Are You Using the Wrong Amount of Laundry Detergent? Here Are Signs

If you're trying to get rid of stains, smells, or stiffness in your clothes, knowing how much laundry detergent to use is key. Using the correct amount of detergent for each load ensures clothes are clean and fresh without excessive wear and tear, but how do you know if you're using too much or too little detergent?

Here, laundry experts share tips on exactly how much laundry detergent to use for different types of loads, as well as common signs of detergent underuse and overuse. By being more mindful of how much detergent to use for each load, you'll see cleaner results and save money.

How Much Laundry Detergent Should You Use?

The amount of laundry detergent to use for each load depends on various factors, among them:

• Type of detergent
• Size of the load
• How dirty the clothes are
• Whether your house has hard or soft water
• Type of washing machine
  

For an average-sized soiled load, a good rule of thumb is to use ½ ounce of laundry detergent for high-efficiency (HE) machines and 1 ounce for traditional machines says Cleancult's Ryan Lupberger. He contends that we often reference the cap on liquid detergent to measure the product for a load, but not all liquid detergent products have a cap with measurements, and some that do can be misleading. He recommends using a measuring cup to properly determine the right amount of detergent for each load.

If you're using a pre-measured detergent pod or pack, they're already optimized for standard laundry loads. In this case, just use one per average load and adjust according to instructions on the product label.

Size and Soil Level

The tricky part is that we don't always have an average-sized load. According to cleaning expert Mary Gagliardi, we should adjust the amount of detergent and laundry additives based on load size and soil level. “Large loads of heavily soiled laundry will need more detergent," she says, "[while] a small load of lightly soiled items will need the minimum recommended amount on the product label.”

Considerations for Hard or Soft Water

Water quality and hardness are other factors to consider when determining how much laundry detergent to use. “High water hardness lowers cleaning performance,” Gagliardi says, “so people with hard water will need to increase the amount of detergent they use to compensate.” But if your water is soft, don’t assume you should use less than the recommended amount of detergent, because most laundry products are created with soft water in mind.

Type of Washing Machine

It's important to note that standard top-load washing machines tend to use more water than front-load washers, so top-loaders may require a bit more laundry detergent. It's still recommended to follow the instructions on the detergent's label and the machine’s manufacturer’s guide.

Users of low-volume HE washers face concerns with foaming so, in practice, they generally don’t overuse laundry detergent, according to Gagliardi. “If anything, they are using too little,” she says. Since HE washers use less water, too little laundry detergent might not get fully distributed and too much may get or rinsed away, but you still want to use enough to get your clothes thoroughly cleaned.

Signs You're Using Too Little or Too Much Detergent

Telltale signs of using too little detergent are clothes that feel dirty, greasy, or stinky. If yours aren’t coming out of the laundry clean, try increasing the amount of detergent used in your next similarly sized load.

Conversely, using too much detergent can leave your clothes feeling stiff, scratchy, or sticky. Faded colors and fraying fabrics are more signs, but it's not just the laundry that leaves clues of over-washing. Leftover traces of detergent on your items, or detergent that becomes clumpy or doesn't rinse out properly, also signal you're using too much.

Costs of Overusing Detergent

“It’s always good to not be wasteful—and this applies to laundry products, too,” Gagliardi says. Overusing detergent is wasteful and expensive, causing you to head to the store for replacement detergent far too often, but it can have a domino effect on your budget.

Using too much detergent can also lead to washing machine damage, Lupberger adds. Detergent build-up can clog hoses, valves, and other components in your machine, making it harder for water to properly drain and potentially damaging the unit. Having to unexpectedly repair or replace a washing machine is an inconvenience and expense no one wants to deal with.

How to Remove Detergent Buildup

If you suspect you've been overusing detergent and are determined to clean up your laundry game, here are tricks for getting rid of excess residue on your clothes and washing machine:

• To guarantee detergent removal. incorporate an additional rinse cycle to ensure clothes are free from residue, last longer, feel fresher, and safeguard your skin.
• Consider laundry stripping—soaking garments and linens in hot water with an at-home borax solution—to remove detergent residue, fabric softener, minerals from hard water, and body oils that have collected on your laundry over time.
• Clean your washing machine. Yes! Use a commercial washing machine cleaner after every wash and perform a deep clean monthly to stave off hard-water minerals, detergent scum, bacteria, and mold.
• If hard water is causing mineral buildup on your clothes and machine, take a look at incorporating a household water softener as a viable solution.