Ever seen white residues on your clothes after washing and thought... “I’ve used too much detergent in that load!” Well, not necessarily! Despite the evidence, chances are that you’ve actually put too many clothes in the load rather than too much detergent.
Doing the laundry is a little more sophisticated than eyeballing how much detergent you need and turning the machine on. Using too little or too much detergent often leads to poor laundry results. Whether it’s the washer you’re using or the size of the load, not all laundry is created equal, so it’s important to get the right dosing for your wash.
For example, take a high efficiency (HE) washing machines. Since they use less water, putting in too much laundry can soak up all the water so there isn’t enough to completely dissolve the detergent.
How Much Should I Use?
The key facts to consider are:
- How dirty the clothes are
- Size of the load
- Water hardness
It is important to dose correctly, since under- or overdosing can result in poor cleaning and stain removal.
- Dirt levels: The more heavily soiled your clothes are, the more detergent you will need to use in a load. This helps to remove dirt and prevent it from going back onto your clothes.
- Drum size: Detergent dosage directions are based on the drum size of a conventional washing machine, but machines are always getting bigger so if you have a new washing machines, it may have a bigger drum. Larger wash loads bring in more dirt, so to get great results on every wash you need more detergent.
- Water hardness: Water hardness varies throughout the country. To get the best results, people in hard water areas need to use more detergent.
What Dosage Should I Use?
Pacs:
To make life easier, try the pre-dosed laundry pacs, like Tide PODS® for extra convenience.
First, insert the required number of pacs based on your load size, then fill your washer with your laundry and turn the machine on.
Dosage instructions:
- For medium size loads, insert 1 laundry pac.
- For larger or heavily soiled loads, go ahead and use 2 pacs.
- For extra-large size loads, go ahead and use in 3 pacs.
Liquid:
If you’re focused on effective stain removal then opt for a liquid detergent, like Tide Ultra Stain Release Liquid. Liquid detergents are great for food, grease or oil stains, and are especially good for spot treating. You can easily use the cap to measure the dosage.
Dosage instructions:
- For medium loads, fill the cap to bar 1, or to bar 2 for Plus Collection.
- For large loads, fill the cap to bar 3, or to bar 4 for Plus Collection.
- For HE full loads, fill the cap to bar 5.
Then simply add clothes, pour detergent into the dispenser, start washer.
Powder:
For those everyday stains and smells, powder is a great option. Make sure you get the dosage right when you use a powder detergent, like Tide Powder.
Dosage instructions:
Measure the powder out with the scoop.
- For medium loads, fill the scoop to bar 1, or to bar 2 for Plus Collection.
- For large loads, fill the scoop to bar 3, or to bar 4 for Plus Collection.
- For HE full loads, fill the scoop to bar 5.
Then, start washer, add detergent, then add clothes.
Usage Instructions: Read and follow care label instructions, then sort. Always test and inside seam for colorfastness.
Always check the dosing instructions of the detergent You're using.
Want to Know More?
Watch our video on how to use Tide PODS® for the best results!
Make sure you get the best out of your liquid detergent. Watch our video on how to use Tide’s liquid detergents:
Help your powder detergent work for you. Watch our video on how to use Tide’s powder detergents: