When it comes to doing laundry, it’s easy to toss everything in together and call it a day. But when it comes to your towels, it’s important to take a little extra care. Separating your towels from your other laundry can help extend their lifespan, improve their absorbency, and keep them looking and feeling their best.

Towels are heavy and absorbent, which means they take longer to dry than other fabrics. If you wash them with lighter items like t-shirts or underwear, the towels can take longer to dry and can become a breeding ground for bacteria and mildew. This can lead to unpleasant odors, and even pose a risk to your health, as some bacteria can cause skin infections or respiratory issues. Separating your towels and washing them on their own ensures that they get plenty of air circulation and dry thoroughly, reducing the risk of bacteria build-up.

Additionally, towels tend to produce a lot of lint. If you wash them with other items, the lint can transfer and cling to your clothes, making them look fuzzy and worn out. By separating your towels, you can reduce the amount of lint they produce and keep your other clothes looking fresh and new.

Finally, washing your towels separately can help prolong their lifespan. Over time, towels can become rough and scratchy due to buildup from fabric softeners or other laundry additives. Washing them on their own with a mild detergent and then finishing up with dryer balls can help prevent this buildup and keep your towels soft and fluffy for longer.

It’s time to start giving your towels the attention they deserve! Bonus? You’ll be rewarded with towels that are clean, absorbent, and comfortable to use!

Many of us have experienced the thrill of rummaging through our parents’ or grandparents’ closets and discovering timeless treasures like shirts, jackets, and scarves. It’s remarkable to see how once-outdated pieces are now back in style and considered “vintage.” However, most of these finds are too worn out to wear and are eventually discarded. Here are some tips on how to extend the lifespan of your favorite clothing items. Who knows? Perhaps, one day, someone else will cherish them just as much as you do.

Pre-Treat Stubborn Stains

If you accidentally stain a beloved item of clothing, the best way to improve your chances of saving it is through pre-treatment. Create a paste by mixing warm water with Oxygen Brightener or a few spritzes of Stain Spray, apply it generously to the stained area, and let it sit before washing. Alternatively, you can soak the item in cold water before washing to help loosen the stain. By taking these steps, you can increase the likelihood of removing the stain and potentially save your favorite piece of clothing.

No Need for Dry Cleaning

While many clothing labels advise “Dry Clean Only,” it’s not always necessary to follow these instructions. Dry cleaning involves using a chemical solvent to clean clothes’ surfaces, which can actually harm certain fabrics.

Fabrics such as linen, wool, and silk can safely get wet and usually fare well in a gentle or quick cycle (use a mesh bag to reduce friction). If you’re concerned about color bleeding, test a small area first. By reducing your reliance on dry cleaning, you’ll protect your clothes from unnecessary wear and tear and save money in the process.

Turn Dark Laundry Inside-Out to Prevent Fading

To prevent your dark clothes from fading, try washing them inside-out. This easy tip can help prevent the color erosion that can occur when washing dark shades like black, navy, and forest green. When you turn your clothes inside out, the fabric surfaces are less likely to rub against each other, which can cause the color to fade over time. While the interior of the garment may experience some color loss, the exterior will remain protected, keeping your clothes looking vibrant and new for longer!

Stop Overusing Laundry Detergent

Contrary to popular belief, using more detergent doesn’t always result in cleaner clothes. In fact, overdosing on detergent can cause a buildup on garments, making them feel stiff and scratchy, and lose their color over time, leading to faster aging. Overusing detergent can also result in leftover buildup, which can clog machines and cause them to become less efficient over time… say hello to costly repairs!

To avoid these issues, consider using pre-measured detergents like Clean People Laundry Detergent Sheets or Pods, which are designed to provide the optimal amount of detergent per load, with no mess or guesswork required. This ensures your clothes are clean and protected, while also preserving the lifespan of your laundry!

Almost Always Use Cold Water

Opting for cold water when possible is a great way to protect your laundry. Hot water can be harsh on fabrics, causing them to shrink or stretch over time. Cold water is especially gentle on dark and bright colors since hot water can cause fading. In addition to preserving the quality of your clothes, cold water is also an energy-efficient choice that helps the environment and reduces your utility bills.

While cold water is a good choice for most items, there are some instances where warm water may be necessary, such as when washing jeans or white clothing. Reserve hot water for heavily soiled whites and towels. By making these simple adjustments to your laundry routine, you can help extend the life of your clothes and reduce your environmental impact.

Opt for a Shorter Washing Cycle

Opting for a shorter washing cycle is generally the best choice, especially if your items are not heavily soiled. This is especially true for delicate fabrics, which require a gentle cycle. By reducing the number of times your garments spin in the wash, you can extend their lifespan. Not only will this preserve the quality of your clothes, but it will also save on energy costs and help the environment by reducing water and electricity usage. Did someone say “win, win … WIN?!”

Choose the Appropriate Dryer Settings

It’s important to choose the right dryer setting to prevent damage to your clothes. “Normal” or “regular” settings can be misleading because they use high heat, which can be harmful to most garments. These settings should only be used for heavy items like towels, jeans, and bedding.

For delicate items, use the delicate setting, which provides low heat to prevent shrinking and damage to materials. Some dryers have specific settings for wool, silk, and dress shirts, providing special treatment to these types of garments. If you have an item with threaded embellishments, choose the tumble-dry setting. This setting air dries your clothes without the additional heat, ensuring your pieces stay intact. By selecting the appropriate setting, you’ll increase the lifespan of your clothes and save money on replacements.

Which one do you choose?

You may have seen our Laundry Detergent Sheets and our Laundry Detergent Pods and wondered which one would be best to use. Or, is one better than the other? The short answer is, No –  neither the sheets nor the pods are better than the other, but each can help serve a different purpose based on your washing machine’s settings and your laundry needs.

Laundry Detergent Sheets

Clean People Laundry Detergent Sheets are our most popular product and are beneficial in many ways by being incredibly versatile and convenient to use. They are easy to transport and store away due to their small size. Because we have concentrated the detergent into a paper-thin strip, our laundry sheets are the perfect product to take with you on a plane or on a road trip to the beach. They will not take up much space and are simple to toss into the washing machine wherever you are staying. Plus, you can easily use the sheets to hand wash clothing while on the road!
Our Laundry Detergent Sheets are easy to tear into pieces if you have a smaller load-size. For instance, you want to wear your favorite sweater again but it got a little dirty since the last time you wore it, and you just had laundry day a few days ago –  it’s simple to toss a small load in the washing machine and tear your laundry detergent strip in half so you can cozy up in that sweater again tomorrow.

Also, Laundry Sheets never burst or leak, making them perfect for use in a home with children or pets. Children can more safely help with the laundry, without worry about any accidental spills and messes!

Laundry Detergent Pods

Clean People Laundry Detergent Pods work just as well as our Detergent Sheets and smell great, as we carry them in multiple amazing aromas! Here are some ways to know if laundry pods are the right product for you. 

Our Detergent Pods are an ideal product to use in a machine set to a low-water cycle. A low-water cycle is typically found in front-loading machines and is designed to help conserve power and energy. Be sure to check if your machine is set to a low-water cycle. 

Laundry Pods tend to have a more concentrated scent. If you love to open your washing machine and dryer and be able to smell easily that your clothes are clean and smelling fresh, our pods will definitely do that for you! Clean People Laundry Detergent Pods come in Lavender, Fresh Scent, Fragrance Free, Spring, and Sweet Petal & Vanilla. Depending on your scent preference, we’re confident you’ll find a pod fragrance that you’ll love!

When it comes to doing laundry, separating whites and darks is a pretty straightforward task. However, many people are not aware that the water temperature also plays a role while doing laundry. In many cases, people usually leave their washer on the default setting and never bother to change the water temperature option. Unfortunately, this may prove to be detrimental to the longevity and quality of your fabrics. We’ve put together a quick guide to help you determine the appropriate water temperature when you are washing your next load of laundry!

Several factors will determine what temperature of water you should use when washing your clothes. For quick reference, use hot water to help kill harmful bacteria on extremely soiled clothing, linens, socks, undergarments, and towels. Warm water is best used on jeans and other common items of clothing used for daily wear, and save cold water for delicates, and bright clothes. 

Before we delve deeper into the ideal washing temperature for certain articles, let’s cover some concepts that will enable you to make the correct decision regarding this important matter:

1. Read the Care Label:

All items of clothing come with labels or tags that provide complete care instructions including recommended water temperature settings. These instructions provide valuable information regarding how to take care of that particular item. It is important to always follow these instructions, especially if the article of clothing is brand new! 

2. Sort Laundry Correctly:

Sorting the laundry by color, soil, and weight is quite helpful. This will ensure colors don’t bleed on whites or other light-colored clothing. Heavily soiled items of clothing may need a warmer setting on the washer, and heavier clothing- blankets, curtains, jeans, bathrobes, bath towels, etc.-may benefit from being washed separately. 

3. Set to Cold Rinse:

You only need to determine the correct water temperature for the wash cycle. For the rinse cycle, using cold water is absolutely fine since it only rinses out the detergent, and has no part to play in dirt, stain, or bacteria removal. You will also save money by setting the washer to cold rinse which is an added bonus!

When to Use Cold Water

The ideal water temperature when selecting cold water is between 60 and 80°F. Using extremely cold water will be counterproductive and you may end up with laundry that’s still dirty and full of bacteria. Yuck! Also, powdered detergent may not dissolve fully in a cold water cycle. Try using an eco-responsible formula like Clean People Ultra Concentrated Laundry Detergent which comes in the form of easily dissolvable sheets and pods. CLEAN PEOPLE laundry detergent contains no Parabens, no phosphates, no added dyes, and no chlorine making it a fantastic option for you and the planet! Plus, your skin will thank you for sparing it from harsh chemicals!  

Cold water is recommended for washing dark and bright colored clothes. Delicates, woolens, knits, and light cotton items of clothing can be washed in cold water. Always check for stains and pre-treat with stain removers like Clean People Oxygen Brightener Stain Remover before running the wash cycle. Ideally, you should set the water temperature to cold on the washer as a default setting because using cold water to do the bulk of your regular laundry is energy-efficient and cost-friendly.

When to Use Warm Water

In terms of saving energy, warm water uses much less energy than hot water so its usage can be stretched to do frequent loads of laundry in short periods of time. You can wash most man-made fabrics like rayon, nylon, spandex, towels, linens, and lightly soiled clothes. While warm water cycles carry less risk of shrinkage and deterioration than using hot water, washing clothes frequently in warm water may still degrade the quality of the clothing over time.

When to Use Hot Water

Unfortunately, hot water uses a lot of energy resulting in higher power bills. It is not the most ideal temperature to wash clothing in because it leads to shrinkage and deterioration in the quality of clothing. Hot water can also cause colors to run and fade; therefore, you need to be very careful washing colored fabrics in hot water. These hot cycles should only be used to wash heavily soiled clothing, towels, and bedsheets; and since hot water can help sanitize, you can wash undergarments, kitchen towels, bath towels, and other fabrics that may attract bacteria and fungi when used. If someone in the household is sick, you can also wash their linen and bedding in hot water to help rid the fabrics of lingering bacteria from the virus! A word of caution: avoid washing lingerie, silks, lace, and other delicate fabrics in hot water since it will cause deterioration of such delicate fabrics.
**Know Your Laundry Stains: Use caution when washing food-based stains (i.e. wine, fruits, proteins, etc.) in warm/hot water since this can often set the stain in, making it much harder to remove the stain! Warm/hot cycles are, however, quite beneficial in removing stains caused by oil-based foods like butter, fat, and cooking oils!

Find our complete stain-removing guide here! 

At one point in time, you may have thought to yourself, “Am I washing my sheets enough? Am I washing them too much? What should I be washing my bedding with?” Or maybe you’ve woken up to itchy skin or a rash and you’ve searched your bedding high and low thinking a bug bit you during the night. Whatever experience you’ve had when it comes to properly washing your bedding, we at CLEAN PEOPLE are going to guide you through the answers to the why, when, and how!

Why is it important to wash your bedding properly?

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body? It is the body’s first line of defense to harmful toxins in the air! Each night when you are asleep, your skin cells regenerate and repair themselves from the damages and toxins it was exposed to during the day. 

Our skin is also quite porous (in case you haven’t noticed that pesky sweat in the summer); therefore, whatever comes in contact with our skin can be easily absorbed into our bloodstream. Common items that come in contact with our skin include lotion, body wash, and you called it – fabrics! We often don’t think of our laundry detergent as a culprit for toxic substances being absorbed by our skin, but it is! 

The laundry detergent that you use and the method you go about washing your bedding could be the cause of major skin irritations like contact dermatitis. Chemicals such as parabens, dyes, and preservatives are unnatural toxins that our skin cannot process leading to red, itchy, and scaly rashes all over our bodies. 

Because your skin is in the process of renewal and healing at night, it can potentially be even more vulnerable to side effects of toxic laundry detergent. This is why we recommend washing your bedding with safe ingredients found in our Laundry Products! By washing your bedding with clean ingredients (no pun intended!), you could be saving your skin and overall health some major trouble! 

When should you wash your bedding?

Now that we have covered the why of washing your bedding, we are going to discuss the when of washing your bedding. At one point in your adulthood, you may have had a conversation with a friend or family member about when they typically strip their beds and wash their sheets, quilts, and comforters. Truthfully, most people differ in their opinions of how often to wash their bedding! Some say that they shower at night so they are clean; therefore, they only wash their bedding once a month, while others wash their bedding on the same day every week because they like to have a certain cleaning routine to ensure that it is always clean. 

So, which person is right in these scenarios? Most studies recommend washing your sheets at least once a week, if not more, depending on the humidity of the environment you live in. Even if you bathe every night, skin cells, oils, and bodily fluids tend to build-up, attracting critters like bed bugs, fleas, and other unappealing mites! If you have pets who like to lounge on your bed with you, you may consider washing your bedding more often to avoid extra dirt, dander, and hair build-up. 

To cut down on the frequency of washing, try bathing before bedtime if you don’t already do so. Also make it a habit to not sit or lay on your bed after working out, being outside, or participating in other vigorous activities.

**One important thing to remember is to always check the washing instructions when you purchase bedding. Some bedding can only be dry-cleaned which means you will not be able to wash it as much, resulting in dirtier bedding in between washes!

How should you wash your bedding?

Lastly, and arguably most important, is the process by which you wash your bedding. Most people enjoy the resulting effect of washing their bedding. After doing so, you get to enjoy a warm, soft, and cozy bed! There’s just something about fresh, crisp bedding that just seems to help you sleep better at night, and by following these simple steps you can rest assured that your sheets are clean from dirt, and also from toxic materials!

1. Separate bedding and sheets from other fabrics.
   While it can be tempting to want to mix loads to save time, it is not best to wash sheets with your other clothing or towels. This has several advantages. First, it gives the sheets more room to circulate in the water, which allows them to get cleaner. When items are washed together, they can become tangled, which reduces the effectiveness of the washing process. By washing sheets on their own, they have more space to move around and get thoroughly clean. Washing bedsheets alone also prevents damage caused by zippers and other fasteners. These items can catch on the sheets during the washing process and cause tears or other damage. By washing sheets separately, you reduce the risk of this happening and prolong the life of your bedding. In addition, washing sheets on their own reduces the amount of pilling that can happen over time. Pilling occurs when the fibers in the fabric rub together and create small balls or bumps on the surface. This can happen more frequently when items are washed together, as the friction between different fabrics can cause more wear and tear. By washing sheets alone, you minimize the risk of pilling and keep your bedding looking and feeling like new for longer.
2. Ditch the bleach and opt for a safer stain-remover before washing.
   Not only is bleach extremely toxic for the environment, it can be quite irritating for the skin and respiratory system. If you have small children in the house, it’s best to ditch the bleach anyway to avoid any harmful accidents! Instead, treat stains before hand with our Stain Spray or you can add our Oxygen Brightener to the wash cycle to brighten up your white bedding. 
   
3. Use Clean People Laundry Detergent Sheets or Clean People Laundry Detergent Pods in a warm, delicate cycle, and remove immediately as the cycle ends to avoid wrinkles.
   To get the best results when washing sheets, use a gentle detergent and choose a cycle that is appropriate for the fabric. If your sheets are made of delicate materials, such as silk or linen, opt for a delicate or hand-wash cycle. Be sure to check the care label on your sheets to determine the appropriate temperature and cycle length for washing. And always separate sheets by color to prevent bleeding or fading.
4. This may seem like an ancient practice, but if you can hang your bedding outside to dry in the bright sunlight, your bedding will thank you as this will increase the lifespan of your sheets! 
   Tumbling around in a dryer all the time can increase pilling and damage to your sheets; therefore, less is more in this case. If there’s no way around using a dryer, then opt for our Wool Dryer Balls or Fabric Softening Dryer Sheets to create super soft, static-free sheets ready for a good night’s sleep!
5. Enjoy a restful night’s sleep knowing your skin and sheets are free from toxic ingredients and your bedding is clean and free of dirt and other unwanted materials!
   
   **Pro-tip #1: add ¼ c. of vinegar to the softener dispenser in your washing machine to increase disinfecting power after illness or allergy season, and to increase the softening power of your detergent!**Pro-tip #2: Add 2-3 drops of lemon or lavender essential oil to your Wool Dryer Balls to add a subtle scent to fabrics without the toxic fragrance ingredients most detergents have! By following these tips and washing your sheets separately, you can keep them looking and feeling their best for years to come.
   
   Happy laundering! 

It’s that time of year, again! That bittersweet time for your little ones (or your teenagers!) to pack up their backpacks and head off to another exciting school year! During the school year you’ve probably experienced frustration when your children come home and have grown out of their clothes seemingly overnight or added a few rips and stains in their clothes during recess. As stressful as going back to school can be for parents and children alike, we want to take some stress off of you by guiding you through four common school-related stains and easy ways to rid your children’s clothes of those pesky stains that like to tag along on the bus home with them!

1. Mud

Mud is one of the most common stains found on children’s clothing. From recess after a big rain, to football and soccer practice, mud can be a frustrating stain for parents to try to get out of their children’s clothes. To get rid of these muddy stains, simply start with a dull butter knife and scrape off any dry, loose mud off of the fabric. After that, use a scoop of your Clean People Oxygen Brightener with a little warm water to create a spreadable paste. Using an old toothbrush, lightly scrub the paste into the stain on both sides of the fabric. Let this mixture sit for 15 minutes and then wash as normal using your Clean People Laundry Detergent Pods or Detergent Sheets, and enjoy mud-free clothes (at least until next time!).

2. Ink 

Ink is another annoying culprit of frustrating stains. During school, your children may like to take their pens apart and play with them or hoard them in their pants’ pocket, and inevitably their pen breaks or the ink spills in their backpacks and comes into contact with their clothes. Although this type of stain can seem very daunting to remove, here are some simple suggestions. Find an alcohol-based solvent such as hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, or hairspray and use enough to saturate the stained area. Let this sit for a few minutes, then dab with a towel or cloth soaked in water or that same solvent. Finally, wash on a cold cycle since warm water will potentially set the stain in further.

**Use caution when applying solvents to clothing as they could potentially cause color damage. Test the colorfastness by applying the solvent first to an inconspicuous area such as the bottom hem of pants or the back collar of a shirt where hair might cover.

3. Juice 

We all enjoyed a yummy, cold juice box on a hot day after recess or a bottle of post-workout after basketball practice. Unfortunately, accidents happen sometimes and juice may get spilled on your children’s white uniform polos or their outfit for tomorrow night’s recital, and you’ve probably thought that the world was ending! Here are some ways to ensure an easy performance from your washing machine when removing those juice stains. First, encourage your children to blot all food/drink stains as soon as they happen to reduce the amount of traveling the stain does on the fabric. Next, soak the fabric in a mixture of 1 quart of warm water and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for approximately 15 minutes. Lightly sponge some rubbing alcohol and then wash as normal with your Clean People Laundry Detergent and a scoop of your Clean People Oxygen Brightener to help boost the stain-fighting action.

4. Sweat 

Our body’s sweat is made up primarily of water, ammonia, salt, and sugar which are all colorless and odorless substances. However, once they become mixed with other substances such as deodorant, chemicals in clothing, and bacteria they can become yellow or brown and, in turn, stain the clothing in which they come into contact. This can be quite a frustrating ordeal since, unfortunately, it cannot be avoided. Here are some ways to make laundry day easier when washing your children’s sweaty clothes. First, mix 1 cup of vinegar with 2 cups of warm water and rinse the stained areas. Launder as normal while adding a scoop of your Clean People Oxygen Brightener  to boost stain removal. 

**Laundry Hack: For removing sweat stains, a good last resort option if nothing else works, is to rub lemon juice on the stain and allow it to sit and dry in the sun for a few hours. Lemon reacts with the sun to help lighten and brighten whatever it comes into contact with! 

You may think that buying that latest and greatest washing machine and dryer will solve all of your laundry woes. You may even think that as long as everything gets clean, then you’re good to go and that the details don’t matter! That’s simply not true! The details surrounding your laundry day matter a great deal when it comes to getting the most mileage out of your clothes! Fortunately, reversing these 10 mistakes will help your laundry game become easier and much more efficient!

1. Forgetting to check pockets.

We’ve all been there, right? You open up your washing machine and see that pen that bled all over your clothes, or perhaps, you find some long lost change rolling around. Not checking pockets and removing items like these is one of the biggest culprits for damaging or completely ruining your clothes! 

2. Incorrectly sorting fabrics. 

Everyone knows to sort your clothes based on their color before you wash them, but did you know that it is just as important to sort your clothes by their fabric type as well? For instance, your jeans should not be paired with your nice silk blouse just because they both happen to be blue. Those jeans would be too abrasive and will eventually cause damage to more delicate materials! It’s better to sort by color AND by fabrics. Keep your delicates together and your more abrasive materials together!

3. Not cleaning your machines.

This mistake is an extremely common mistake! Most people do not know or have never been taught to clean their machines often. Studies recommend deep cleaning washing machines once a month and cleaning the dryer vent after every load. We often don’t think that a machine that cleans our clothes would also need cleaning. The truth is, water, dirt, hair, and other debris gets removed from our clothes and tends to build up in the machine causing mold and mildew to grow, and in turn, the machine will not work properly! So remember to run a cleaning cycle on your washing machine at least once per month using our Clean People Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets.

4. Overfilling the washing machine drum.

When filling up your washing machines and dryers, it is important that they not be overfilled. If you try to shove too many clothes into the drum, the water and detergent will not be able to efficiently reach everything, and your clothes will come out still smelling dirty and not truly being clean!

5. Leaving shirts buttoned.

As clothes tumble and spin in the washing machine and dryer, buttons on shirts (and sometimes pants) will start to become loose if they remain buttoned during washing and drying! The reason for this is that the buttons will be continuously pulled causing the threads to stretch and tear and eventually, you will end up with missing buttons! 

6. Forgetting to leave clothes zipped.

If you’ve ever felt a zipper, then you know it is rough and could potentially cause damage to other fabrics if it gets caught. Leave those zippers zipped so that they do not get caught on other articles of clothing and cause unnecessary pilling and loose threads!

7. Not pretreating stains.

Pre-treat stains immediately after they happen! Doing this will prohibit the stain from setting in too much and keep you from having to wash your clothes more than once to remove stains. At CLEAN PEOPLE we have two fantastic stain-removing options–our Stain Remover Spray and our Oxygen Brightener!

8. Using the wrong washing temperature.

Always be sure to double check the tags on your clothing before washing! Using the wrong temperature could cause your clothes to shrink or even cause heat damage to more delicate fabrics! Clean People Laundry Detergent Sheets are formulated to work just as well in cold water as it does in hot water –  that way you don’t have to use different brands of detergent for your laundry needs!

9. Using the dryer on the wrong items.

It can be a little overwhelming to know which fabrics should or should not be put in the dryer, and this makes it tempting to just throw everything in; however, doing that could cause damage or even ruin your fabrics! Some common items that would be better air-dried are: knitted/woven fabrics, leather/faux leather, silk, spandex/lycra, and wool.

10. Using too much laundry detergent.

While it can be tempting to use more than enough detergent because it feels like your clothes must be “cleaner” if you do, you may actually be causing them to become dull and lifeless! When you use too much detergent, your washing machine will not be able to get all of the soap out, and your clothes will become stiff and eventually discolored. Plus, too much detergent can actually damage your washing machine – ultimately taking a toll on your wallet when your machine is in need of a repair. 

Fixing these top 10 mistakes will not only make laundry day much easier, but will also be more friendly on your wallet! Plus, you’ll be able to get more mileage out of your clothing! That’s a win-win in our book!

When we are cleaning, seeing a lot of bubbles often makes us believe that our cleaning is more effective. Is there evidence to back this up, or is this just a myth that we have convinced ourselves of? Short answer: It’s a myth that has been perpetuated for many decades! 

Read along to find out why.

What are suds?

Foam and lather is created by different additives in soap mixing with water and air during a wash. Two of the most common foaming additives found in conventional detergents are sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) – chemicals added for the mere purpose of creating those bubbles we’ve all come to associate with “clean” ; however, it has very little to do with the actual cleaning power of the soap! What you should be looking for is a good natural surfactant (the true superstar of clean laundry!) that will perform the same way. Surfactants reduce the surface tension of water allowing dirt and oil to be lifted from the fabric’s surface and then rinsed away in the wash cycle.

What should I look for? 

Sudsing chemicals are commonly added to popular brands to convince their consumers that their product is working better than one of their competitors, but it is more important to look at the ingredients of the soap rather than the amount of bubbles it produces. 

When shopping for laundry detergent and other cleaning products, look for natural surfactants! These are going to be the products that will truly clean your clothes and not just make pretty bubbles. Some natural surfactants to look for include: Cocamidopropyl Betaine (derived from coconuts and used to clean), Octyl Glucoside (a non-ionic membrane remover), and Sulfonic Acids (an organic cleaning agent). Each of these are found in CLEAN PEOPLE Laundry Detergent!

Why bother?

When you see a lot of bubbles in your cleaning routine, you may think it’s truly clean; and while that may be true, the excess soap particles left behind could also be damaging to your laundry if not rinsed out thoroughly. The wash cycle hasn’t completely rinsed out all of the soap if your laundry comes out feeling a little waxy. That’s why CLEAN PEOPLE Laundry Detergent Sheets are intentionally made with a low sudsing formula. Though few suds may be visible during the wash cycle, rest assured the detergent is still hard at work ensuring that your clothing is clean and free of leftover soap. If it looks, smells, and actually feels clean, then it more than likely is good to go! 

Do you have a particular day of the week that you have dubbed “laundry day”?!

Perhaps, on this day you throw everything into piles without thinking twice about when or how often you wore that particular fabric. Perhaps, even, you may be on the other end of the spectrum and can’t remember the last time you washed that pair of jeans or that set of bed sheets! Trust us, we’ve all been there and done that! You might be surprised to find that some articles of clothing don’t need to be washed as much as you think, and some fabrics need to be washed more than you might think! Fortunately, by following these guidelines, you’ll find brighter, cleaner, and longer-lasting laundry that will save you time and money. 

Clothing

We have broken down how often you should wash your clothing by the number of wears to make it easier! There are a few factors to take into account when deciding how often to wash something. For instance, if you sweat a lot during the day, it is probably wise to go ahead and wash those clothes that came into contact with your sweat to avoid unwelcome odors! CLEAN PEOPLE Laundry Detergent Sheets and CLEAN PEOPLE Laundry Detergent Pods are fantastic tools to help get the job done! 

Wash these items after – 

Every Wear:  Shirts, Blouses, Underwear, Socks, Workout Clothes

Every 3-4 Wears: Pajamas, Dresses, Skirts, Dress Pants, Button-Down Shirts 

Every 5-6 Wears: Sweaters, Jeans, Winter Clothing (depending on the amount of use), Other OuterWear

**It is important to remember that some items of clothing like suits, special fabrics, and some winter jackets need to be professionally laundered every 5-6 wears!

Common Household Fabrics

We have broken down these common household fabrics into a schedule to make it a little easier to remember. For example, you may find it easier to remember to wash your bedding on Mondays than to calculate how much time you spent using your bedding! Always be sure to look at the tags on these items to know whether it can be machine washed and dried and what cycle it should be washed on. 

Every Day: Washcloths, Hand Towels, Dish Towels 

Every Week: Sheets, Pillowcases, Commonly Used Blankets, Bath Towels (possibly more than once a week depending on different factors) 

Every Month: Pillow Liners, Bath Mats, Mattress Pads, Bed Quilts

Every 3 Months: Shower Curtains, Throw Blankets, Throw Rugs 

Every 6 Months: Pillows, Comforters, Window Curtains

Hacks  to Make “Laundry Day” Easier:

1. Keep a calendar or checklist nearby to keep track of when you last washed certain household items, and collect those items in need of laundering. 
2. Separate fabrics not only by their color (i.e. whites, lights, colors, etc.), but also by their texture and cleanliness. For instance, you shouldn’t wash your child’s muddy soccer clothes with your favorite date-night pants or skirt; therefore, you’ll want to wash those separately even if they are the same color. You’ll also want to keep abrasive fabrics away from more delicate, fragile fabrics to maintain the quality of your clothing!
3. Pre-treat any stains with CLEAN PEOPLE Stain Remover Spray or with a paste of hot water and CLEAN PEOPLE Oxygen Brightener. 
4. Always remember to empty your dryer’s lint filter! This will ensure that it’s drying properly and thoroughly and will keep your clothes from developing any unwanted odors. 
5. Use CLEAN PEOPLE Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets to help keep your clothes smelling fresher and looking cleaner for longer.

At CLEAN PEOPLE, we hope these tips will help you take a daunting household chore, and make it easier and more organized. 

Remember: more is not always better, and sometimes wearing a piece of clothing more than once before washing it will help your clothes look and feel better. Plus, it will save you money on detergent in the long run!

Feel the Urge to Overload Your Machine with Too Much Laundry Detergent? Here are The Effects This Can Have on Your Clothes and Machine!

If you are obsessed with things in your home being clean, like we are, then you may find it tempting to overfill your washing machine with too much detergent. When using powder or liquid detergent, most people tend to overdose which is not only bad for your clothes and machine but also for your wallet! The thought is that, somehow, using more soap will make your laundry “cleaner.” We’re here to tell you, that is not the case at all; however, it is just the opposite. Using the incorrect amount of detergent for the size of the load you are washing can lead to smelly, dull clothes and to a machine that will wear down much faster!

What is “Enough” Detergent?

It’s safe to say most people get confused by the different numbers on the plastic detergent cup that comes with your store-bought detergent. How do you know when to fill to “1”? How do you know when to fill all the way to “5”? Then, a few weeks later, you recycle your empty jug only to wonder, “Did I really get 96 loads of laundry out of this bottle?” The answer is “No!” More than likely, you ended up using too much detergent for each load; and in turn, wasted your detergent and money! 

Studies show that the average load of laundry only needs 1 tablespoon of detergent in order to be clean, and 2 tablespoons for a large load (considered around 12 pounds)! At CLEAN PEOPLE, we aim to take the guesswork out of your everyday household chores with our pre-measured CLEAN PEOPLE Laundry Detergent Sheets and our CLEAN PEOPLE Laundry Detergent Pods.  

What if My Laundry Needs an Extra Boost?

No two loads of laundry are the same! Sometimes, loads consist of sports clothing from the kids, or something the dog soiled, or even just everyday clothes that feel more dingy than normal. If you think your laundry needs a little boost of cleaner, try soaking it first in a vinegar bath for a few hours with 1 cup of vinegar and 1 quart of warm water. Laundry stripping to rid your fabrics of buildup and odor has also become popular in the social media world as of late. Simply add ½ cup of borax, ½ cup of washing soda, and a small amount of detergent to a bathtub of hot water. Throw your laundry in and let it soak for a few hours, then toss it into your washing machine and wash with our  Laundry Detergent Sheets or Laundry Detergent Pods.

How to Run a Load of Laundry the Clean People Way

1. Pre-treat any stains with the CLEAN PEOPLE Stain Remover before laundering. 
2. Choosing either a very warm or hot cycle, add our CLEAN PEOPLE Oxygen Brightener directly to the drum if your fabrics need extra stubborn stains removed. (Pro-tip: To treat those really stubborn stains, make a paste of the CLEAN PEOPLE Brightener and water and let it sit on the stain for two hours before washing.)
3. Place the correct amount of CLEAN PEOPLE Laundry Detergent Sheets or Detergent Pods directly into the drum before adding laundry.
4. Add laundry and wash on a warm or hot cycle.
5. Dry immediately using CLEAN PEOPLE Wool Dryer Balls or CLEAN PEOPLE Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets
6. Enjoy truly clean laundry that isn’t stiff and dull from too much detergent! 

We hope these tips and tricks will help give you confidence that a little goes a long way! We hope you enjoy using your Clean People laundry items to give you that fresh clean feel without the harsh chemicals!