At what point do I put the detergent in the washing machine??

Question

Do I do it while it's filling up with water or wait for it to fill up completey and start slowly spinning the clothes in the cycle? Additionally, do I use hot or cold water? And if the soap reaches it, will the water be filled with suds? I've been using this crappy machine for months and I'm still not sure if I'm doing it right.

This is one of the few times I'm taking Yahoo Answers seriously, so HELP!!!!!!

Answer 1

Geez, stop stressing, it's just detergent. Nothing is going to happen if you put it in before, during whatever!! Just put some in--and only about half of what they call for, Personally, I use liquid Tide, the one that smells really good with lavender and vanilla and I put the clothes in, turn on the water, then pour in the soap around the swisher thingie in the middle! Works like a charm.

Answer 2

OK!! If you are using a liquid Laundry detergent,Put it in as directed on the direction's label,.before filling tub..But if you are using a powder detergent,then it will go in first as well!!!.Read the direction's on the box,as how much to use,as there are different kinds of detergents. Sometimes I use my hand to agitate the powder detergent,before placing clothes into tub,to be sure it doesnt ball up,and stick to garments, I have seen this done.. Then after placing the detergent in tub ,start the washer,in wash position,then as tub fills, agitate it with your hand, start placing clothes into tub,but do not over fill,as your clothes will be as clean as you would expect..Then close the lid,wait untill the washer has finished running through the cycles.When washer is complete,then you know the rest of the story ..Hope this helps..

Answer 3

In the past, I've always put the powdered soap in first, then wait until the tub in 1/4 full ... then add my clothing. I've found that if I add darks too soon, and the soap isn't dissolved enough .. I'll get white streaks and spots on my dark clothing. Generally, warm water is for darks and hot water for whites. I'm now using Tide Cold Water .. so it dissolves quite quickly, and cleans your whites just as good as hot water would ... so, saves on energy and wear n' tear on your hot water tank. Hope I've helped a lil' bit. :)

Answer 4

lol. i usually put it in while the water is filling up, but i don't think it make that big of a difference. the only advantage i see is that it gives the soap a bit more time to suds up. i know you use cold water for cotton and delicates... i'm not sure when exactly you're supposed to use hot water. again, it doesn't make a big difference unless it is shrinkable, in which case DEFINITELY use cold.

Answer 5

Put the soap in while you are filling it with water, then put the clothes in. Use hot water for whites, cold for everything else.

Answer 6

This is what I do. I buy LIQUID detergent...no clumping on your clothes, and set to wash and rinse in cold water only. (it saves on your energy bill and cleans just as well) I turn the machine on and pour a cap full of soap in. After a few seconds I toss in my clothes....Also a good tip to turn your clothing inside out and hang dry if you want them to last longer. I use tide in the purple bottle lavender and vanilla I think it is, if you hang your clothes to dry this has softener in it already so they aren't quite as stiff) And it smells terrific.

Answer 7

i put the detergent in when the machine is filling up, then
add the clothes. dark clothes use cold water.

Answer 8

I put the detergent in the machine while it is filling up before I put the clothes in

Answer 9

I don't think it really matters when you put the soap in. I've done it at different points, and it hasn't made a difference.

But there's directions on the detergent bottle if you want the "official" answer.

Answer 10

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detergent~water~clothes
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detergent~water~clothes
detergent~water~clothes