How to pour the powder into the washing machine and how much of it to wash laundry
The correct amount of detergent must be added to the washer-dryer. The rate is calculated based on the dry weight of the laundry, the fabric being washed, the washing cycle, the degree of concentration of the powder, the hardness of the water and the tank capacity of the washing machine (if the machine knows how to weigh laundry, this parameter does not need to be taken into account). Each machine has two compartments for washing powder. On prewash modes, the powder portion is divided 1:2. Pour one part in compartment A, two parts in compartment B.
The amount of powder poured into the washing machine should not be arbitrary. An excessive amount of powder will damage machine parts and clothing fabrics. If it is too little, will not wash away dirt on laundry. Therefore, you need to know exactly how many grams or milliliters of detergent are needed for a particular wash.
The dosage of the powder is calculated based on the following factors:
- 1. Take into account the nature of the stains and the degree of contamination of linen. You may need to fight with bleach and stain removers. This, too, must be taken into account.
- 2. Composition of fabric to be washed. For synthetic fabrics take 10% less powder than for cotton. Soiling is easier to wash out of these fabrics.
- 3. The choice of a washing cycle. Half as much detergent for short loads as for long loads.
- 4. The chemical composition of the wash water. detergent must be added to hard water than soft water. Or use a phosphate-based detergent, it softens the water and prevents limescale build-up in the washing machine. Means with them use only for high-temperature washing modes, as they are harmful to the body and can cause allergies, reduced immunity and be the cause of frequent illnesses.
- 5. Amount of laundry. On the packages with detergent is usually written consumption of powder per 1 kg of dry laundry, this rate should not be exceeded, otherwise abundant foaming can ruin the machine.
- 6. The degree of concentration of the detergent. Recently there are more and more often means with saturated surfactants. Such products should be used in accordance with the instructions on the product package, making a correction downward, according to the factors listed above. Do not use more than the recommended concentration as directed by the manufacturer.
If these rules are followed, the substances in the detergent, washed the laundry qualitatively, and their surplus will not settle on fabric, causing allergies in the household.
On the back of the package of powder written by the manufacturers of consumption per 1 kg of dry laundry. Do not exceed this rate, so that there is no excessive foaming.
If you take in the calculation is not a concentrated laundry detergent in the form of powder, the formula is as follows: 1 tablespoon without a hill, or 25 grams per 1 kg of dry laundry made of natural fabrics.
Most often there are automatic machines with a load of 3, 4, 5 or 6 kg. For a full load of detergent, the calculation is as follows
| 3 kg | 3 | 75 |
| 4 kg | 4 | 100 |
| 5 kg | 5 | 120 |
| 6 kg | 6 | 150 |
To give you an example: a set of bedroom linens weighs about 1.2-2.5 kg, to be exact:
With these figures, it’s easy to navigate the dosage of laundry detergent. To even out the count in kilograms, you can add a couple of towels or pajamas to the machine’s load. The average bath towel weighs about 500 kg.
If there are doubts about the weight of the laundry, and it is impossible to know its exact weight, it is worth to add less powder to the washing machine, otherwise particles of water-insoluble detergent may remain on the laundry.
If there are old stains or stubborn stains, it is worth to treat them first. Oil, grease, fuel oil, coffee, tea, berries and other stains. After that, when washing in a machine, the powder dosage is doubled by adding an extra rinse mode.
If at the end of the wash cycle the result is not satisfactory or if there is a smell of detergent, the laundry must be washed and rinsed again.
When calculating for partial load of the drum, it should be based on the amount of water used for the washing of the selected mode. Do not exceed the dosage, otherwise the laundry will leave streaks. A rough table of water consumption for a standard 5 kg washing machine is as follows:
| Cotton 40 °C | 65 | 2 ч |
| Cotton 60°C | 65 | 2 ч |
| Cotton 90°C | 75 | 2 h 15 min |
| Synthetic 40 °C | 50 | 1 h 30 min |
| Mixed laundry 40 °C | 45 | 1 ч |
| Fine laundry 30 ° C | 35 | 30 min |
| Wool 30°C | 40 | 45 min |
If you have a washing machine user manual, check it for the amount of water used for the different modes of washing. Even if only slightly, they may vary. Then do the math. A tablespoon, or 25 g, of detergent is taken for every 10 liters of water at full load. Thus, to wash cotton at full load at 60 ° C, you need to put 6.5 tablespoons of powder, and for half the drum load. 3 tablespoons. Rounding up the dosage is preferable to the smaller side.
There are modern models of machines which independently weigh the laundry, in this case you should be guided by the weight of the loaded laundry only when pouring the powder. The amount of water used for washing in these units is selected automatically based on weight and the selected mode.
The powder compartment of a washing machine usually consists of three compartments. The smallest is marked with an asterisk (sometimes it is called a flower). Is the space for fabric conditioner or rinse aid? The other two compartments are now marked I and II, in earlier models. A and B. Powder should be poured into the compartment marked A or I only in modes that have a prewash program as instructed. In all other cases, the washing bulk solids are put in compartment II or B.
If the machine was bought out of hand, and the markings on it are erased, and it is not possible to clarify the purpose of compartments, it is necessary to select the mode of fast washing and run the cycle. By opening the powder tray by 1-2 cm, you can see that the water will begin to flow into one of the compartments. It will be the main one. Accordingly, the other will be for prewash.
The safest products
There are many products that are safe and do not cause allergies.
Ecover Zero Non Bio
It is a Belgian product that contains no hazardous substances and has no strong aroma. There are only BIO-surfactants in the composition.
Synergetic
This hypoallergenic gel is considered a universal tool. It contains vegetable surfactants. The detergent foams easily and has no detectable odour.
SA8 Amway
There are no anionic surfactants and very few phosphonates. The powder removes tough stains well.
How you know how hard your water is
There are several ways of determining the water hardness.
- Determine by foaming. Pour a bowl of water and add the powder. If it does not foam, then the salts in the liquid have bound the ingredients, preventing them from dissolving. Such water is considered very hard. If it foams weakly. medium, and when the foam is hard to rinse off the hands. soft, which does not require softeners.
- Limescale. Hard water is deposited on the kettle’s heating element, clogs aerators, etc. If it gets soiled within a month, the water is very hard, within 3-4 months. medium, and less than 1 time in half a year. soft.
The hardness of your water can be determined with the test strips
For medium to very hard water use a water softener or install special appliances.
As a rule, information about the amount of household detergent is indicated on its packaging. You can rely on this information in some cases, but a much smaller amount of powder is needed for a standard wash. The reason manufacturers quote incorrect data is simple. any business is interested in increasing sales.
In this way, popular brands not only help themselves, but also provide a huge favor to the creators of household appliances. Excess detergent can also damage the washing machine.
Determining the amount of detergent per wash
Experiment. 5 kg. Washing Powder. in a Washing Machine
An excess of detergent leads to the following consequences:
- White blurry marks on clothes, especially unpleasant on dark fabrics;
- Breakage of the detergent compartment. During washing, not all the powder is washed out of the tray, which leads to a buildup of wet substance, rust and mold;
- There is an unpleasant chemical smell coming from the washing machine or laundry;
- clogged drain filter.
In order to prolong the life of the washing machine, you need to adhere to the following general rules
- To determine the maximum fill level in the tray, pay attention to its marking. It should be understood that it does not take into account the degree of loading and water quality, so the marking can only serve as a guide to determine the maximum detergent.
- When choosing a new powder, pay attention to the way it is used. Hand washing detergent contains a high proportion of substances that contribute to the formation of abundant foam. This peculiarity has a negative effect on the machine wash. The fact is that the excess foam can settle on the working parts of the equipment, accelerating its wear and tear.
- Attention should be paid to the detergent composition. It is necessary to avoid ingredients such as chlorine and solvents, as they negatively affect the rubber elements of the CMM.
Pouring detergent into the tray
Conditions that affect detergent consumption in the washing machine
To understand what to look for when deciding on a detergent dosage, you need to understand that there are several factors that affect the amount of detergent.
- Water hardness.
- The degree of loading of the washing machine for a particular washing mode and drum volume.
- The level of soiling of the laundry and the use of additional laundry detergents.
- Type of detergent.
- Type of fabric.
- Additional functions and capabilities of the washing machine.
Water consumption per washing cycle
The concentration of the powder should be considered, because it affects the quality of washing. Too much detergent may not rinse properly and leave streaks on your clothes. To avoid these consequences, it is necessary to take into account how much water the automatic machine consumes per cycle.
Water hardness may vary from washing machine to washing machine. It all depends on the capacity of the tank and the programs with which the appliance is equipped. If we talk about the average figure, the standard machine with a drum volume of 7 kg will require about 60 liters of water.
Information about the norms are usually contained in the instruction manual of the equipment. If you pay attention to this, then it turns out that the machine consumes about 60 liters of water to wash 3 kg of laundry. And the same amount is used for 6 kg. If you do not take this into account and fill the drum with only 3 tbsp of laundry detergent, you will get a miscalculation. A spoonful of powder, assuming that this will be enough, you can miscalculate. On a volume of 60 liters of such amount of detergent will definitely not be enough. We will not get the right concentration of soapy water, in which things would be well washed.
It is worth noting that in washing machines equipped with a function of weighing laundry, you can be guided by the actual weight of things. When doing the wash, the appliances will weigh the clothes and fill the drum based on the weight of.
How to calculate the amount of detergent per wash cycle
Many housewives believe that there is a golden rule that says: the more, the better. It probably works in some other domestic situations, but not in our case. Most housewives believe that the amount of powder poured into the tray determines the quality of washed laundry. Partly, at first glance, it would seem that this is the case. But that’s not quite right.
Excessive use of detergent can lead to negative consequences:
- Using too much powder can leave a trail of white stains on your clothes.
- Failure to rinse the tray completely will lead to a clog.
- Bad smell from the drum.
What does the manufacturer advise?? Each detergent package comes with a recommendation for the use of the powder in the washing machine. Don’t be in a hurry to blindly follow the instructions, because the manufacturer has several goals. The first is to keep the customer. The second is to force the consumer to use as much powder as possible in the home, so that it runs out sooner and we have to go to the store for a new pack.
Let’s understand what factors you should pay attention to, pouring the powder into a special container:
- The condition of the laundry. Degree of dirt and stains. It is important to understand that the amount of detergent poured does not always positively affect the quality of washed clothes. To wash some stains, the powder alone is not enough, stain removers may be needed.
- The hardness of water definitely affects the quality of washing. As you know, in hard water the foam formation is worse, affecting the result. Therefore, some manufacturers add softeners to the powder.
- The amount of dirty laundry is a weighty argument when calculating the right amount of detergent.
- Water consumption per wash. The amount of water the appliance uses to perform the selected task depends on the selected washing mode and type of fabric.
Important! When selecting the mode and loading in the wash cloths of certain materials, such as wool, do not forget that in these cases requires a special powder.
What does the amount of powder per wash cycle depend on??
Few housewives know how much powder to pour into the machine to get the best washing results. You really want the powder to wash out completely from the fabric, and the machine to serve for a long time. Consumption of washing powder per 1 kg of laundry in the washing machine in most cases depends on several factors.
Important! Be sure to study the instructions for the detergent itself and the washing machine in more detail, if you use new. And also read a useful post on our portal about where to pour the powder in the washing machine.
Water hardness
It’s a well-known fact that clothes wash much better in soft water. That’s why most manufacturers add water softeners to their product.
In regions where the water hardness is high, it is recommended to use a softener each time you wash, in order to protect the working elements of the machine from scaling.
Important! As an alternative to industrial softeners, you can add a few spoonfuls of baking soda to the machine when washing. The only exception is the soda is not used for treating silk and woollen items.
Degree of dirt on clothing and difficult to remove stains
The easiest way to determine the required detergent dosage is to read the manufacturer’s recommendations. In this case, most well-known manufacturers, such as “Tide”, “Persil”, “Ariel”, “Earside Nanny”, adhere to the following criteria:
- If the laundry has an average level of dirt, you need 150 grams of product.
- For clothes with stubborn stains, the amount of powder is increased to 225 grams.
Important! When using hard water, the amount of detergent must be increased by 20 grams.
Amount of items loaded into the machine drum
Having a detailed description of the amount of detergent to use, it is not necessary to follow these instructions completely. It is very profitable for the detergent manufacturer to overestimate the amount needed to clean the laundry. This is their way of making you come back to the store faster for a new pack of laundry. The dosage of laundry detergent used depends directly on the number of items you are going to machine wash.
Important! Many people wonder how many grams of laundry detergent in a tablespoon? It holds approximately 25 grams.
- To wash 3kg of dry laundry you need 3 tablespoons, and for 4kg respectively 4 tablespoons.
- If your clothes are very dirty or have stubborn stains, the detergent may not wash the laundry properly, no matter how much of it you poured. Then you need to use bleach or stain remover for the machine wash in addition.
Important! Too much powder may not be completely dissolved in the water, which can cause breakage or damage of the drain hose. In addition, an excessive amount of detergent may not wash out the clothes completely and leave white streaks on fabrics.
- Before the main wash process, pre-treat the dirt or soak it for a while. This will greatly facilitate the washing of laundry.
Water consumption per wash cycle
Want to know how much powder to pour into the washing machine 4kg? To calculate the dosage of laundry detergent, it is very important to know what the water consumption of the washing machine per cycle.
The concentration of the raw material in the water directly affects the quality of the wash. However, excessive use of a loose substance does not give a good result. On the contrary, the laundry can get soapy stains. Depending on the manufacturer of equipment, the water consumption of the washing machine may differ from each other.
This figure also depends on the complexity of the chosen program and the volume of the tank of the machine. A standard washing machine with a load of 5-7kg uses approximately 60 litres of water per cycle.
Important! You can find the individual water consumption of your washing machine in the manufacturer’s instructions.
Example calculation:
Your washing machine has a maximum load of 5 kg of laundry, and depending on the selected mode, uses from 60 to 40 liters of water. In this case, the actual number of items loaded in the drum, you can vary from 3 to 5 kg.
You are going to wash 4 kg of dry laundry at 40 degrees. Accordingly, based on the above, you need 4 tablespoons of powder. This is quite enough.
Important! Note the following: at the maximum load of the machine (which, we remind you, is 5 kg), the washer uses 60 liters of water. But even with 4 kg of clothes you also need 60 liters of water.
Of course, this begs the question how much detergent to put in a 5 kg automatic washing machine? In such a case, it is recommended to pour the powder into the washing machine, based on the maximum load for the chosen mode.
Important! In models of household appliances that have a mode of weighing clothes, you can fill the powder, based on the actual weight, dosing is very easy.
What the washing powder dosage depends on
For quality washing and safety of the washing machine is important not only to choose the right temperature, the correct mode, but also to know how much detergent to put. This will extend the life of the machine, maintain the quality of the garment and at the same time remove stains of various origins. The required amount for 1 wash is calculated on the basis of various factors.
Age and number of stains
Older, stubborn stains will not be removed, even if the dosage is too high.
They can only be removed with a stain remover or bleach with a normal amount of liquid or dry powder.
The quality of the water
Soft water promotes better stain removal, so it is not necessary to exceed the manufacturer’s dosage. It is enough to buy a product with a softener.
The volume of laundry to be washed
Don’t put too much laundry in the machine
A large volume of dissolved powder provokes excessive foaming, which is detrimental to the machine.
Type of laundry and material
Some fabrics are sensitive to powders, so you may end up with streaks. Do not use dry detergents for a quick wash in cold water, as the granules do not have time to dissolve and deposit on the inner elements.
Type of detergent
There are 2 types of powders. conventional and concentrates.
The second kind is consumed in a reduced dosage and is harmful if used in excess.
