Laundry Day Joy!
Laundry days are here again! In our article “Tips: How Do I Stop Pillows From Bunching Up In The Wash?”, we showed a picture of French women doing the laundry on the banks of a river — that was in 1902, those ladies were so brave! Now, we are blessed with washing machines which makes laundry day so much easier. However, there is still the ongoing debate: liquid or powder? There is no right answer, it’s often a question of personal preference. They both have different attributes and depending on your lifestyle, one may be better suited than the other to meet your family needs. At Art of the Home, we actually use both! Check below for Art of the Home pros and cons of using a liquid detergent and a powder detergent as well as suggestions — including some laundry day joy inspirations which we all can use. Happy laundry day!
Laundry Detergent: Liquid Detergent vs. Powder Detergent
Liquid Detergent
Pros:
- Residue: no residue on clothing. A liquid detergent is pre-dissolved so it dissolves easily in water regardless of temperature.
- Stain removal: can be used directly on clothing to pretreat stains. Especially effective for oily and greasy stains.
Cons:
- Price: typically more expensive than a powder detergent.
- Eco-friendliness: Not as eco-friendly that a powder detergent due to the packaging (plastic bottle).
Powder Detergent
Pros:
- Dosage: some powder detergents come in tablets which minimizes overuse.
- Price: cheaper than liquid detergent.
- Eco-friendliness: the packaging (recycled cardboard) is more eco-friendly.
- Added softening agents: some powder detergents contains agents that soften water which can help if you have hard water.
Cons:
- Residue: Can leave a whitish residue on clothing, especially when washing at lower temperatures.
- Stain removal: not as practical to use to pretreat stains — cannot be applied directly on clothing. Instead, powder detergent needs to be dissolved in water and the stained area, or the entire piece of clothing, must be soaked in that water. Powder detergent are known to be best for clay or mud types of stains (great for work/play clothes or sports uniform cleaning!)
Art of the Home Suggestions:
- Liquid Detergent: better suited for colors and when you wash clothes at lower or cold temperatures. We use an eco-friendly liquid detergent when using cold to high temperature cycles as well as for handwashing cycles. When running dark loads, we love our Woolite for dark colors detergent.
- Powder Detergent: better suited for whites and when you wash at high to extra high temperatures. At Art of the Home, we use a powder detergent for whites and for bedding and towels washed using the sanitary cycle (extra hot) of our front loader.
- Laundry Day Joy: for some laundry room art inspiration, check Art of the Home country French decoration ideas.