How to make (almost) any detergent work

If you have been around for a while, you’ll know we have our preferred mainstream, enzymatic detergents. Our tried and true go-to’s that work without a second thought. But that doesn’t mean we limit ourselves to only using a few options. We know how to make (almost) any detergent work. 

Sometimes you can’t access your regular detergent. Maybe payday is a few days away and you make a bargain-bin purchase. Or you’re staying with friends and open the laundry cupboard to find a detergent you’ve never even heard of before. 

This is our advice on getting nappies clean with (almost) any detergent.

How we assess detergents

We have reviewed 216 different detergents, sorting them into two broad categories: ones we recommend and ones we don’t.

We’ll let you in on a secret. Some of the detergents we’ve failed will actually work under the right conditions. We fail them because the amount of effort required to produce consistent, reliable results is too high.

Using them is like trying to build IKEA furniture when you’ve lost the instructions. Time-consuming, frustrating and you almost always end up rage-quitting.

Applying the cleaning factors

We like to work smarter, not harder. Our cleaning advice draws on the four cleaning factors of time, temperature, chemicals, and mechanical action. 

A successful laundry routine uses each element of the cleaning factors. 

You’ll get a great wash using a long 40ºC Cottons cycle with a mainstream detergent. You’ll get an even better clean if you increase the temperature to 60ºC.

On the other end of the time-temperature continuum, if you run short, cold washes, your nappies will not get clean. 

Our advice can be distilled into: 

• run the longest wash cycle available
• select the highest temperature the fabric can tolerate
• match detergent to soiling level
• add additional stain removers as needed
• use the mechanical action (agitation) of the washing machine 

Making weak detergents work

Let’s apply the cleaning factors to poor-performing detergents. These are products that simply do not have enough active ingredients to remove dirt and grime. Their cleaning power is barely better than washing with water alone. 

It is still possible to get clean laundry with a sub-par detergent. However, you’ll probably need a lot more than the suggested dosage and rely heavily on the other cleaning factors.

The first step is increasing the amount of detergent you use. For front loaders, we suggest checking your machine one-third (⅓) of the way through a long Cottons cycle. Add more detergent if you don’t see any suds. You can do this by putting it in the drawer and washing it down with some water. Don’t be surprised if this means doubling, tripling or quadrupling the suggested dosage.

Some detergents simply won’t work with soft water, because you can only increase the dose by so much without a sudsplosion.

Hot water is your best friend when it comes to nappy laundry. It helps the detergent to break down oils and bacteria more effectively and ensures that the nappies are properly cleaned. Almost all detergents perform better at higher temperatures. Aim for a wash temperature of 60°C.

Wash on the longest, hottest cycle that you can. This is our general advice, but it is essential when the detergent is phoning it in. 

I had a client who used Supreme Liquid… I regularly used half a bottle for 2 outfits and still had to rewash due to not smelling clean. Washing in a top loader with cold didn’t help, but their hot water tank was tiny. 

~ Renee, Australia

Hot water and a long cycle will go a long way in removing physical dirt and grime from your clothes, but they won’t remove stains. This is where it is worthwhile adding a laundry booster (oxygen bleach) or chlorine bleach to increase that chemical factor. Another option is pretreating everything. Every. Single. Thing. 

Supreme powder is the worst detergent I’ve ever used. I paid a bargain basement price of $10/ 5kg ($2/ kg). 

The packaging advised 110 washes, which is a suggested dose of 45 grams. 

I wasn’t expecting much, and I got even less. I knew I would have to use more than that, but I didn’t expect to need a metric cup of detergent (250ml!) to see suds in family laundry.

Clothes and tea towels came out of the wash with stains. I resorted to getting the kids to scrub their clothes with soap in the shower before adding them to the wash cycle.

I went through 5kg in a week so it was hardly economical. 

~ Katie, Australia 

When you factor in the cost per wash of the increased detergent amounts, along with hot washing, laundry booster and chlorine bleach, these detergents are often terrible value. 

Resetting your nappies

If all else fails? Sanitise and start over. Life is too short and kids are only small for a short period, don’t waste it worrying about finding the perfect laundry detergent if your time is better spent running around with the kids and making all that dirty laundry.

Wrapping it up

While having your preferred detergent is always a win, being able to make almost any detergent work when you’re in a pinch is a handy skill. By adjusting your washing routine, and ensuring a thorough hot wash, you can achieve great results with whatever detergent you have on hand. Happy washing!