Liquid detergents washed equally well in both soft and hard water. Powdered detergents were better than liquids in soft water. 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.
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.
Load size. Add detergent based on the size of the load, but don't use more than two tablespoons or the excess won't rinse out. If your load is small, ratchet back the detergent. A half-load gets one tablespoon instead of two.
Detergents do not form insoluble precipitates with the calcium and magnesium ions in hard water. They are long chains of ammonium or benzene sulphonic acids and form lather easily even with hard water.
Best for Tough Stains and Hard Water
In fact, in our ratings, 12 Tide detergents (liquids and pods/packs) offer near top-level efficiency in hard water. Hard water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium that can leave residue on your clothes and mineral deposits inside your washing machine.
Too much detergent is actually harmful to your garments, but we'll get to that in a second. 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.
Beyond the impact on clothes, using too much laundry detergent in your wash may also irritate skin. Detergent build-up can cause some people to develop contact dermatitis, which can lead to itching, rashes and other uncomfortable symptoms.
Hard water does not form lather with soap because a large amount of soap is used to neutralize the salts present in water, resulting in the formation of scum which sticks to clothes during washing making them dirtier.
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.
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.
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.
If you're using too much laundry detergent, your clothes will carry an odor and wear down the machine. The laundry detergent you use can affect your clothes in many ways. For instance, if too much is used it could stain or mark up the clothing which may have an effect on how they look and smell.
As a general rule of thumb, you should only use about a tablespoon of laundry detergent per regular load size. (The measuring cup that comes with your liquid laundry detergent is about 10 times larger than the actual amount of laundry soap needed.)
Powder detergent: Standard washers take a quarter cup. If you're dealing with some serious dirt, use a half cup. HE washers work best with two tablespoons. Liquid detergent: Use two tablespoons for a standard washer and two teaspoons for an HE washer.
In the GHI's detergent tests, powdered laundry detergent almost always out-performs liquids and gels when it comes to stain removal. But it also comes down to personal preference and your budget.
It's formulated to deliver a deep clean for all of life's messy moments. Persil laundry detergent is great for everyday laundry, even activewear, as it not only helps brighten and whiten your clothes, but also helps fight tough stains.
On the other hand, adding too little detergent can also be problematic. As a result, your clothes may not come out as clean as you'd like, especially if you're dealing with stubborn stains or heavily soiled items.
Add washing soda when you wash your clothes – Washing soda or sodium carbonate is soluble in water, and reacts with the hard water minerals calcium and magnesium to soften your water. This allows your washing detergent to produce more lather and work better.
We can remove this hardness by treating the water with washing soda. Insoluble carbonates are formed when washing soda reacts with the sulphide and chloride salts of magnesium and calcium, and thus, hard water is converted to soft water.
Soap contains carboxylate whereas detergents contain polar sulfonates, which are more soluble in hard water, and gives more lather unlike soaps.
Vinegar makes a perfect fragrance-free fabric softener and works well for hard water. To use vinegar as a fabric softener and static reducer: Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse cycle of your washing machine.