With the many changes in washing machines and laundry detergent, knowing how much detergent to use on your clothes can be a bit tricky. Newer washing machines like high-efficiency (HE) washers require far less detergent, and if you’re using pods or more potent detergents, you’ll be using far less detergent than you otherwise would. To know if you’re using too much laundry detergent — or not enough — follow these simple guidelines.

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You can create a mixture of hot water and Vinegar in a container (an old detergent bottle would work) and pour the plain hot water and Vinegar into all of the reserves. Pour it in the softener.

Are You Using too Much Detergent?

If you’re wondering if you’re using too much laundry detergent, ask yourself these questions:

• Do your washed clothes feel sticky or soapy? Or does your washing bin feel slimy?
• Are there traces of detergent residue on your clothes?
• Does your HE washer smell bad or musty?
• Are your clothes scratchy or feel stiff
• Do your white clothes look grey or your colored clothes look dull?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are probably using too much laundry detergent.

How Much Detergent to Use

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To figure out how much detergent you should use, take these things into consideration: your water hardness, the size of the load, and how dirty the clothes are. You should also consider the type of washing machine you use, along with the concentration of the detergent (2X, 4X, or 10X).

It’s incorrect to believe that more soap will help clean your clothes better or get rid of stainers more easily. Too much soap can actually make it harder for your washer to break down the soap. This can also lead to the problems above, like sticky clothes.

Follow this chart for a quick guide on determining how much laundry detergent to use:

For stained clothing: If your clothes are heavily stained (like sports uniforms or athletic wear) and you’re presoaking them, you will use the same amount of detergent for this load as you would for a full load of clothes. If it’s just one garment that you are presoaking, use just one teaspoon of powdered or liquid detergent per gallon of water.

For hard water: If you don’t have soft water or live in an area with hard water, you will need to use slightly more detergent.

How to Fill Your Detergent Drawer

Most newer washing machines have a detergent drawer that you can put the detergent into. Generally, they will have a max fill line that you will use for a full load. The best way to know how to fill your detergent drawer is to follow your machine’s owner’s manual so you don’t have to actually use a measuring cup or measuring spoon. Don’t go by the measuring cup that comes with your liquid detergent. This cup can be about 10 times larger than the actual amount of laundry soap you need (after all, if detergent manufacturers can get you to use more, then they’ll sell more).

Also note that if you have a HE washing machine, it may require high-efficiency laundry soap to get the best results. HE soaps are formulated specially to prevent too many suds from being created. If you don’t use HE soap, you will just need to reduce the amount of detergent you use by about a third.

How to Load a Washing Machine

It’s important to know how to load a washing machine along with knowing how much detergent to use. Overfilling a washing machine can make it harder for your machine to work efficiently and for your clothes to get really clean. Try to fill your machine only about 3/4 full of clothing if you can. If you have a newer washing model, you can generally still run smaller loads without your machine filling up completely. These newer models can detect load sizes and will only use as much water as necessary.

As you load your machine, try to distribute clothes evenly and loosely inside the machine; don’t pack them in. If you don’t have a detergent drawer, load your detergent before loading the clothes. This goes for liquid, powder or detergent pods. Putting them in first allows for the soap to dissolve in the water fully as it fills up with water.

The other night on Instagram Stories, where I live part of my life, I randomly shared the importance of cleaning your washing machine detergent drawer. But I didn’t detail how to clean a washing machine detergent drawer. So today I’m doing my due diligence and showing you how I clean the mold and mildew out of mine. I’m also sharing a couple tips for keeping your washing machine free of mold, mildew, and funky smells.

Remove the Washing Machine Detergent Drawer

First, you have to remove the washing machine detergent tray. Whether you have a front loading or top load washer, read your manual to make sure yours will come out because I don’t want you to break it. In order to remove mine, I have to give it a good pull. You can see exactly how in the video below.

Would ya look at all that soap scum?

Examine the Detergent Cavity

After the drawer is removed, inspect the detergent cavity. Be sure to look up and on the sides. You can see the mold and mildew spots in my washing machine below.

Spray the Detergent Cavity

Fill a spray bottle with distilled white vinegar. Spray the detergent cavity with distilled white vinegar. Allow it to soak for 15-30 minutes.

Tip: You don’t have to buy a new spray bottle. Instead, reuse a spray bottle you already have that’s almost out of the current contents. Wash it out and pour in the vinegar. Affix a label or write “vinegar” directly on the bottle so you and whoever lives with you knows what’s inside the bottle.

Soak the Detergent Drawer

While the detergent cavity is soaking, soak the detergent drawer in a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and hot water. I like to do this in a bathroom sink. Just plug the sink, fill with hot water, add the vinegar, and then place the drawer in the sink. Rotate it around so the whole thing gets clean. Allow the drawer to soak for at least 30 minutes. It may need to soak a little longer and that’s fine.

Note: since vinegar is acidic, you may want to wear gloves.

Scrub, Scrub, Scrub

Scrub the detergent cavity with a toothbrush. You may have to spray the cavity again, let it soak for a while, and scrub some more.

You may also need to scrub the drawer after it has soaked for a while.

Dentist office free toothbrushes FTW.

Rinse, Dry, Insert

Once the detergent drawer is clean, rinse it with water. Set the drawer on a towel to air dry before putting it back into the washing machine.

Why Distilled White Vinegar?

You may be wondering why I use vinegar instead of bleach. That’s because bleach only kills mold spores on the surface, making it easier for mold to come back. Whereas vinegar, which is a mild acid, will penetrate porous surfaces.

Vinegar is an exceptional household cleaner. Plus, it’s less than $3 per gallon! I always keep at least 2 gallons in the house at all times because I use it to clean so many things.

Tips for Keeping Mold, Mildew, and Funky Smells Away

Keep Your Washing Machine Door Open

Your washing machine needs airflow. So whenever it’s not in use, open the door. I know it’s not the most aesthetic-pleasing laundry room look but if you want to keep mold, mildew, and smells to a minimum, keep the door open. Airflow is key, my friend.

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Note: If you’re going to do this and you have little ones, make sure you have some sort of safety mechanism so kids can’t climb in and turn on the machine.

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Keep the Detergent Drawer Pulled Out

Whenever our washing machine isn’t in use it looks like the photo below. Door open and detergent drawer pulled out. This keeps the detergent cavity from being closed off, allowing mold and mildew to fester. Ew.

Remove the Drawer Often

On Sunday nights, typically after doing multiple loads of laundry over the weekend, I like to remove the drawer entirely. This allows the cavity to get some airflow and the drawer to air out as well.

Clean Your Washing Machine Often

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Clean your washing machine once a month or every other month with washing machine cleaner. It’s as simple as dropping a tablet into the machine and following the directions on the box for what wash cycle and temperature to run the machine on. Your machine may also have a cleaning cycle that you can select.