Laundry Products: Finding What's Right for You   What to Use: Choose the product that is right for the job. Some of the reasons for choosing a liquid or granular detergent are discussed in "Product Information." Other products you may need for removing tough stains include laundry rust removers, fabric ink removers, dry cleaning solvents (for greasy/oily stains; also helpful with certain inks such as ballpoint,) and bleach (chlorine and non-chlorine). These products should all be available in the cleaning section of your favorite grocery, drug, or hardware store. Your washing machine care and use manual should also contain helpful hints.   How Much to Use: Follow package directions carefully. The most common reason for unsatisfactory laundering results is not using the correct amount of detergent. For this reason, it is important that you ALWAYS measure your detergent.   Product Usage Instructions: Instructions are usually based on average washing conditions: A 5-7 pound (2-2.3 kg) load of clothes; average soil; average wash water temperature (warm); medium water hardness (3.6 to 7.0 grains per gallon); average water volume (17 gallons (65L) to a top-loading washer); and regular agitation.   You may need to use MORE detergent if: clothes are heavily soiled you're washing a large load or water is set on "high" fill the water is very hard a gentle or short cycle is being used cold water is being used for the wash cycle   You may be able to use LESS detergent if: clothes are lightly soiled you're washing a small load the water is soft a partial water fill is used in the washer   Filling the Machine: Many common laundry problems can be prevented by filling your washer in the following way: turn the washing machine on MEASURE your detergent and pour it into the machine as it fills add your clothing   If using chlorine bleach, we recommend diluting it with 2 cups of water and adding to your washer after the load has agitated about 5 minutes.   Suds: Back when laundry was done with soap flakes, suds level was an indicator of cleaning performance. So, many people today think that a good rich level of suds is necessary for clean laundry. However, this is no longer true. Today's detergents are formulated to have any suds level desired without affecting cleaning performance.   Factors that may affect suds levels: product selected - there are products with a variety of suds levels available hard water - may lower suds level soft water - may increase suds level lightly soiled items - may increase suds levels machine agitation - level of agitation is determined by the make of the washer and cycle selected improper use of detergent - using more or less than laundry conditions require chlorine bleach - increases the creamy appearance of suds   Front-loading washers may require lower-sudsing products (like Tide with Bleach) because they tumble the clothing rather than agitate it. The low water volume in these machines contributes to higher sudsing.   A light layer of suds on top of the rinse water is not unusual. However, excessive suds in the rinse water indicates a need to review the above factors. Another possible source of excessive suds in the rinse water could be overloading the washer, which causes suds to become trapped in the clothing.   If you have excessive suds in the rinse water, spray the suds with rubbing alcohol or add a small piece of Ivory bar to cut the suds. (Do not add fabric conditioner when a lot of suds are present.)   Finally, fabrics washed with a liquid detergent may have a spongy feel that makes a squeaky sound. This is sometimes mistaken for a residue of suds in the fabric.   Additional Hints for Good Cleaning: Load your machine carefully and select the proper wash cycle and water level for the load you are doing.   Be sure not to overload your washer as the clothing needs room to circulate to obtain maximum cleaning.   Use the gentle cycle when the care tag recommends it. However, keep in mind that a decrease in agitation, like a decrease in water temperature, reduces cleaning performance.   Large items such as bedspreads, comforters and king size blankets should be washed alone or laundered and dried in oversized machines. These are available in most Laundromats.   Fabric Conditioners: Dryer-added fabric conditioner sheets are excellent for reducing static which develops in the drying cycle and providing softening benefits as well. These are generally one-use products which will not provide completely satisfactory performance if reused.   Rinse-added fabric conditioners offer excellent softening benefits. Do not use any other additive in the rinse cycle with your fabric conditioner. Adding packaged water softener, bleach, etc. to the same cycle can result in fabric staining and reduce softening benefits.   Using more than the recommended amount of fabric conditioner can cause towels and other items to lose their absorbency. Again, it is important to MEASURE the recommended amount and follow manufacturer's instructions regarding dilution.   While some fabric conditioners are added to the washing machine, the dryer's tumbling action aids their softening performance. Often, line-dried clothing isn't as soft as machine-dried clothing; nevertheless, it will be softer if a conditioner is used than it would have been without it.
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