Liquid vs. Powder Detergent: Which Is Better to Use?
Doing the laundry is a chore with a lot of considerations to keep in mind. What cycle should you use? Hot or cold? Should towels be washed separately from your clothes? If you’ve ever blindly thrown everything in your hamper into the washing machine, you’ve surely paid the price. But just as important as how you wash your clothes is what you wash them with. When it comes to powder detergent versus liquid detergent, it depends.
Powder Detergent Is Cheaper
One of the most alluring reasons to opt for powder detergent is its price tag. It costs less because it takes more chemistry to build liquid detergents, according to Shoaib Arif, manager of applications and technical service at Pilot Chemical, a surfactant maker. Plus: This product will whiten your laundry without bleach.
Powder Detergent Works Better on Outdoor Stains
The main surfactant in powder detergent is linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, which is highly effective on outdoor stains like mud, clay, or grass. You can also follow this guide on how to remove stains.
Liquid Detergent Is Better for Greasy or Oily Stains
It’s generally considered easier to pour out a small amount of liquid soap into the washing machine in comparison to scooping out a portion of powder. And if you’re not skilled at transferring the powder, it’s a pain to clean up any droppings. Lastly, powdered laundry detergent comes in a cardboard box that’s heavy, hard to carry, and rips easily, especially if it gets wet.
Liquid Detergent Isn’t as Sustainable
While it can be annoying to deal with a cardboard box, they can easily be recycled. Unlike powder detergent, liquid detergent comes in a plastic bottle. Plastic can also be recycled, though many consumers and municipalities don’t participate in recycling programs. As a result, plastics are some of the least recycled containers, according to the EPA. And because liquid detergent contains a lot of water, it’s heavier to transport, resulting in more gases being emitted into the atmosphere.
Powder Detergent Has a Longer Shelf Life
Powder cleaning agents are more stable than their counterparts, retaining their cleaning power much longer. Liquid cleaning agents lose their strength when mixed with water. If you’re the type of person who likes to buy in bulk, powder detergent is the better choice.
Liquid Detergent Mixes With the Wash Water Better
Powder detergent is finicky with water temperature. Some brands don’t dissolve in cold water setting, most notably in high-efficiency (HE) washers. If you have a lot of clothes that are cold-water wash only (to avoid shrinkage and dyes from bleeding) or you’re trying to lower your electric bill, this is a big issue.
And if you do choose to use the cold water setting when using powder detergent, you could be in for extra laundry time, with chunks of undissolved detergent leaving residue on your clothes. Meanwhile, liquid detergent works well in cold, warm, and hot water. You’ll never shrink a beloved top or fade a pair of black pants again once you know these common laundry mistakes.
They Both Can Cause Harm To Your Washing Machine
Powder can leave behind chunks of undissolved detergent that can build up in your washer’s drainage system and cause blockages. On the other hand, an analysis by Consumer Reports found that liquid detergent measuring caps are rarely marked with clear lines, so it’s all too easy to use too much. It’s also difficult to determine just how much liquid you need for a small, medium, or large load. That surplus of suds can lead to various problems, including prolonged rinse cycles and leaks.
Just remember: Even when laundry is filthy, smelly, and stained, more detergent isn’t better. If there are suds after the rinse cycle, your clothes aren’t getting clean.
So Which Type Should You Use?
When it comes down to it, powder and liquid detergents both have their pros and cons, but they each do their job of getting your clothes clean. If you’re going to choose a liquid, go for a concentrated formula to get the best value, since liquid laundry detergent is mostly water. Mrs. Meyer’s Laundry Detergent is concentrated for 64 loads. It’s safe and gentle on clothes, contains surfactants from plant-derived sources and dirt and stain-fighting enzymes, and is biodegradable and HE compatible. if you’re considering powder detergent, Tide Plus Bleach Powder is a great choice, since it’s formulated to work just as well in cold water as hot. It also brightens clothes using color-safe bleach. Plus: This trick will remove pet hair from your clothes and bedding ASAP.
20 Small Space Laundry Room Organization Tips
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Family Handyman
Behind-the-Door Shelves
The space behind a door is a storage spot that’s often overlooked. Build a set of shallow shelves and mount it to the wall behind your laundry room door for some clever small room organization space. The materials are inexpensive. Measure the distance between the door hinge and the wall and subtract an inch. This is the maximum depth of the shelves. We used 1x4s for the sides, top and shelves. Screw the sides to the top. Then screw three 1x2 hanging strips to the sides: one top and bottom and one centered. Nail metal shelf standards to the sides. Complete the shelves by nailing a 1x2 trim piece to the sides and top. The 1x2 dresses up the shelf unit and keeps the shelves from falling off the shelf clips. Locate the studs. Drill clearance holes and screw the shelves to the studs with 2-½-in. wood screws. Put a rubber bumper on the frame to protect the door.
Install a Shelf and Clothes Rod
This laundry room hanging rod project will save you hours of ironing and organizing. Now you can hang up your shirts and jackets as soon as they’re out of the dryer – no more wrinkled shirts at the bottom of the basket. You’ll also gain an out-of-the-way upper shelf to store all sorts of odds and ends. Just go to your home center and get standard closet rod brackets, a closet rod and a precut 12-in.-deep melamine shelf. Also pick up some drywall anchors, or if you have concrete, some plastic anchors and a corresponding masonry bit. Fasten shelves to the wall and add the closet rod for instant laundry room storage.
Sponge Holder
Wet sponges always end up the ledge of the utility sink. They never dry properly and become moldy and smelly. Here’s a better for your laundry room solutions. Screw a sieve to the back of the sink to hold the sponges. They dry nicely, they’re out of the way, and they last forever.
Create an Ironing Center
To keep your ironing gear handy but out from underfoot, make this simple ironing center in a couple of hours. All you need is a 10-ft. 1x8, a 2-ft. piece of 1x6 for the shelves and a pair of hooks to hang your ironing board. Cut the back, sides, shelves and top. Align the sides and measure from the bottom 2 in., 14-¾ in. and 27-½ in. to mark the bottom of the shelves. Before assembling the unit, use a jigsaw to cut a 1 x 1-in. dog ear at the bottom of the sides for a decorative touch. Working on one side at a time, glue and nail the side to the back. Apply glue and drive three 1-5/8-in. nails into each shelf, attach the other side and nail those shelves into place to secure them. Clamps are helpful to hold the unit together while you’re driving nails. Center the top piece, leaving a 2-in. overhang on both sides, and glue and nail it into place. Paint or stain the unit and then drill pilot holes into the top face of each side of the unit and screw in the hooks to hold your ironing board. Mount the shelf on drywall using screw-in wall anchors.
Under-Sink Shelf
Tired of moving all that stuff under the sink every time you mop the floor? Just buy a melamine closet shelf from a home center and a length of suspended-ceiling wall angle (sorry, it only comes in 10-ft. lengths, but it’s cheap and you can have it cut for transport). Also pick up four ½-in. No. 8-24 bolts, washers and nuts. Attach it to the underside of your laundry room utility sink for a handy place to store old painting supplies and create some small room organization.
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Skinny Laundry Room Cart
A lot of laundry rooms have a narrow wasted space either next to or between the washing machine and dryer, and it’s usually a hideout for socks and lint. To take advantage of this space, build a simple plywood laundry room cart on fixed casters to hold detergents and other laundry supplies. Get more easy organizing ideas.
Family Handyman
Instant Laundry Room Cubbies
If you don’t have cabinets or shelves in your tiny laundry room, buy inexpensive plastic crates at a discount store and create your own wall of cubbies for some small room organization. Screw them to the wall studs using a fender washer in the upper corner of each crate for extra strength for DIY laundry room shelves. The crates hold a lot of supplies, and they keep tippy things like your iron from falling over. Here are some more ideas for small space storage solutions.
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Clothes Hanger Holder
If you have shelves or cabinets above your washer or dryer, you’ve got the perfect spot to store clothes hangers. Just mount a towel bar to the bottom of the cabinets. This puts hangers at your fingertips so you can hang up shirts and slacks fresh from the dryer.
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A Laundry Workbench
This sturdy workbench is not just for carpentry - it’s also perfect as a potting bench or laundry room table. If you want a surface that’s easy to clean and protects against spills, apply two coats of polyurethane varnish to the top and the shelves. We used a water-based finish that dried quickly and was hard as nails by the next day.
Better Detergent Dispensing
To dispense liquid laundry detergent without lifting it, drill a 1-in. hole through the cabinet bottom directly under the spout. Replace the plastic cap between uses to avoid drips.
Quick Washer and Dryer Shelf
Clean up the clutter of detergent boxes, bleach bottles and other laundry room stuff. Install a shelf that fits just above the washer and dryer. Screw ordinary shelf brackets to the wall and mount a board that just clears the tops.
Laundry Organizer
Make laundry day easier with this shelf for all your detergents, stain removers and other supplies. Build this simple organizer from 1x10 and 1x3 boards. If you have a basement laundry room, you may need to cut an access through the shelves for your dryer exhaust.
Hanger Shelf
Sometimes you just need another place to hang clothes, like on the shelf over your washer and dryer. Turn the edge of that shelf into a hanger rack by predrilling some ¾-in. plastic pipe and screwing it to the top of the shelf along the edge. Get more laundry room organizing ideas.
Paper Towel Holder
If the roll of paper towels on the shelf in your laundry or utility room keeps falling off, try this: Slip a bungee cord through the roll and hang it from the wire shelving. And here are some tips for hanging a more permanent solution.
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Behind the Door Storage: Ironing Board Storage
Ordinary coat hooks on the back of a closet door keep your ironing board out of the way but close at hand when you need it. Looking for more nifty storage innovations? Check out these garage storage ideas.
Minimize Liquid Detergent Mess
Dripless liquid detergent containers always drip just a little. Keep it under control with a special shelf on the corner of the laundry tub. Just cut a 1-½-in. aluminum angle long enough to support the front edge of the container, then glue it to the tub with silicone caulk. Rest the container on the ledge and drips will just fall into the laundry tub instead of creating a gooey mess somewhere else.
Utility Sink Shelf
Cut a section of leftover wire shelving and set it over the front of your utility sink. It’s the perfect place to set items to dry. Hang paintbrushes from S-hooks so they can drip right into the sink. When you’re done with the shelf, hang it over the side of the tub so next time it’s right at hand.
Pretty and Practical Box Shelves
These simple box shelves work equally well in a formal setting and a utilitarian room, like the laundry or garage. They offer an unlimited number of uses and arrangements. Hang some above the washer and dryer to store detergent, dryer sheets, and other laundry room necessities without taking up any valuable floor space.
Laundry Room Wall Cabinet
Turn that wall space above the washer and dryer into a valuable dust-free storage space by adding a utility wall cabinet. Chances are, a dryer vent or some other obstruction exists right where the new cabinet goes. To solve this problem, simply cut away the back and insert a 4-in. galvanized duct as a liner to give the cabinet a 1-in. clearance from the dryer vent, preventing heat from building up inside the cabinet. With the liner in place, the vent is isolated behind the cabinet, keeping everything inside cool and clean. Here’s how to install cabinets like a pro.
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Install a Laundry Chute
Save space in the laundry room by eliminating all of the extra clothes hampers. Install a laundry chute instead! You’ll love the convenience of a laundry chute. In addition to saving space, it’ll also save you time and energy with fewer trips up and down stairs. Here’s how to install your own laundry chute.
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