You've been using too much laundry detergent – 'correct' amount will baffle you - Mirror Online

It appears that we've been getting it wrong all these years when it comes to doing our laundry.

Washing gurus have pointed out that many of us are overdoing it on detergent, regardless if we’re chucking in a full or half load into the machine.

One surprised Reddit user shared their revelation, saying: "Reducing how much laundry detergent I use has made a huge difference. I heard you only need a tablespoon or two of detergent and I was like 'no way that's gross' I would use caps full of detergent. Well, I've become more frugal and decided to give it a shot."

They added, "Wow. My clothes feel so clean and comfortable. They are soft, smell fresh, and I don't have to spend almost £30 on laundry detergent every couple of weeks." Those at Appliance Doctors back this up, especially for people with modern washing machines. They say that new models require "very little detergent to operate" effectively.

They recommend: "Higher efficiency washers use considerably less water than older machines. Two teaspoons of liquid detergent or two tablespoons of powdered detergent are perfect for your high-efficiency washer! It might not look like a lot in the dispenser, but, trust us, this is how much detergent you really need for a standard load of clothing."

For dirtier clothes, the specialists say that piling on more soap isn't necessary, explaining: "Spot-treating stains and pre-soaking your load of laundry is a more effective way of cleaning heavily soiled clothes".

Laundry experts have dropped a bombshell on the excessive use of detergent, claiming that the measuring cup provided with your liquid laundry detergent is nearly 10 times larger than what's actually needed. They revealed: "This is just another tactic used by soap companies to get you to spend more on their products."

Social media users have been quick to respond to this eye-opening tip. One impressed user shared: "We have the load and go washer, so it weighs the clothes and dispenses the detergent for me and it's awesome we use way less with good results."

Meanwhile, another added: "I threw a shirt in the laundry at my mum's house and she washed it. It was so much softer than when I washed it at my house. I said wow this is so soft and she said yep the key is don't use too much detergent. She doesn't use any extra things like fabric softener either."

And a third person said: "I had to have my washing machine serviced and the repair guy told us to use 1 teaspoon of soap. I was shocked! He said the machines wash better with less but also, using the amount recommended on the bottles will shorten the lifespan of the machine as well. Our clothes definitely feel much cleaner since cutting down and detergent lasts forever."

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