How Clean Is Your Laundry?

Weekends are my time for catching up on laundry.  I can get everything done in 3 or 4 loads if I put my mind to it and get it done. Recently I learned some interesting facts about  todays laundry detergents.

Laundry Packets & Pods

I've always avoided using the pods and packets, because I think I'm the laundry expert. I can't imagine that the little pod is going to be enough to really thoroughly clean my clothes. According to statistics, I'm wrong! Recent research says that the convenient pods and packets cost the same amount, and clean your clothes just as well as the powders and liquids that we measure out, plus they last you longer. They also dissolve equally in cold or hot water.

Detergents With Bleach Don't Always Work Better

I always add bleach to almost every load of laundry I do...Even if I'm washing jeans and colored clothing. I do this for several reasons, but the biggest is I'm afraid that I'll forget the clothes in the washing machine for a couple days. When I add bleach, my clothes don't get that musty smell, if I happen to leave them in the machine too long. Detergents with bleach are meant to save you a step by eliminating the need for all fabric or color safe bleach. According to recent tests, those detergents don't remove stains any better than their non bleach counterparts.To fight big bad stains, the pro's still recommend adding bleach separately.

Use Cold Water To Save Energy

I remember when I was young, there were some clothes you HAD to wash in hot water, some only in cold, some in warm. To heck with that! I'm a cold water girl. Besides saving on the electric bill, today's detergents are doing a great job in cold or hot water. However, they do make special detergents that are supposed to work especially good in cold water, so if you don't feel like your detergent is doing the best job, you can always switch to a cold water detergent.

Eco Friendly Detergents

Many people are switching to Eco friendly detergents for lots of great reasons. Allergies, environment....you name it. The stigma has always been that if the ingredients are plant based, they are not going to get your clothes as clean as other cleaners. Studies now show that compared to plant based products of the past, there are many formulas that are doing a great job at removing really stubborn stains. So Eco-friendly is really Eco-friendly!