Here is the recommended amount of powder detergent to use for all load sizes: Medium: Fill cap to bar 1 or 3 tablespoons. Large: Fill cap to bar 3 or 4-5 tablespoons. Extra Large: Fill cap to bar 5 or 8 tablespoons.
A normal-sized load of clothes generally weighs about 6 pounds. Use no more than 2 tablespoons of detergent for a larger load of clothes.
Measure Your Detergent
Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of liquid detergent, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of powder detergent, or one pod for a medium load as a general guideline. The use of too much detergent, on the other hand, might result in sudsing, which can harm your washing machine and leave residue on your clothes.
A medium load of laundry is when the tub is approximately 1/2 full or 2 pounds of laundry per cubic foot of the washer's capacity. A large load of laundry is when the tub is approximately 3/4 full or 3 pounds of laundry per cubic foot of the washer's capacity.
Use the following laundry load size chart as a guide to find out what kind of load you're about to wash. Medium/regular load: This works out to a load of approximately 6 pounds. Large load: A large load in a HE machine is approximately 11 pounds.
The capacity size for medium or large washing machines is usually between 3.5 to 5 cubic feet. If your living space is small and you require a small washing machine, you may have to take larger items such as bulky coats and comforters to the laundromat to be cleaned.
The right amount: It's typically 1½ ounces for a normal load of laundry. Instead of going by the faint lines of a detergent measuring cup, you can use a shot glass, which is about 1½ ounces, to be more precise. For larger loads or very soiled clothing, use twice as much detergent.
The number of pacs necessary depends on the load size. To guarantee superior performance, add two Tide PODS® pacs into the washing machine drum before you add clothes. Use one laundry pac for smaller loads or three for larger loads. Place clothes into the washer on top of the laundry pac.
How much detergent should I use? 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.)
The surfactants (or surface active agents) in detergent break up grease, stains, and food residues to disperse them in water. Without a surfactant (your detergent, in this case), your clothing would simply sit in the water and come out close to the same way it went in: dirty.
Generally speaking, while the number of clothing items in a load will vary, a medium or regular-sized load of dirty clothes weighs around 6 pounds. Large loads of laundry weigh about 11 pounds and extra-large loads about 21 pounds.
Liquid detergent is better for your washing machine. It does not usually clog your machine and doesn't cause your clothes to stain. In fact, liquid detergent also doesn't fade your clothes. Powder detergents often contain bleach which is damaging to your clothes.
Just divide the package size in fluid ounces by the number of loads.
If you don't use enough detergent, your clothes may not get fully clean, leaving behind dirt, oil, and sweat. This can result in dull, dingy clothing and an unpleasant odor, especially if you're washing heavily soiled items. However, it's easier to correct using too little detergent than too much.
Detergent build-up can clog hoses, valves and other components, preventing water from draining properly. Over time, this creates a moist environment that supports the proliferation of mold, mildew and bacteria. This, in turn, can lead to mold and mildew growth on rubber gaskets and bad odors.
Luckily there is one simple tip when it comes to knowing if you have too many clothes in your washing machine: the 1-hand rule. By placing your hand into your machine's drum, you can see how much space is left. Perfect is if you can fit nothing else in the drum, just your hand and your wash.
How much HE detergent should you use? When using HE detergent in a regular washer, you'll need about 1/4 cup for a normal-sized load. There might be fewer suds, but you'll still get a good clean. For a normal-sized load in a high-efficiency washing machine, the recommended HE detergent amount is usually 2 tablespoons.
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.
To effectively clean your clothes, you need to use only 2 tablespoons per load at most—and that's for big loads weighing 12 pounds or more.
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So how full should your washer be? Better Homes and Gardens suggests, "Even a large load of laundry should not fill the washer tub more than three-quarters full." They also point out that if a load is too heavy it can damage the items on the bottom.
Comforters: Instead of lugging your king-sized comforter to a laundromat, you can wash it in any washer with a claimed capacity of at least 4.5 cubic feet, according to our tests.