It’s a common chore in every household – but it turns out many of us have been doing it wrong for most of our adult lives.
According to washing experts, we have been using ‘too much’ detergent when we load up the washing machine – regardless of whether it’s a full or half load.
It prompted one puzzled Reddit user to comment: “Reducing how much laundry detergent I use has made a huge difference. I heard you only need a tablespoon or two of detergent and I was like ‘no way that’s gross’ I would use caps full of detergent. Well, I’ve become more frugal and decided to give it a shot.
“Wow. My clothes feel so clean and comfortable. They are soft, smell fresh, and I don’t have to spend almost £30 on laundry detergent every couple of weeks.”
According to Appliance Doctors, people who bought a washing machine within the last several years need to use “very little detergent to operate” them efficiently.
A statement reads: “Higher efficiency washers use considerably less water than older machines. Two teaspoons of liquid detergent or two tablespoons of powdered detergent are perfect for your high-efficiency washer! It might not look like a lot in the dispenser, but, trust us, this is how much detergent you really need for a standard load of clothing.”
When it comes to heavily stained or soiled clothes, the experts say you “don’t need extra detergent”. They add: “Spot-treating stains and pre-soaking your load of laundry is a more effective way of cleaning heavily soiled clothes”
The experts say the measuring cup you get with your bottle of liquid laundry detergent is about 10 times bigger than the amount needed. They added: “This is just another tactic used by soap companies to get you to spend more on their products.”
Commenting on this revelation, one user said: “We have the load and go washer, so it weighs the clothes and dispenses the detergent for me and it’s awesome we use way less with good results.”
While another person said: “I threw a shirt in the laundry at my mum’s house and she washed it. It was so much softer than when I washed it at my house. I said wow this is so soft and she said yep the key is don’t use too much detergent. She doesn’t use any extra things like fabric softener either.”
A third user added: “I had to have my washing machine serviced and the repair guy told us to use 1 teaspoon of soap. I was shocked! He said the machines wash better with less but also, using the amount recommended on the bottles will shorten the lifespan of the machine as well. Our clothes definitely feel much cleaner since cutting down and detergent lasts forever.”