Laundry detergent mistakes, mainly using too much, using the wrong type and putting it in the wrong place, lead to oversudsing, residue on clothes and buildup inside the washer. The place to start is HE detergent measured to the label for the load, the soil and how hard your water is.
Mistakes at a glance
| Habit | What it leads to | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Pouring in extra "for good measure" | Oversudsing, poor rinsing, longer cycles and residue | Follow the detergent maker's dose for load size and soil |
| Using regular detergent in an HE washer | Excess suds that the low-water wash can't rinse away | Use detergent marked HE in any high-efficiency washer |
| Putting a pod in the dispenser drawer | The pod may not dissolve or dispense properly | Place one pod in the empty drum before adding clothes |
| Filling the liquid cup past the Max line | Detergent dispenses too early in the cycle | Fill only to the Max line |
| Pouring fabric softener straight into the drum | Softener released at the wrong point in the cycle | Use the compartment marked for softener |
| Ignoring hard water when dosing | Dingy clothes, soap scum and mineral film | Adjust the dose for water hardness as the detergent label directs |
| Never wiping out the dispenser drawer | Residue that builds up in the drawer and can block the flow | Clean the dispenser when residue builds up |
The ones that matter most
Using too much detergent
More soap doesn't mean cleaner clothes in a modern washer. GE Appliances warns that too much detergent can cause oversudsing and leave detergent residue on clothes. Whirlpool adds that it can cause longer cycle times and poor rinsing, and Samsung notes that excess detergent builds up inside the washer. Heavy suds also cushion the clothes, so the tumbling that does the cleaning works less well.
Using non-HE detergent in an HE washer
HE washers use much less water, so they need low-sudsing detergent. GE describes HE detergents as low-sudsing and formulated for high-efficiency washers. Regular detergent can make more suds than the small amount of water can rinse out, and the washer may add rinses or slow its spin to cope.
Putting pods and liquids in the wrong place
LG's detergent guidance is specific: put one pod directly in the drum before loading laundry, and don't put pods in the dispenser drawer. LG also says not to pour fabric softener directly into the drum, to add liquid bleach only to the compartment marked for it, and to keep liquid detergent below the Max line so it doesn't dispense early.
Dosing as if the water were soft
If your water comes from the San Antonio Water System, it is hard. SAWS says the typical hardness of the water it provides ranges from 15 to 20 grains per gallon, and that the calcium carbonate in water from the Edwards and Trinity aquifers is naturally occurring. Hardness minerals work against detergent, and GE lists water hardness as one of the factors for adjusting how much detergent to use. Hard water isn't a reason to double the dose. It's a reason to read the hardness guidance on the detergent label instead of guessing. If your home has a water softener, or gets its water from a different utility, the right dose may be different.
Signs it's already caused a problem
- Suds still visible in the drum or door glass at the end of the cycle
- Clothes feel stiff, sticky or look dingy, or towels lose their absorbency
- A sour or musty smell from the drum or the dispenser drawer
- Gray or white residue on dark clothes
- Cycles that run long because the washer keeps adding rinses
- Leaks around a front-load door after heavy oversudsing
Long cycles can also come from how the drum is loaded, which is covered in overloading a washer and other loading habits. If residue or leaks continue after you correct the dose, it's time to have the washer looked at.
Sources
- GE Appliances: Washer, HE Detergent
- LG: Washer Detergent and Additive Usage
- San Antonio Water System: Water Quality FAQs
Habit to keep: Measure HE detergent for the load and your water, and put each product in its own compartment.
Residue or suds that keep showing up after a dose change point to the washer itself; call ProFix San Antonio at (210) 761-6006.