Increase detergent for heavily soiled loads

Add slightly more detergent (up to 1.5x the standard dose) for loads with heavy soil — work clothes, kids' play clothes, or gym wear. Use the standard or reduced amount for lightly worn office clothes and casual wear.

Why It Works

Heavily soiled items release more dirt, oils, and proteins into the wash water, which consumes more surfactant molecules. If the detergent is depleted before all soil is lifted, the remaining dirt resettles onto fabric. A modest increase in detergent provides enough surfactant to handle the extra soil load.

Tips

• Do not double or triple the dose — 1.5x the standard amount is typically sufficient even for very dirty loads
• Pre-treating visible stains reduces the overall soil load and the need for extra detergent
• If clothes still smell or look dirty after washing, try a pre-soak rather than adding more detergent