Laundry Tips

Soap solutions

Most laundry detergents are highly concentrated.  Experiment with the brand that you use.  

Many times you can use about 1/2 to 3/4 of the recommended amount and still get your clothes just as clean. If you have an extra large capacity washer or very hard water, you may need to use little extra detergent to get clothes clean.  

If you use a powdered detergent that comes with a measuring scoop, make sure you are not using more than the recommended amount. Some scoops are made to fill all the way to the top, while others have a "fill to" line much lower.  

Don't use more detergent than you need.

After adding detergent, read the label on the package.  

You want to use enough detergent to make a few suds, but making a mountain of suds will not get your clothes any cleaner.  

Usually, you'll need to add 1/2 cup or a scoop of powdered detergent, or one capful of the liquid detergent for a full load.

  Bleach

When you need to bleach clothes, add 1 cup chlorine bleach diluted in 1 quart of water to the machine a few minutes after it has been running. This will allow the detergent some time to do its job and ensure that the bleach gets evenly distributed quickly.  

If the machine has an automatic bleach dispenser, follow the manufacturer's directions.  

To give bleach more time to do its job, let the machine run for a few more minutes after adding it, then turn off the machine and let the clothes soak for 10 minutes.  

Start the machine again and let it finish the wash cycle.