Typical Laundry Supplies For Your Household And How To Use Them Effectively

Do you use the same laundry supplies as your parents did, but don't know why? I know I did when I first started doing laundry because I learned by example, but no one explained why we used what we did.

It reminds me of the old joke: A woman cuts the end off her ham and puts it on the tray to bake and her husband said, "why do you do that?" She said, "because my mother did."

So, she called to ask why her mother always cut the end off the ham. Her mother said, "because my mother did it."

So the mother called the grandmother to find out the secret. The grandmother said, "because my pan was too small for the whole ham."

I was like that young woman, just blindly doing what the previous generation had done without any idea why.

I mechanically knew the process of how to do laundry, but I didn't understand how various laundry supplies should or could be used to help me out.

There is a lot of science behind how laundry supplies work, which is quite interesting for us science nerds (I use the term affectionately since I was a biology major in college), but that subject is a bit dry for regular conversation.

However, once you get down the basics a bit of extra knowledge in how to wash clothes and treat laundry stains will give you that extra edge to go from merely getting by with the laundry to mastering Laundry 101.

Therefore, what follows is a list of a typical household's laundry supplies (and some oldies that most people don't have in their home anymore) and what they are used for.

Detergents:

There are many types of detergents out there, and a basic knowledge of them is useful when you are going through the store determining which laundry supplies to buy for your family's needs.

"Free" - means without perfumes, fragrances, or dyes. I recommend using these types of detergents for babies and anyone with allergies or sensitive skin.

Liquid - best to use if you are going to wash in cold and/or hard water because it is already dissolved in a liquid and therefore will not clump.

Powder - better for getting out clay and dirt than liquid detergent, and generally cheaper because you are not paying for water too, just detergent.

High efficiency - for front-loading washing machines, which use significantly less water than top loaders, and therefore require significantly less detergent.

Mild - typically used for delicates in cold water washings, and typically found in liquid form. Some can and some cannot be used in the washing machine so read the label carefully.

Whiteners And Brighteners:

Each of these laundry supplies is used, generally along with the detergent, to increase the detergent's effectiveness or otherwise better clean the clothes.

Baking soda - it is a gentle detergent booster, and some claim it also helps rinse the clothes better of extra detergent, thereby acting as a natural fabric softener.

It also increases the alkalinity of the wash water, meaning it neutralizes acids such as vomit and urine which can get on clothes.

Borax - a detergent booster that makes a detergent less mild.

It is generally used in diaper soaks because it cleans and whitens, while also increasing the absorbency of the cloth.

Chlorine bleach - this is a must have laundry supply for your laundry room, but you need to know how to use it effectively or you can be in for some laundry disasters.

Oxygen bleach (also known as color-safe bleach or non-chlorine bleach) - this is another must have for your laundry supplies, especially if you have small children, because it gets lots of stains out without a lot of effort, and is generally safer on more types of clothes than chlorine bleach.

Enzyme presoaks - By and large these are safe for all washable fabrics.

Because of this they are found in many detergents and color-safe bleaches so you probably have these in your laundry supplies and may not have realized it.

You typically don't find them by themselves in the laundry supplies aisle of the store.

Washing soda - This is not typically found in a household laundry supplies anymore. It can be added as a detergent builder for greasy stains, or used as a presoak.

It works by increasing the alkalinity of the water.

White vinegar - This can be a great addition to your laundry supplies, and it is cheap which is great too!

Fabric Softeners:

This is the most controversial of the laundry supplies, with a debate raging between two sides about whether fabric softener is even necessary or beneficial.

Here is the basics of both sides so you can make your own decision about whether to include fabric softeners within your laundry supplies.

Types of fabric softeners:

Detergents that contain them - I highly recommend you do not buy detergents with fabric softeners in them.

The reasons include that it is generally more expensive to buy them combined in one bottle than separately, and in addition, the detergent does not clean as well with the fabric softener present.

Fabric softener is not meant to be added while the clothes are actually washing, just during the rinse.

Liquid - can cause oily stains if use too much, which you have to launder again to get out.

It seems, from my own observations, that liquid fabric softeners make the clothes softer than dryer sheets.

Dryer sheets - can build up a residue on the lint screen of your dryer.

I have found that you do not need to use a whole dryer sheet at once for your laundry load, and can cut it in half and/or use the same dryer sheet more than once.

Pros of fabric softeners:

Reduction of static cling - Because I dry clothes in the dryer I have found I need, especially in the winter time, to use some type of fabric softener to reduce static cling.

I have chosen to use dryer sheets because I cannot find any liquid fabric softeners which do not have a strong scent, and my husband hates the smell of vinegar so I can't use it as a natural fabric softener.

It makes fabrics feel soft, of course!

Cons of fabric softeners:

Fabric softeners can easily build up a residue on your clothes.

To lessen this effect try to use them only every couple of loads, and if using dryer sheets use less than a full dryer sheet with each load in the dryer.

Many claim that fabric softeners lessen absorbency, and therefore they should not be used with towels, diapers, or other items that are supposed to be absorbent.

Fabric softeners often have a warning on them that they lessen the effectiveness of the flame retardant used on clothing, such as children's pajamas.

Natural fabric softener

Remember that the natural fabric softeners, white vinegar and baking soda, were discussed above.

Because of all the cons to synthetic fabric softeners many people have turned to these natural products to soften their laundry.

I cannot guarantee these natural products would reduce static cling though.

Conclusion

That about sums up all the most important information about laundry supplies, and how and when to use them.

I will leave ironing supplies for another day.

In addition, see my post on laundry stain removal tips for a list of supplies for your laundry stain removal basket.

I hope this helps you ace Laundry 101!

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