The more washing powder to add when washing, the better?

Every housewife at least once in her life was faced with a situation where the automatic machine did not cope with the direct task and the thing remained dirty after washing. This begs a lot of questions, and one of the most important is whether washing powder is to blame for this? Perhaps it was worth adding it in larger quantities? In such a conclusion there is definitely a rational kernel. Indeed, in an increased dose of powder, the surfactant content is higher. This means that the removal of contaminants will occur more intensively. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The rule "the more powder, the better" is valid only in 2 cases, and we will talk in detail about each of them.

When to add more powder?

Information on the dosage of washing powder for the automatic machine can always be found on the packaging. The correct amount of product may vary depending on the brand and the degree of concentration (concentrates are used in much smaller volumes). The average dosage of a conventional washing powder for 1 kg of dry laundry is 25 grams. That is, in order to wash 4.5–5 kg of clothes, you need to put about 125 g of washing powder in a special compartment.

But there are situations when it is required to pour almost 2 times more washing detergent.

The tap is too hard

The powder consumption during washing in a washing machine depends on many factors. One of the most important is the rigidity of tap water. In soft water, things are better washed, even if you use a minimum of powder, this is a fact. Hard contains many salts of calcium and magnesium, which impede the cleaning of linen. Soap substances react with salts, dissolve poorly, and are eaten into the tissue.

You can determine the hardness of water in a house or apartment by the formation of scale in a kettle. If plaque is formed frequently and in large quantities, then water contains a lot of salts. For an accurate result, you should use test strips for aquariums. Hard water is considered at a value of 10 ° W or higher (unit of hardness in Russia), or 13–22 ° degrees dH.

How much powder to pour if the water is hard? Sometimes the dosage of a detergent at a high dH level is indicated by the manufacturer himself in a separate column.

If this parameter is not indicated on the package, correctly orient yourself to the following table:

That is, for 5 kg of laundry, you need to use 150 g of powder.

Water with a high salt content not only prevents the washing of clothes, but also harms the washing machine, leaving limescale on its parts. Therefore, instead of increasing the dosage of the powder, it is better to use water softeners (Calgon, soda ash).

Things are very dirty

The second important factor that affects the effectiveness of the detergent is the amount of contamination. Their neutralization takes more surfactants and requires a greater amount of time (full wash cycle in the machine).

How much powder to pour with very dirty things, the manufacturer often indicates:

If the value is not indicated, you should throw 10 g of powder for every 1 kg of dry laundry. That is, for washing 5 kg of very dirty clothes in hard water, you will need to put 200 g of washing powder in a special compartment.

How to improve the quality of washing?

The idea to add more detergent when washing arises most often when the clothes are not washed, stains, yellowed areas still remain on it.It is necessary to deal with such a problem by special means or by soaking.

• Soaking and curing. Heavily soiled laundry should be kept in warm, soapy water for about 30 minutes. This will soften the stubborn stains. Dried solid impurities are removed mechanically. Handwashing is often much more efficient than machine washing.
• Stain removers and bleaches. Even the most effective washing powder will not cope with the removal of complex stains, such as oil stains, wine stains, from dandelion juice. Here you need to connect special stain removers and bleaches. For example, ACE Oxi Magic, Sarma Active 5 in 1, Bleach Bleach, Amway PreWash Spray, Vanish OXI Action.
• Program. Washing powders work better at high temperatures - 60 ° C and 90 ° C. Therefore, with the exception of cases when the fabric is delicate, it is worth choosing a high temperature and a full washing mode.

Improve the quality of washing and help modern technology. For example, cars with the EcoBubble function first mix the detergent with water and air, and then wash the clothes with a uniform foam.

The negative effects of excess powder dosage

"More" is not synonymous with "better." In all, a reasonable measure must be observed. Significantly exceeding the dosage of washing powder specified in the instructions, the hostess risks facing negative consequences:

• A lot of foam. Defoamers are added to the powder marked “Automatic”, since copious foam for washing machines is harmful. It can penetrate the drum, damage the electrician, cause a short circuit.
• White stains on clothes. The more powder, the more difficult it is to rinse it out. After washing, white spots, stains on things will remain. They are especially noticeable on clothes of a dark color.
• Accumulation of powder in the container, clogging of the compartment. Many models of washing machines take as much powder as needed. Excess funds remain in the container, stray into lumps and can cause blockage.
• Bad smell from the machine and clothes. Proper washing should end with a rinse in clean water. If there is too much washing agent, it does not rinse and accumulates inside, and gradually a raid with an unpleasant odor forms on the parts.

Exceeding the dosage of washing gels is not as dangerous as powder products. However, here it is important to observe a reasonable measure. For dosing, use a measuring cap with marks in ml. On average, 1 cap of gel, or 50-60 ml (if it is not a concentrate) is consumed per 1 kg of linen.

When using washing powder for cars, few people think about how much it needs to be put. Many housewives pour it into the compartment "by eye" - and make a mistake. It is important to consider the recommendations of the manufacturer of the product, and not only. The amount of powder directly depends on the degree of congestion of the washing machine, the amount of contamination, the hardness of the water. Sometimes it is advisable to additionally put a stain remover or bleach. Use the right approach to washing, and then things will always shine clean, and the equipment will last for many years!