You have heard that washing clothes with soap or detergent can save water, but did you know that using too much could damage your clothing? Therefore, to maintain the quality of your clothes with effective cleaning, it is important to know how to use laundry detergent in the right way.
Laundry detergents contain chemicals that remove dirt from fabrics, but they also leave residues behind. If you wash your clothes too often, these residues build up over time and cause stains.
With a variety of detergents available from powder to liquid, the main thing is to concentrate on which detergent to use and how to use it correctly.
In the following post, I will explain the necessary steps required for using the detergent in the right way to get maximum cleaning of your fabrics. Keep on reading!
What is the importance of using the right laundry detergent?
A wrong detergent can cause damage to clothes and ruin your washing machine. Hence, it is important to use the best laundry detergent because it can make your clothes last longer and look better, as well as be more comfortable on your skin.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
Liquid laundry detergent is a detergent that you can use in your washing machine to clean clothes. It comes in a liquid form and has been designed to eliminate tough stains on clothes. The main ingredients used in this product are water, sodium carbonate, sodium silicate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
Powder Laundry Detergent
Powder laundry detergent comes in powder form, hence its name. Both men and women of all ages can use it without worrying about side effects. It is made from natural ingredients, which are safe for the environment as well as human beings.
Difference between Powder and Liquid Detergents
The difference between powder and liquid detergents is that the powder form of laundry detergent is a dry granular material that you mix with water to use. The liquid form of laundry detergent is already mixed with water, so it can be used directly in your washing machine or added to your washbasin.
All types of fabrics including synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon as well as natural fabrics can easily be cleaned using liquid detergent. For removing tough stains like grease, oil etc. you should go for a liquid detergent. While a powder detergent is more suitable for cleaning clothes that have dirt or clay stains on them.
Powder laundry detergents, however, have several advantages over liquid forms:
- They do not spill as easily,
- Take up less space in storage.
- Easier to transport from one location to another.
- They also dissolve more quickly than liquids.
Laundry Detergent Pods
Pods are considered the third kind of laundry detergent available in the market along with liquid and powder detergents.
Laundry detergent pods are a great way to save money while doing your laundry. You simply add them to your washing machine along with your regular detergent and they do the rest!
Use Laundry Detergent Pods:
To use laundry detergent pods, first, open the pod and place it inside your washing machine. Add the number of pods recommended on the package and then fill the rest of the washer with water.
Turn on the wash cycle and wait until the cycle finishes before opening the door. If you want to make sure the pods dissolve completely, you can run the wash cycle again. Once the cycle is finished, drain the water and dry your clothes normally.
How to use Laundry Detergent- Steps
So how do you use laundry detergent in a way that will not affect the quality of the clothes as well as there will be proper cleaning of your fabrics? Well, to go through the process you have to follow the steps so that you can get the most out of your laundry detergent.
1. Choosing the Detergent
Before learning how to use laundry detergents, the most important step is to choose the right kind of detergent that will be compatible with your clothes. As mentioned earlier, a poor detergent can ruin your clothes. So always, be extra careful in selecting the best detergent for your fabrics.
2. Load Size
Once you select the type of detergent for your clothes, the next step is to measure the clothes capacity of your loading drum in the washing machine. To measure the load size, all you need to do is put clothes in the drum.
- It is a small load if the drum is a quarter full after filling all the clothes inside.
- A medium load for a half-filled drum.
- If the drum is full of clothes right at the top then it is a full-capacity load.
Always make sure that the washer is not overloaded with clothes. This will allow even mixing of detergent with all the fabrics inside the drum and hence better cleaning as well.
3. Amount of Detergent
How much detergent should be used during laundry that will not damage the clothes? A question that gets in the mind of so many people.
Using the right amount of detergent on your clothes is very crucial. So make sure to pour the amount of detergent that is set on the packaging and always follow the measuring guideline given on the detergent packaging.
4. Detergent or Clothes: Which should go first?
After measuring the detergent amount, the next task is to decide whether the detergent should be poured first into the washer or the clothes. It all depends on the washing machine you have. There is a specific detergent compartment available in an HE washer.
However, for a regular washing machine with a top load, it is better to start with water first. Fill the washer with water, and then pour the detergent and finally the clothes.
How to use Powder Laundry Detergent
Use powder laundry detergent in a washing machine by following the steps below:
- Fill your washing machine with warm water.
- Add one scoop of powdered laundry detergent to the water and mix it well.
- Put your clothes in the washing machine and close the lid.
- Set your washing machine on a normal cycle for about 30 minutes or until done.
The duration may vary depending on how dirty or large your load is, so keep an eye out for any signs that you need to change cycles or add more time if needed. Once finished, remove the clothes from the washer and hang them up to dry outside or inside using a drying rack.
How to use Liquid Laundry Detergent
In the case of using liquid laundry detergent, you should follow some steps.
- First, pour the recommended amount of liquid laundry detergent into the drum.
- After that, add water. You should know that this kind of product needs more time than a powder one. Therefore, you need to wait for about 30 minutes before starting your washing process.
- Put clothes into the washer drum
- Close the lid
- Start to wash it
Conclusion
To wash and clean clothes, you need laundry detergent. But you should use the detergent based on the amount of laundry you have to wash. It is very important to use the right amount of detergent for both washing machines and hand-washing.
Therefore, in this post, I have explained some factors involved in how to use laundry detergent in a better way. Going through these steps will help you to utilize the laundry detergent on your clothes more effectively. Have a great laundry day!