It's tempting to add the maximum amount of laundry detergent to the wash to ensure your clothes are extra clean. One Redditor revealed how much detergent you should actually use, and it's much less than you'd think.
In a popular Reddit post, one user shared game-changing laundry room wisdom: You usually need 1 or 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent to clean your clothes.
While they were initially suspicious of this advice, the Redditor gave it a chance to save money on household necessities. They weren't disappointed with the results.
"My clothes feel so clean and comfortable," they wrote. "They are soft, smell fresh, and I don't have to spend almost $30 on laundry detergent every couple of weeks."
Regardless of the type of washer, detergent, or amount of clothes you're washing, you probably need much less laundry detergent than you'd expect.
Depending on how large the load is, use between 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent for standard washers and just 1 teaspoon for high-efficiency machines.
There are a few variables that can impact the amount of detergent, like whether you have hard water and what kind of detergent you're using. Research what is best for your specific machine and preferred detergent, and you'll likely find you've been using more than you need.
Less detergent will improve the quality of your clothes. Too much leaves a scratchy residue and creates extra suds, which prevents your clothes from rubbing together. This may seem like the ideal scenario, but friction helps release trapped dirt in your garments.
This advice will help you consume less over time, so you will also save money buying fewer bottles of detergent.
Laundry detergent can negatively impact the environment, so reducing our consumption can limit the repercussions. Many detergents contain chemicals that can contaminate water sources and endanger marine life.
These chemicals pose a risk to human health, too. The EPA classified 1,4-Dioxane, a toxic chemical found in many common laundry detergents, as a likely carcinogen.
Reducing laundry detergent usage, especially if we switch to environmentally friendly alternatives with safer ingredients, can benefit your clothes, health, and the environment.
Fellow Redditors were surprised to find out they have been overusing detergent, and some even corroborated the advice in the comment section.
"Our clothes definitely feel much cleaner since cutting down, and detergent lasts forever," one user wrote.
"Why does everyone think more soap means cleaner," another Redditor said.
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