How To Choose A Laundry Detergent

The first thing that comes to mind when you think about washing is the detergent to use. Although it may seem unimportant to read a guide on how to choose a laundry detergent, but if you have spent a lot of cash on your clothing and drying devices such as a rotary washing line , you want it to last as long as possible. Therefore, choosing the right detergent is very important in maintaining the quality of your clothing.

In this article, you will learn what factors to consider when buying your detergent and how to choose the right one.

There are three types of detergent that you can choose from. They are explained below:

• Liquid Laundry. These detergents are often easy to use and measuring them comes with ease. Moreover, they are mainly suitable for pre-treating stains on white clothes. Therefore, if you have a load of white fabric you have been putting aside for a while, you can try your hands on the liquid detergent.
• Powdered Laundry Detergent. In some parts of the world, powdered laundry detergent are the most popular among the three types. This type of detergent is good for treating clothes that are soiled but also very potent for treating ground-in stains. The beauty about powdered laundry detergent is that they often cost less than liquid detergent. The best brands - and this is what is recommended - are those that dissolves easily because they prevent detergent residue.
• Laundry Detergent Pods. They are pre-packed and single-use packets. They are more convenient to use and less messy than the other types of detergents. The only setback to laundry detergent pods is that they are very expensive and you may not be able to keep up with the cost. However, if you are not worried about spending money on detergents, they seem to be the most preferred detergent because of their high quality.

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Factors To Consider When Buying Laundry Detergent

There are many factors you need to put into consideration when you are buying laundry detergent. Some are more important than the others. Some may affect you more than the others.

What is important is that you put them into consideration so that you can buy the right detergent for your laundry.

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The Type Of Machine

If you are using a washing machine, the first thing you need to consider before buying a detergent is the type of machine you are using. Choosing the wrong detergent can harm your washing machine in the long run, which is why this is important. If you are using a high-efficiency machine, then a fitting brand will be a high-efficiency detergent.

High-efficiency detergents don't have the over-foaming that may be damageing to a dryer. If you have a regular machine, then a regular detergent is all you need. They will help you clean your clothes properly. Alternatively you could always dry your clothes on clothes lines .

Water Temperature

Another very important factor you need to consider is the different water temperatures and their suitability to your needs. For example, cold water laundry detergent is best suited to cold water cycles.

The best way of knowing the best washing cycle to use is to ensure you check the clothing label. The clothing labels usually come with ample information on what washing cycle you should use so that you don't damage your clothing fabric with the use of the wrong water cycle.

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Sensitivity

There are now many kinds of detergent that are specifically designed for those that are sensitive. There are dye-free detergents, fragrance-free detergent, and hypoallergenic laundry detergent for those with sensitive skin.

Another option is to choose only detergent that is suitable for washing your baby's clothing so that skin irritation in your baby is eliminated. You should also look for brands than don't irritate adult skin too, since it is not only your baby that may have sensitive skin.

Eco-Friendly

This type of detergents are completely free from synthetic chemicals. Not only are they safe for your skin, but they are also safe for the environment. In this way, you will be protecting your clothes as well as the environment.

Scent

Many detergents come in various fragrances that will leave your clothes fresh and smelling pleasant. However, some scent might be offending so this can be entirely based on your personal experience.

How To Choose The Best Laundry Detergent

Beware Of Pods And Fabric Softeners

The American Association of Poison Control Centres reports that poison-control centres nationwide receives 12,594 reports of children inhaling pods or putting it in their eyes in 2017. Unless you don't have children at home, it is safer not to use pods for your laundry.

However, if you can't pass the convenient and impressiveness of pods, you should ensure they are placed where children can't reach them. If you have baby proofed everything, then you don't need to worry about this.

Fabric Softeners can help you clean and soften your clothing simultaneously. It is recommended that you don't use them on your children's sleep wears and certainly not on any material that is treated with fire retardant. This is because it reduces flame resistance.

Read Labels Correctly

While this is a simple rule, it is very powerful. Whether your clothes sustain their quality or not depends on how good you can read labels. Some pointers are as follows:

• Some detergents are advertised as being for delicate fabrics. But when it comes to clothing, do you know what delicate is? We don't either. So the best is to choose a detergent that is effective in your washer's delicate cycle.
• Fluorescent brightening agent is often added to detergents to make white clothes brighter. This ingredient is colourless in colour and is surprisingly ignored by manufacturers in labels.
• Oxygen powders are assumed to have a colour-safe bleach agent made from sodium percarbonate. This agent is called oxi and this helps oxygen powders gain an edge over chlorine bleach.
• Since there are many brands to choose from, it is important that you take your time in selecting one. The popular ones are Cheer, Tide, Seventh Generation, Arm & Hammer, Gain, and Peril.