.

But aren't the HE detergents formulated differently? For fewer suds?

 

[worm761]

I started making my own laundry detergent around two years ago. I do not add a sudsing agent so my laundry soap has no suds. It cleans really well though. DS has some skin issues and I have very sensitive skin so this way worked out much cheaper for me. I only use a tablespoon of powder detergent for a load. Two if is a really dirty load. I use the sanitize setting for towels and such.

 

[OceanAnnie]

If I go by this article I do. I am like you, I need to go down a line. I read this yesterday, was either on MSN or Yahoo home page.

I can't get DH to understand that when he does a mini-mini load of his socks, he doesn't need a full cap of detergent and a full cap of whitener. And he wonders why, when he does the laundry, we go through all the products so much faster then if I just do it.

Now that you mention it, I think I saw it on Yahoo home.

Hm... apparently I do. Well I'm just gonna try to use less and see what happens!

Thanks for the tip!

You're welcome!

 

[OceanAnnie]

But aren't the HE detergents formulated differently? For fewer suds?

I think that's only some of them. I don't know. I'm using Whisk HE and it doesn't say anything about low suds on it. In the past, I have seen low suds on some HE detergents.

 

[Piecey]

I read the article, too!!

I ran my dishwasher twice yesterday and used less soap. Dishes are still clean!

 

[AKL_Megs]

I think that's only some of them. I don't know. I'm using Whisk HE and it doesn't say anything about low suds on it. In the past, I have seen low suds on some HE detergents.

Ah, okay. I don't know much about HE machines, other than that I have heard they use less water and make fewer suds.

I have a circa 1990's washer and dryer combo in a great almond color! But hey, she works like a charm! My dryer dries clothes 3 times faster than the brand new dryer our old apartment had! Go figure!

 

[OceanAnnie]

But aren't the HE detergents formulated differently? For fewer suds?

You know, I think you are right. I'm no expert as this thread will attest. Yes. I'm using too much detergent. I know I saw "low suds" somewhere.

 

[Imzadi]

I have always read that it is the suds that actually break down the surface tension of water and do the work to break apart grease & help dirt release, instead of sticking & adhering to surfaces. That you can have a boat load of water, but that it is that thin layer of suds/bubbles that do the work.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Ah, okay. I don't know much about HE machines, other than that I have heard they use less water and make fewer suds.

I have a circa 1990's washer and dryer combo in a great almond color! But hey, she works like a charm! My dryer dries clothes 3 times faster than the brand new dryer our old apartment had! Go figure!

Good for you that it still works! I'd hang onto it too.

 

[Pooh67_68]

I had to scale back when we bought this house. First time I used half a cap full and had to re -rinse 3 times, now I barley usea 1/4 cap full and sometimes it still suds like crazy.
And yes my clothes smell clean after washing, even though I don't use a lot of detergent now.

 

[Tinkermommy]

I use a lot less than recommended and my clothes come out very clean. I have an HE washing machine as well. I have read that it's the pulling and stretching of clothes that actually cleans them and allows the dirt and such to release and that the old "wringer" style of washing machine did a much better job of getting clothes clean than many of our current machines. I am sure the detergent helps with odors and grease and such as well.

FYI, my friend had an HE washer and his wife refused to put in less detergent and it caused problems with their machine since she used way too much.

 

[Sleepy]

We must have really terrible water around here. We have a HE washer. I can add 2 full caps of REGULAR detergent to a load of clothes and there is not a sud to be found.

 

[Robinrs]

Years ago I remember some laundry expert on Martha Stewart say that the only purpose of soap in the washing machine is to break the skin so it can go thru the fibers to clean them. The skin is the "membrane" that allows things to float on water, soap breaks it and allows it to float thru and clean the fabric.

She said it only takes a drop and even dish detergent will do that. I've used it since then and it's been almost 10 years. The clothes DO clean with the tiny bit!

 

[BunsenH]

I've always found the 2X and 3X detergents to be deceiving (if not actually designed to be overused). If you read the instructions, a full load is usually 1/2 a cap even though the measuring bars go from a 1/3 cap to full. Since the bars are difficult to see, I usually mark the cap for a full load and adjust from there.