The Wall Street Journal had a great article last week on the Great American Soap Overdose. Here’s what the columnist reported:
In the laundry room, Americans are prone to overkill. They pour too much detergent into their washing machines.
Generations of consumers have washed clothes with the idea that more soap means cleaner laundry. But the sudsy habits are creating messy problems from dingy clothing to worn machines.
Making matters worse, the latest generation of detergents are concentrated and so require users to use less product-per-washload than ever before. And more consumers are buying highefficiency washers, which need far less water than older models. It’s a combination begging for more careful measuring—something Americans stubbornly resist.
The article also reports that every second of every day, the equivalent of 1,100 washloads are started! To combat pouring too much detergent into my washer, I’m a big fan of Dropps. The “toss-and-go” pacs make it easy to never playing the guessing game again, but mostly I like that it avoids any mess from trying to measure liquid detergent.
The WSJ article also includes a fun interactive (preview above) that shows the common mistakes we make washing our clothes.
So, are you a measurer or a guesser? Do you make common laundry mistakes, like overpouring or poor sorting? Have you found the solution to laundry messes?
Sadly, Dropps has been out of stock for a while at Alice.com. I hope it comes back when I need it again. It’s so convenient and does a great job.
@ Linda – I think we’re all stocked up on Dropps again, so you can add them to your order. I agree, super convenient – I never thought I’d be such an evangelist for laundry detergent ;)
I’m a guesser, and I always guess over. My wife has been trying to cure me, but I’m very stubborn.
I use the “line” on the cap…and I always wonder if the manufacturer is cruelly cheating me…
I’ve never tried Dropps, but I’m finding I love Purex Sheets
I don’t use detergent…I use soap nuts…a natural product with saponin. I get mine at Amazon but would buy from Alice if available and competitive. Soap nuts are natural, no chemicals, usable for many washloads, and when all the saponin is exhausted what is left can be added to your compost pile.
I’d love to try Dropps…if they didn’t cost nearly twice what my usual detergent. I don’t really understand that since, as this post says, they’ve eliminated the harsh chemicals, the water, the more expensive packaging and shipping. So why aren’t they similarly, or less expensively priced than my All Free and Clear?
I probably over use detergent because I can never see the lines on the measuring cups. LOL Especially the black lids. I would love the lines to be in different colors than the lids.
I always measure. I think I’m the only person in the world who measures. That’s how my mom taught me to do laundry and now that I have an HE washing machine, I’m afraid that if I don’t measure I’ll have a Bobby Brady and the overflowing washing machine experience.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for your note. You are correct in saying that we have eliminated harsh chemicals. In doing that, we have used ingredients that are great for your clothes and sensitive on your skin. Dropps laundry detergent pacs are priced per load the same as the leading brand. We don’t charge a premium even though we are offering a great cleaning detergent that is way more convenient than the traditional jug. Plus, it’s great for the environment by eliminating water from the formula and reducing the amount of plastic used. The combination of cleaning, convenience and conservation make Dropps laundry detergent a great value. Write us at info@dropps.com and we will send you a sample, so you can try it out.
Thanks so much, Remy! I will drop a note in the morning. I appreciate your generosity. Can’t wait to try Dropps! :-)
And thank you, Rebecca, for being so awesome! ;-)