How do I use a non liquid laundry detergent without it ruining the washing machine?

Question

I work at a homeless shelter and we got 5 bucket of this laundry detergent that clumps up when you put it in the washer and it clumps your clothes together so we can't use it. But there has to be a way to use it and it not ruin the machine or clump the clothes together. So do you have a suggestion? I'm trying to save the clients who live here money so they don't have to go buy laundry detergent.

Answer 1

Take a quart of very warm (nearly hot) water (in a container w/lid that closes), add the portion of soap to it. Shake it up, will the powder dissolve? If not, can you take some powder, add water to make a paste, add more water to thin, then add that to the washer?
Good luck.

Answer 2

Start the water running, add the detergent, then add the clothing once the detergent is dissolved.

Thanks for trying to use it and save money, and not just trashing it as so many other would do!

Answer 3

Start machine to let a little water in. Put detergent in. Put clothes in.

Answer 4

If you have a top loader, put detergent in before you put clothes in.
Fill water half way, then agitate until water is nice and soapy. put clothes in wash as normal problem solved, Now front loader is a different story......

Answer 5

add the detergent while the water is being added and stir it up before adding clothes.

Answer 6

put some in a cup of boiling water and see if that disolves it. it could be specifically for hot water. If it is disolvable in hot water, just make sure they know to mix it in boiling water first, or disolve it and supply a cup to pour it into the machine.

Answer 7

Make sure you do not overload the washer and use all the suggestions above