It's tempting to load a washing machine with plenty of soap to ensure the clothes come out extra clean. But as one appliance expert shared, that extra detergent has the opposite effect.
The scoop
TikTok user and appliance repair technician Renae (@renduh) shared a video explaining how much detergent is actually needed to get clothes clean — and why.
@renduh This video was originally posted in 2023 which is why you hear me use my old intro, but all the information is still the same! 😊 ##Laundry##LaundryHack##LaundryDetergent#L#LaundryTokC#CleanTokc#cleanW#WomenInTradesT#TradeswomanA#ApplianceCareA#ApplianceMaintenanceA#ApplianceCareAndMaintenance ♬ original sound - Renae
"I've done a lot of service calls for washing machines, and the majority of issues are caused by people using too much laundry detergent," she says.
"Using too much detergent can prevent your machine from washing, rinsing, draining, or spinning properly. It can also shorten the life of both the washing machine and your laundry."
Instead, she instructs, just use 2 tablespoons of either liquid or powdered detergent. She compares that amount to the size of one detergent pod or one shot glass.
Renae explains that many people still use too much detergent because they grew accustomed to measuring the amount before high-efficiency detergent became the norm. But since HE detergent — the only appropriate product to use with the increasingly widespread HE washers and dryers — is more concentrated, far less is needed.
If you pour extra detergent into the machine, she explains, the detergent has nowhere to go, and it begins accumulating.
"No amount of extra rinses is going to save you," Renae says. "That's how you get detergent built up on the parts of your machine that you can't see."
"Why are you calling me out like this?!" one commenter joked. "Thank you!"
In conclusion, Renae says, "Use less laundry sauce. It'll get your clothes cleaner."
How it's working
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of Renae's tip is the associated money savings in both the short and long term. Using detergent more sparingly makes each bottle — which can be expensive — last longer. And, as she explains, it helps extend the duration of the entire machine, as well as that of the clothes.
"I listened to you," one commenter shared. "It saved a lot of money."
Keeping a washing machine from getting gunked up with excess detergent can also prevent dark and oily stains, which are nearly impossible to remove, from leaching into clothes.
If your washing machine isn't HE yet, making the switch will grant you even more savings: a 25% reduction in energy bills, a 33% reduction in water use, and access to hefty rebates.
What people are saying
Viewers were eager to try Renae's advice; some had already started. "Game changer!" one person said.
"I use very little and it gets it clean!" another echoed.
"I had been using too much laundry sauce for years," one person commented. "The amount of gunk that came out … was so gross. We ended up having to get a new machine."
"My washer and my dryer started working more efficiently AND my laundry [is] even cleaner!!" another enthused. "Thank you for sharing your wisdom!!"
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