First is the all-important decision - liquid or powder. Choose liquid. If you have ever found white spots on your dark laundry, you wish you had used liquid. Even if you don't see spots, many septic tank pumpers report large cakes of powdered detergent in tanks.
Often homeowners report that their washing machine overflows and then they find the drain line is caked with detergent. It is environmentally sound to purchase large quantities of items; it cuts down on packaging costs. However, "bargain" detergents sometimes contain a lot of fillers to make buyers believe they received more for their money.
In detergent purchases, less is more. The smaller the jug that does more loads of laundry, the better. Ultra is a word commonly used to describe these detergents. Using more of an ultra detergent does not improve its cleaning capability, so use only the manufacturer's recommended quantity.
If your washer has a load-size selector, by all means use it. By selecting the proper size load you will reduce water waste. The one sweater washed on the extra-large load cycle followed 25 minutes later by a single pair of jeans on the extra-large load cycle happens more than we'd like to admit. If you don't have a selector, run only full loads of laundry.
Doing all of the household laundry in one day might seem like a time saver, but it could be an expensive nightmare. Recall that water pushes through your septic tank every time water enters it. An important function of your septic tank is to hold wastewater for sufficient time to allow it to separate. Doing load after load does not allow your septic tank time to hold the water. If you're not on a dosed or timed system, you could be flooding your drainfield without sufficient recovery time. Try to spread water usage throughout the week and over a day.
Don't forget to check the label of the detergent you select. Is it phosphate-free? Phosphates are one of the nutrients that cause plants to grow, including algae in our waterways.
