Great article in New York Times about laundry and dishwasher detergent

treaclebob

Hello. I hope this hasn't been posted before. I read this article in the New York Times in March and have been following the advice ever since:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E1DF143DF930A25750C0A9669D8B63&scp=2&sq=detergent&st=nyt

A dishwasher/ washing machine repair man who has worked for almost 35 years and says the number 1 problem when these machines break down is the owners using too much soap. He recommends using between a half and AN EIGHTH of the amount stated on the detergent packaging. I have been using about 10 mls (two teaspoons) of surf small and mighty on a full load (less than a third of the recommended amount) and I cannot see any difference in the cleanliness (I'm in a soft water area). I'm saving a fortune on laundry liquid. I use about 5ml (one teaspoon) of softener (mainly for the scent!) and there is no difference. In fact the towels are more absorbant than before.

dom300186

thats something worth knowing plus reglarly clean the washer with vinegar and soda crystals on the hotest wash is like servicing your washer i do this every 4 months.

meritaten

I have never used the recommended amount of detergent since i nearly ran out one day and had to run a load of dirty work clothes with about a third of normal amount of powder - and to my amazement they came out clean! I also found out that high priced powders contain a lot of 'fillers' and perfume. cheap - and I mean very cheap powders in my experience do the job without having 'sparkly or blue bits' or smell strongly.
so I save a heck of a lot by using cheap detergents and less of them!
my clothes are clean and in my opinion dont clash with whatever fragrance i want to wear! btw - I can smell daz users a mile off and ariel and surf are also very noticable.

Debt_Free_Chick

meritaten wrote: »

I have never used the recommended amount of detergent since i nearly ran out one day and had to run a load of dirty work clothes with about a third of normal amount of powder

Me too - have been using tiny amounts of powder/liquid for about ten years now.

Let's face it, how soiled are your clothes? I only wear mine for one day and then launder them. If, unusally, they're really grubby, I put them on a wash with no detergent and no spin first .. then chuck the rest of the normal washing in and do my usual wash cycle.

berniesmaster

ok, thanks, im gunna try it tomorrow! x

midnightraven3

i make my own laundry gel, as i too can smell daz etc a mile off, and hate the smell

Steel_2

I cut right down on my washing powder a couple of years ago. I use the smallest of a set of measuring cups.

By the way Treaclebob, I don't use any conditioner in with my towels. Someone once told me it makes them water resistant so you might find that's the reason yours seem to be more absorbent since you've cut down.

Jacey53

Thank you for this. I am sure I add far too much detergent so will measure it out carefully now and reduce the amounts I use.

[Deleted User]

I have for years used only half the amount reccommeded, especially now as as my clothes don't get that dirty anyway I don't work anymore so its sometimes a case of 'freshening them up' more than that they were dirty.I shower morning and night and certainly am quite a clean person.I can usually do two wash loads a week as there is only me.One for bedding, towels ect, and the other for clothes. every now and again I will have a 'hot ' wash but even that I only put half the amount in.I also find a handful of washing soda crystals help keep the clothes clean and soft .White vinegar is fine for softening things and I don'r waste cash on 'conditioner' My Mum never used it as it wasn't on the market in my younger days I think its one of the greatest 'cons' ever visited on housewifes that you need to 'soften clothes and give them and artificial smell .I hang my bits on the line I have never owned or wanted a tumble dryer as fresh air is the best and cheapest 'tumbler' that I know

Mands

Jacey53 wrote: »

Thank you for this. I am sure I add far too much detergent so will measure it out carefully now and reduce the amounts I use.

One of the best suggestions I've seen for working out the amount of detergent you need is to halve the amount you use, and then halve it again and then again and keep going until you feel that it is no longer cleaning properly. Then go back one step.

I opened a new bag of washing powder recently and it had one of those handy plastic measures in it. I was horrified at the size so pulled out the measure that I use, an old egg cup that gets half filled, to compare. Checking one against the other apparently I'm using about 1/8th of the recommended amount of powder.

The cost of using the recommended amount would be terrible, never mind the waste!

Mands

katieclampet

Intersting article. I have always used half recommeded amount of soap powder, but will certainly cut down on that. I use vingear and soda crystals, never use fabric softner, I always think it is just more chemicals, and like another poster mentioned, a bit of a con. I also think it stops towels being so absorbant.

katiex