As many of you know, my wife and I are going to have a new baby in less than one month. A few nights ago, while washing some ‘onesies’ for out little girl, I noticed something about the laundry detergent cap.
On the back of the detergent bottle, there are ‘recommended’ amounts for various types of ‘laundry loads’. For a medium-sized load, the manufacturer suggested that I fill the cap to line “1″. I looked on the outside of the cap and I couldn’t find any numbers. But, on the inside, there they were. Very faintly, there were three lines – 1, 2, and 3.
Here’s a picture of the cap -
The ‘red arrow’ is pointing to ‘line 1′ – The recommended amount for a ‘medium load’.
The ‘black arrow’ is pointing to ‘line 2′ – The recommended amount for a ‘large load’.
The blue line (with no arrow) is pointing to ‘line 3′ – This line is not mentioned in the instructions. Why? I have no idea. But, I assure you, there is a ‘line 3′.
Now, for the interesting part. The ‘natural line’ – marked in green – and the point to where I’ve always filled the laundry cap in the past – is well above the ‘recommended line’.
As you can see, the recommended amount for a medium load is equal to less than 1/4 of a cup. But, the line to which the eye is naturally ‘drawn’ – the green line – is almost 1/2 of a cup.
The bottle states that there are 16 loads per bottle – But, that’s ONLY true if you use ‘line 1′ – the line suggested for medium loads. Use any line above ‘line 1′ and you’ll get less than 16 loads per bottle. Use the ‘green line’ and you’ll only get 8!
I took a look at two other bottles of laundry detergent that we had in the house – and both of them showed remarkably similar characteristics. So, when washing your clothes, and using store-bought detergents, be sure that you are using the ‘recommended’ amounts – and that you are using the right ‘line’.
By the way – For any and all who read this – While this post is meant to point out a useful money-saving tip, I am fully aware that taking the time to photograph, highlight, and post a picture of a laundry cap (and then write a blog post about it) is a ‘wee bit’ insane. But, then again, so is living in 2008 and not using a credit card. 
Edit: This article has been ‘stumbled’. If you’d like to help others find this article – and spread the word – please click here to stumble this post. Thanks!
Just think, your insanity is doing us all a public service. Now I won’t have to photograph and measure the washing powder cup for my readers.
I don’t think you’re insane, but, if you are, I think insanity is a good thing. Now I’m off to look and my laundry detergent…thanks for an excellent post (and excellent blog!).
Even 1/4 cup may be more than necessary. It is worthwhile to experiment by using less and less detergent each time as long as your clothes get clean. I have done this with dishwasher detergent and find that my dishes still get clean with only about a tablespoon of detergent. Those cups that they would have you fill to the brim are probably 8 times that.
OK, I don’t feel quite so bad now. We actually marked the correct fill line on our laundry detergent scoop with a Sharpie permanent marker because our natural tendency was to fill up the scoop and overuse the detergent. Hey, great minds think alike!
I have to admit I’m completely guilty of over filling my laundry detergent cap. And the worse thing is I’ve read the recommended amounts and yet still naturally fill to the top. I also do this with my fabric softener. I’m a little bit of a clean freak so I’m having a hard time of convincing myself the appropriate amount of detergent for a “super load” (the one above large on the washing machine). Your post is further encouragement to convince me to not fill so full.
Thanks!
Laundry detergent is an expensive line item on my grocery list. Thanks so much, NC, for the tip. Last time I shopped for the soapy stuff, I was looking at a tab of over $20 for a big box. I bet that box would have lasted a whole lot longer…like twice as long…had I known what I know now.
You’re a gem, NC. Keep up the great work, and best to you and the family.
L
I’ve wondered the very same thing, so if you’re crazy you are not alone.
I’ve always ‘underfilled’ when I put detergent in. I haven’t noticed any significant change by putting in just under the ’1′ line.
Oh, I do NOT think you’re insane – this shows what you’re talking about much better than if you tried describing it in words. And I am usually good about catching these kind of things – like cans of fruits/vegetables. You ever notice how they contain amounts like, 15 3/4 oz ?? The sneaky buggers downsized from 16 oz at one point, kept the same can size and hoped no one noticed!
But the laundry detergent totally escaped me. I get a tub of the powder stuff and I am going to go check and see what the scoop actually is. I will probably replace it with a real measuring cup, as I try to underfill but am probably still overfilling!
congrats on the kid
Wow, I have been really overfilling, sheesh.
A while back a company started selling a regular blank CD as a “Laundry Disk” saying that it changed the properties of the water to make it a cleaning like solution. Then it came out that was a scam. Turns out that you can use very little soap and still get very clean clothes. However, too much soap can damage your clothing.
You ever wonder why all the soap companys switched to shower gels? Because we use two to three times more than if we used a regular bar of soap. I have little liquid soap dispensers at every sink in my house. I guess it looks better than a big old bar of soap, but try to keep the soap down to a pump, even a half pump is usually good enough. Same thing with toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, gel deoderant, dish soap and about a hundred other things.
NC, you did a good thing by bringing this up.
I love those new super concentrated laundry detergents! You can use even less!
@lpkitten – WOW, a ‘blast from the past’.. Good to hear from you and good to see that you are ‘back’
A big ‘thank you’ to all who have commented and linked. I’ve got a few more similar articles coming out in the next few days. Stay tuned!
NCN
HAHA! Great job! I’ll be showing this article to my daughters today, since they are the ones in charge of the laundry.
Momma
My brother stopped at my house and was helping me get stuff done, and brought his laundry, as he was filling up the cup I noticed he had it almost to the top. I stopped him and pointed out the lines, he had been filling the cap to the brim every time, that would be about 3-4 loads, I usually go up to the 2 line with high capacity washer.
Thanks for bringing this to everyones attention!
I habitually use less than the recommended amounts of laundry and dish detergents. Not only that, I set my washer to it’s shortest wash cycle (35 min) and use cold for nearly everything. I have always been extremely careful with our clothes…am a bit of a freak about it. I haven’t noticed any difference–except in my grocery, gas and water bills!
I do wash sheets, dog beds, rugs and other dirty items in hot water for longer time periods….
The new front-loading washers use even less. And don’t use too much detergent because it can irritate your skin. Dermatologists are warning us about that now. When I bought my new front loader, the salesman told me to use 1/4 what I had been using. I save tons of money, and my clothes are cleaner than ever. And, yes, I am a freak about clean clothes!
Another tricky thing that the manufacturers have done is change the width of the cap. I noticed a huge difference in Woolite and Downy products. The Woolite opening used to be small, but now it is huge and easy to use way too much. The Downy cap used to be taller and thinner, so you could easily fill it to the appropriate line without going over. Now the Downy cap is so wide that even filling just a tad over means that you have to purchase a new bottle more frequently.
It’s all a scam, I tell you! These companies really know how to separate us from our money.
Consumer reports did a study on detergent some years ago, and they were shocked to reveal that not only is there barely any difference between different detergents, but detergent was not significantly better at “cleaning” than just running the washer with nothing but water. Note: detergent definitely makes the clothing smell better afterwards. After reading that CR thing years ago, I cut my detergent usage in half and have noticed absolutely no difference ever since.
@Julian – Have you been talking to my wife?
As a relatively new father as well (13 month old son), we did the same thing that you and your wife are doing, bought the expensive “baby detergent” (starts with a ‘D’). Then I did some research and found out that you can just use any of “free” detergents on your baby’s clothes (no perfumes, no dyes). That is basically what “The D” is, it just has that added (baby safe) perfume, and when comparing prices, that perfume is pretty expensive.
I finally talked my wife out of having to use the “baby detergent” when my son was about 3 months old. Up to that point, we had used several bottles of the baby detergent. Since that point, we are on the same 64oz container of Tide Free and have a little more change to show for it. Just use the baby lotion for that “fresh baby” smell
So although it will probably cut down on arguements with the new, first time mother to not bring it up in the first couple of months. After that do a little research and show her, maybe you can get her onboard too.
Another Landry room tip:
Stop sending all that hot dryer air outside on cold days. For about 10 dollars you can get a little box that has a flap in it and allows you to vent the warm air back into your house on cold days. This helps to heat and add humidity and doesn’t cost any extra $$$.
Edit: I’m leaving this comment, but I wanted to add a bit. Several comments have mentioned that this is potentially dangerous, especially if you have a gas dryer. NCN
@mdot – The bottle above was a gift at a shower. We have 2 other kids, and we learned the old ‘free’ detergent rule a long time ago. We usually use one of the ‘die and fragrance free’ concentrated products – and them only until the baby is a few months old.
NCN
Oh…well, then…never mind
Great tip!
Ever since I moved to Portland, OR, I have always used less laundry detergent than recommended because our water is so soft you would need to rinse the clothing up to three times to rinse out the recommended amount.
As others have noted, my clothes are clean and I buy far less expensive laundry detergent that way.
Just bought a new Bosch front loader. It only uses 3 tablespoons of detergent. The sensors in the washer will actually make the cycle take longer if you put in too much, because it senses when the soap is rinsed out.
check out dropps = no measuring, no mess. you don’t have the same problem of measuring with dropps that you do with traditional detergent. plus it’s great for babies since it comes in a scent and dye free version in addition to the fresh scent.
While I can’t deny that following the directions is a good thing, I do think it’s kind of sad that you’re being heralded as a genius for posting a blog entry that boils down to “I’ve been wasting money on laundry detergent all these years because I never read the directions!”
@Zak I will freely, openly, and eternally admit – I am not a genius, and I do not deserve to be heralded! I will, from this point forward, consider myself to have been ‘put in my place’. Thank you!
NCN
We’re all just messing with you. One of the ways to increase product sales is to make existing customers use more of the product. Larger spouts and tweaking measuring cups are two very good techniques. Persuading customers to use products in new ways is another (e.g. using dryer sheets to freshen up drawers and trash bins), but at least with those you are fully aware of what you’re doing.
Another good one is price manipulation. In categories like toothpaste where the consumer doesn’t have much to go on (and can’t be bothered researching), you can actually sell more by raising the price because a lot of people use price as a quality indicator (higher price must mean better product).
So, you’re not crazy… just crazy-smart.
I always think that manufacturers will tell you to use insane amounts of their products in an effort to make you use up the container quickly and buy another (“Rinse and repeat”). Always downsize from the amount they recommend.
My washer repairman said that this is common. They do it intentionally but you don’t need the large amount.
I came here thinking some crazy secret about laundry detergent would be exposed. Instead, you tell us to merely follow the instructions on the back of the bottle, which I’ve been doing since I started doing my own laundry back in college. Have you really been filling up the cap to the tippy top this entire time? This is why it pays to read the instructions.
I’ve always used less than the directions recommend. However, I recently started using Ecos laundry liquid (available at a good price at Costco) because it is safer ecologically….and it does a GREAT job at cleaning. Moreover, they specify a very small amount of soap – 2 oz. I think. Because their cap marking is not easy to see (they tell me they’re aware of this and will mark it better in the future), I poured the measure into the cap and marked it with a waterproof pen.
In addition, I’ve discovered that since the detergent is thick and gel-like, quite a bit sticks to the inside of the cap after you pour it out, so I run it under the incoming water and get all of it into the wash. I don’t know what you’d do with a front load machine – maybe rinse some tap water into the cap and pour it in.
Also, I’ve been washing with cold water for two years to save gas from my water heater and note no difference in cleaning results.
@AMetamorphosis
Please don’t vent dryer into residence if it is gas: it contains products of combustion (e.g., CO2, CO). Even if electric, move moist air out of laundry room, or you will try to dry with moist air, and reduce efficiency of dryer. Otherwise, a good idea for those dry winter days when we want the humidity in the house! Just bought a clothesline for this summer! (The ultraviolet in a germacide, too!)
Thank you cvsdave! I was just about to the post the same thing! Very dangerous to vent a gas dryer into the house…could vent carbon monoxide right back into your house! A dryer vent isn’t just venting heat and humidity if you are drying with gas!
You will be happy you figured this out with a baby on the way. You will not believe the amount of laundry that piles up and quickly too. I now have 2 children and just to be able to stay on top of laundry, I need to do 1-2 loads a night and a marathon of laundry on the weekends!
Why use laundry detergent at all? Two drops of dishwashing liquid should be about right. A bottle should last for six months.
Thanks for this! I was wondering this myself while doing laundry over the weekend–thinking “there’s no way I’m getting 32 loads out of this bottle…”
Much appreciated!
Actually you can use considerably less than that. I used to wash cloth diapers and always had the problem of soap build up. I found out that even when washing cloth diapers, all i needed was just a couple of tablespoons of liquid (enough to fill the cut about 1/2 inch on the bottom) and everything still turned out clean.
I can guarentee you (especially if you’re washing jeans) that if you wash your clothes, without any soap in the wash, the water will still sud up. extra detergent sticks to your clothes, makes them feel yucky, and they hold in smells so much more.
all household cleaning products are over concentrated and are doing great harm to our environment. windex can have water added to it, you can use a couple of drops of laundry and dishwashing detergent with the same results. simple green can be diluted in half or more…
i’ve also heard that the disinfectant wipes are not good but not sure on that entirely without more research. they are going in the trash so that is not too earth friendly…
Super blog!
sirflexalot: actually, that report is false — there is a wide chasm of difference between laundry detergents, and what they will and will not do to your clothing. I read an article a few months ago (Salon? Slate?) where the author did a pretty controlled study of detergents, and there were remarkable differences in color-fastness and cleanliness. The upshot was: uber-cheap detergents will cost you more money in the long run, because they won’t clean your clothes and/or they will alter them pretty quickly.
This is a large part of why I started making my own detergent. Another option is to designate a measuring cup for your laundry room and using that to measure each time.
whats sad, is that i have known all about those lines for atleast a couple years now but still add extra detergent because I just thought that couldn’t possibly be enough to get my cloths clean. Well, from now on, its the line or less. And I usually use All or Era, both are pretty good brands. Though I have considered trying a home made version.
I had to post about my similar experience! I linked to your article as well at Homemaker Barbi. Thanks!
I have a huge problem with the new concentrated detergents leaving blue spots all over my clothes and childrens clothes and ruining them!! Not sure if anyone else has experienced this?!
I started making my own too… does an awesome job:
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda (not baking soda)(Arm & Hammer makes it)
1 cup soap flakes (I finely grate up a bar of Ivory, but maybe soap flakes are available where you live
Mix all together in container with lid, and use about a tablespoon per wash. Very econimical, good for the environment, and works really well.
I’ve been overusing detergent for years! Thanks for the helpful post!!!!
No, you’re no insane, you’re just not at all perceptive when it comes to “recommended” amounts and the actual amount it takes to wash a load of laundry, and your unawareness is exactly what companies like this enjoy to get more of your money. Sounds like somebody had been doing your laundry all along until recently, too.