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.
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.
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.
Detergent alone is usually more effective in soft water than in hard water. THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD USE LESS DETERGENT THAN RECOMMENDED. It simply means that you may not need to add any extra beyond the amount generally recommended for diapers.
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.
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.
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.
Soap contains carboxylate whereas detergents contain polar sulfonates, which are more soluble in hard water, and gives more lather unlike soaps.
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.
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.
Washing machine smells bad: too many suds can leave a residue in the washer that breeds smelly bacteria and mold. Clothing is dull and spotted: excess detergent won't properly rinse out of clothing, leaving behind spots and making clothes appear dull. Clothes may also feel itchy when you wear them.
Signs you're using too much laundry detergent
If you think you may be getting a little detergent-happy with your laundry, take a look at a just-washed load. If your wet clothes feel a little slimy, sticky, or soapy, you're probably sensing detergent residue. It's a telltale sign you're using too much product.
Soft water has more washing power than hard water, so you don't have to use as much detergent to get the same results. You may find that you can use up to 2/3 less detergent to get those items of clothes clean.
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.
Using too much fabric softener
Fabric softeners leave a coating on laundry as they do their softening magic, and while that may smell wonderful, it causes problems with laundry. Towels especially are impacted, because that coating inhibits their ability to absorb moisture.
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!
To put it simply, fabric softener isn't a cleaning solution and must be paired with detergent to get your fabrics properly washed. Fabric softener will leave your clothes feeling and smelling just right, but that doesn't mean that it removes dirt and grime.
Here are our experts' opinions. 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.
Standard washers should use about 2 tablespoons of 2X detergent and high-efficiency washers only need about 1 teaspoon. Never fill up your detergent's measuring cap or cup, which is significantly too much detergent for most washers.
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.