In hard water, most of the ingredients in any powdered laundry detergent become attached to the minerals in the water rather than cleaning the clothes. This means that up to 30 percent more detergent must be used and at a higher water temperature than usual to get satisfactory cleaning results.
When washing with hard water, good detergents include extra ingredients that soften the water so the rest can get to work removing the real stains. This is why you'll need to use more detergent to soften the water if you live in a hard water area.
Water hardness affected powdered detergents, and, depending on the detergent type, 10-15% to > 30% extra detergent was needed to obtain a result similar to that of soft water.
Generally, (there are variables, which I'll touch on shortly) if you have soft water use 1 tablespoon (1/16 cup) of HE (high-efficiency) detergent per wash load in a front-loading machine; for top-loading refer to your owner manual, or about 1/4 cup if you can't find it.
Dishwasher detergent can be reduced by more than 50% after softening and still get the same cleaning results. This is great news for both households and restaurants. Let's take a look at what hard water is, and why you can get such a dramatic improvement when you soften it!
You may have to wash your belongings multiple times in hard water just to get them to feel and look clean. On the other hand, soft water doesn't contain minerals that prevent soap from making suds. So you can use less soap for the same job and get better, cleaner results.
As staff writer Sarah Bodgan and senior staff writer Liam McCabe say in our guide to the best washing machines, 1 tablespoon is enough to thoroughly clean an average load, which usually weighs around 8 pounds. And if you're hand-washing, Sarah recommends that you use even less.
Per the usual 8 pound load of laundry, the amount of detergent needed to clean clothes is only one tablespoon. Double that for loads weighing in at 12 pounds or more. Reduce it for the days when you're hand washing.
So, how much detergent are you actually supposed to be using? This may come as a shock, but just 1 to 2 tablespoons is more than enough for your entire load.
Borax, ammonia, trisodium phosphate, and washing soda (sodium carbonate) are some of the additives used to soften hard water for laundry on a small scale. Homemade hard water softeners – such as vinegar – are also sometimes used as the hard water laundry solution.
Hard water prevents water from mixing with detergent to form an effective cleaning agent. The calcium minerals bond with the soap to create a detergent curd that sticks to the fabric fibers, drawing in more dirt than before you washed your clothes.
When you have hard water, much of the detergent you put in ends up being used to soften the water. That means you'll need to use more laundry detergent and hotter water to get your clothes clean. But more detergent means more residue, so it's a vicious cycle.
The hard water minerals will also prevent your detergent from mixing with the water to form a solution, which hampers the effectiveness of your detergent, preventing fabrics from getting completely clean – this will cause smelly clothes after washing.
The first step is to identify the signs of hard water damage. Once you've done that, you can employ tactics like using a chelating or clarifying shampoo, doing a vinegar rinse, applying leave-in conditioners, and rinsing with filtered water to mitigate these effects.
Too little detergent can leave your clothes feeling unclean and dingy, while too much can cause residue buildup on your clothing and in the washing machine.
Liquid detergent requires the highest amount – usually two tablespoons, give or take, per load, or two teaspoons if you have a high-efficiency washing machine. With many powder formulas, the recommended amount is about a quarter of a cup.
But when it comes to laundry detergent, you may be surprised to learn that more isn't always better. In fact, using too much laundry detergent may cause problems for your clothes and your washing machine over time.
Fabric softener is not a hard water treatment. You may still find your clothing dirty-looking, stiff and rough after washing. Fabric softener can combine with the chemicals in your water to contribute to the soap scum.
In hard water conditions soaps form scum. Soap scum affects more than just cleanliness; it can deteriorate fabrics and eventually ruin clothing or other surfaces. Conversely, detergents can work in any level of water hardness since they react less to the many minerals in hard water.
At home, pods may have a small advantage in some households where overdosing on liquid or powder detergent is a common problem. It may be cheaper in the long run to use pods that are already measured out to avoid overdosing on other types of detergent. Lightweight to carry or ship and require very small storage space.
Tide Plus Ultra Stain Release is more than a superior stain remover. In our tests, this concentrated detergent works solidly in hard water. In fact, in our ratings, 12 Tide detergents (liquids and pods/packs) offer near top-level efficiency in hard water.
Liquid detergents are generally recommended for washing in hard water. This is because the ingredients in liquid laundry detergent are less likely to react with hard water minerals. Liquid detergents also rinse more easily than powder in hard water, so they're less likely to leave residue behind.
The Reason Hard Water Damages Hair
It can also make hair dull, frizzy, stiff, and more prone to tangles. These effects are heightened when hair is washed with hard water over a long period of time. The buildup may be more difficult to penetrate with serums, masks, or other treatments.