The great laundry secret

If one glug of cleaner is good, two glugs must be better, right? Not!!! Not is the key word here. Not, is what suppliers, manufactures, technical support, cleaning instructors and Blue Sky Services teach. The tendency of adding too much cleaner is as common as rain in the northwest. For some reason, and I can't really tell you why, the tendency of more is better seems to be ingrained in our every cell.

This weekend, my step mom gave me an article she had saved for me from the Wall Street Journal about laundry and over soap application.

The article is called "The Great American Soap Overdose" by Ellen Byron. " 1-27-10
Here is a quote I though summarized the article.
"Detergent "overpouring" creates a high, foamy tide inside the machine, lifting solid and lint above the water level so it isn't rinsed away. That leaves residue on clothing that fades colors and attracts more dirt, they say. Inside the machine, detergent buildup encourages odor and bacteria growth, and leads in time to wear and tear that will require professional attention, washer manufactures say."

Over application of cleaner not only applies to cleaning your floors, countertops and showers, it also applies to your dishes, laundry, windows and pretty much everything we use a cleaner on.

What to do...
-Always read your labels and follow directions.
There is more to cleaning than just the cleaning chemicals.
-Cleaning is a science which includes many factors such as:
Inspection/testing, time, heat, agitation, water, cleaner, dry soil removal,
rinsing and drying Cleaning is not just using chemicals or cleaners
-Consider applying the cleaning philosophies of:
Less is more - more is often worse not better
Practice residue free cleaning - where no soap is left behind

Cleaning with less may be weird at first and you may not believe your clothes or dishes are as clean, but trust me they will be cleaner! If you have a spot on your clothes treat the spot and then use less cleaner.

Have you ever been in a hot tub where there is foam and bubbles everywhere? This is left over soap that gets reactivated with heat and water. Lots and lots of soap is left behind.

If you have concerns or questions about your laundry or dishes my best recommendation is to call the manufacture of your equipment and ask for technical support. Ask for their recommendations and suggestions on using their equipment the best way to achieve the very best results.

Wishing you a healthy and residue free home,
Denise