Here's What 'The Laundry Guy' Says You're Getting Wrong About Laundry Detergent
If you're like most people, you probably do as much as 50 pounds of laundry a week, which equals 6,000 pieces of clothing every year, according to Laundry Butler for You. There are plenty of times where it seems like this never-ending chore is one of the givens in life, such as taxes and death. You probably don't give a second thought to washing your clothes, since you do it so often. Your routine likely includes stain treatment, detergent, and some type of fabric softener. Chances are, you always use the same products when you use your washing machine and dryer. Changing things up probably isn't on your radar, especially since an abrupt change in soap could lead to skin issues like contact dermatitis (via Healthline).
Given that you've washed so many loads over the years, you probably think that you know just about everything there is to know about doing laundry. However, HGTV's "The Laundry Guy," Patric Richardson, revealed the one laundry detergent mistake that nearly everybody makes when washing their clothes, and chances are, you're doing it too.
Here's how much laundry detergent you should use
Patric Richardson actually holds laundry camps around the country, helping teach people how to improve the arduous task (via HGTV). One of the things he teaches people involves the amount of detergent they use. It may seem like you should fill it up to the line on the included measuring cup and call it good, but that isn't actually the case. "Everybody uses too much soap or too much detergent," Richardson said (via HGTV). "Your clothes will actually get cleaner because it will completely rinse out. If something doesn't completely rinse out, then it's holding the detergent in the water but with that, it's holding on the dirt from the washing machine because it's all trapped in there together. So cut back on how much you use, and your clothes will be cleaner."
According to American Home Shield, you should only use about one tablespoon of detergent for each regular load you wash. The publication noted that most measuring cups included with your favorite brands are ten times larger than the amount you really need. Richardson also gave another laundry detergent tip. The popular pods have enough detergent for five loads of laundry, so he advised that you never use them because it'll be more challenging to keep your clothing clean. Ultimately, if you use less soap, your clothes will get cleaner, which is the goal of washing them in the first place.