Sounds logical, right? Not so much! Over usage of soap and, detergents can cause havoc with your clothes washer and dishwasher. The suds can go up into your machines control board and take it out. If this happens you will be looking at a very expensive repair. It can also ruin your clothes and cause skin irritation. Too much detergent can also cause your dishwasher to leak.

One way you can test if you are using too much soap: after you wash a load of towels, run a rinse and spin cycle. If you see suds then you are using too much soap. Most large loads in a high efficient washer only need about 1 tablespoon of soap. And if you do have a front loader or high efficient washing machine you should be using an HE detergent. These HE detergents can be found at any store. It’s a low suds formula. These machines use much less water and less water concentrates soap. Read your owners manual: Manufactureers say that HE detergents must be used or it can void your warranty. USE LESS!

Did you know that detergent and fabric softener could expire? We recommend powered detergents for both washer and dishwasher. Do you ever see white etching on your drinking glasses? This is probably from using liquid detergent. The problem with liquids is all of the good ingredients sink to the bottom. So unless you shake the bottle very well each time you use it – you’re not getting the full formula. I use the Cascade tables with bleach. I noticed a visible difference with my glassware. I also use Jet Dri in my dishwasher. I’ll give you one more valuable tip: make sure you have hot water at your sink before you start your dishwasher.