Free laundry detergent calculator. Enter loads per week to find how much detergent you use each week and each 4 week month.
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Enter the number of loads you wash per week. This detergent usage calculator allows 40 ml of liquid detergent per standard load, then multiplies by your weekly loads for the weekly total and by 4 weeks for the monthly total. Use the weekly figure to judge bottle life, and always check your own product label, since concentration and machine type change the right dose.
How much detergent per load depends on machine, water and soil, but 40 ml of liquid detergent per load is a workable standard load planning figure. Detergent ml per load for a small load falls below that, and a large or heavily soiled load rises above it. Competitor dosage guides stress the same point: the bottle cap is not a dose, and filling it usually pours far more than a load needs.
HE washer detergent amount is much lower than a standard washer dose, because HE machines use far less water. A standard load in an HE machine may need only 2 teaspoons of 2x liquid, while a standard top loader needs more. Detergent dose by load size follows the same pattern: small loads need about half a standard dose, medium loads take the standard dose, and large loads take roughly one and a half times.
Soft water detergent needs are lower, since soft water suds easily and rinses poorly when overdosed. Hard water detergent needs run higher, since minerals in hard water interfere with cleaning, so hard water loads commonly need about a quarter more. Detergent concentration 2x means the liquid is twice as strong, so halve the millilitres, and the same logic applies to 4x products, which need far less per load.
Liquid detergent per load is the easiest to measure in millilitres. Powder detergent per load is usually measured in tablespoons or scoops, and density varies by product, so weigh or scoop by the label. Detergent pods per load are fixed: use one pod for a medium load and two only for large or extra large loads, since pods cannot be split. For a detergent cap measure, calibrate the cap once by pouring water into a measuring cup and marking the millilitres.
Too much detergent signs include stiff towels, dull colours, soapy residue, a musty HE washer smell and extra suds that trigger extra rinses. If those signs appear, cut the dose and check water hardness before adding more. How long does detergent last is simple bottle math: a laundry detergent bottle lasts as long as its millilitres divided by your weekly millilitres, so 5 loads a week at 40 ml uses 200 ml a week and a 1000 ml bottle lasts about 5 weeks.
For 5 loads a week, weekly detergent is 5 times 40 ml, which is 200 ml, and monthly detergent is 200 times 4 weeks, which is 800 ml. For 7 loads a week, weekly detergent is 280 ml and monthly detergent is 1120 ml. A household washing daily therefore uses over a litre a month, which is why measuring beats pouring by habit.
About 40 ml of standard liquid detergent per standard load is a good planning figure. HE machines need less, soft water needs less, and hard water or heavy soil needs a little more. Always check your product label first.
Far less than a standard washer. For 2x liquid, about 2 teaspoons per standard HE load is a common guide, halved again for 4x products. Use only HE labelled detergent in an HE machine.
Yes, usually about a quarter more than for soft water, since minerals interfere with cleaning. If residue persists, check rinsing and load size before increasing the dose further.
One pod for a medium load, and two only for large or extra large loads. Pods cannot be split, so a small load still takes one whole pod.
Stiff or sticky laundry, dull colours, residue on clothes, lingering suds and a musty washer smell. Cut the dose, run an extra rinse, and clean the machine if the smell persists.
Yes, after calibrating it once. Fill each cap line with water into a measuring cup, note the millilitres, and use that mark consistently, since cap sizes vary widely.
Divide the bottle size by your weekly use. At 5 loads a week and 40 ml per load, weekly use is 200 ml, so a 1000 ml bottle lasts about 5 weeks.