Pods are the new cousins in the detergent family; promising greater efficiency in detergent management while providing an equally strong cleaning power for your laundry at home!
Their only downside is what makes me hate them! The fact that they cost more (per load of laundry) than any form of detergent out there!
Aside from this, pods are very convenient to use compared to powder or liquid detergents.
They can be used in every type of washer from High efficiency to standard top loaders and front loaders!
Yes, you heard that right.
Pods can be used in a front loader to clean clothes. When using pods in the front loader, determine the amount you need for the size of laundry you have, typically one pod per load that isn’t up to 12 pounds in weight. Then toss the pod into the empty drum of the washer and add the clothes in. Run a full wash and rinse cycle.
And that’s how easy it is to wash clothes using pods in a front loader.
If you want to learn more about using pods in washer dispensers, what laundry cleaning products you can ditch when using pods, and how they stack up against other types of detergents, then keep scrolling until the last page.
How to use pods in a front loader
Using laundry pods in a front loading washing machine is not rocket science. And you will agree with me after you read this article to the end.
So here is all you need to know about putting pods in a front loader washing machine, and also the tips and techniques that will make cleaning perfect.
Determine how much pods you need
For a successful laundry session, you need to make sure you’re using the right amount of detergent.
Too much detergent will cause streaks on your clothing and a generally dull appearance. Too little on the other hand will mean that your soils and stains aren’t being removed but rather persisting even after the rinse cycle.
Pods come pre-measured in dissolvable cases, and you’re required to toss these into the washing machine together with your clothes. But how much of these should be tossed for an efficient cleaning session?
The answer is very simple, most at times, one pod is more than sufficient to do a 12 pound weight of laundry, or in other words, a light laundry load.
Two and three on the other hand are the maximum you should ever go for heavy or super heavy load cycles. Any other thing outside that and the cleaning will not be impressive.
In my years of experience with both top and front loaders, I believe front loader washers are much more efficient at cleaning and removing stains from clothes, especially when you load them lightly.
So my advice would be to forget about doing the math of matching the load size to pods of detergent, and just break your extra heavy laundry load down into much lighter portions. Then use one pod per cycle and you’ll be impressed at the kind of result you’re getting.
As for how you should stuff the pods into the washer, drop them In the empty drum when there is nothing in the washer. Then add in your clothes and run a wash and rinse cycle.
Do not put clothes and then toss in the pods on them as the pods have a good chance of not dissolving completely which would leave streaks or colors on clothes that make them appear stained or dull after washing.
Run the cycle and rinse
After you have your pods in the front loader drum with your clothes, run a complete wash and rinse cycle depending on the program you’re performing; i.e disinfection, stain removal, bed sheet washing, delicates or what not.
And that’s it. A perfectly washed laundry using pods in a front loader.
What happens when you put Pods in a detergent dispenser?
Pods are actually not meant to be used in the detergent dispensers which is why they come in cases that are dissolvable in any temperature of water.
When you put laundry detergent pods into the detergent dispenser, it may not get to be dispensed during washing, and as a result, your clothes will not be cleaned properly.
This is why the best way to add laundry pods to a washer is to drop it in the empty drum first, then add the clothes on it and run the wash and rinse cycle.
This way, the pods will come in contact with water from underneath and dissolve completely, thereby providing the solution necessary to clean your clothes.
There’s an exception to this rule however, if the manufacturer of your washing machine recommends you add pods to the dispenser drawer, then go ahead and do so!
Why are my clothes streaky or discolored from using pods?
Most of the problems you encounter with using pods in front loaders or even top loading machines, comes from the way you use the pods.
How much of it are you using to clean clothes? And efficiently did it dissolve in the washer?
With pods, it’s very easy to go higher or lower in terms of dosage, because you don’t really have control of the amount of detergent you’re dispensing onto your clothes, unlike when you use powder or liquid detergents.
And one great thing about laundry pods, [or let’s say not really great in this case], is that they are highly concentrated, and so very little of it can go a long way in washing a big batch of clothes.
Whenever you use too many pods in your washer, for example when you run an extra heavy load, and you tossed in three individual pods in there, you may discover that your clothes come out with streaks on them.
This is because you’ve used too much of the laundry detergent which deposits suds on your clothes that are not washed away even during the rinse cycle.
Now let’s talk about how much of the contents in the pod dissolves in water.
If you’re not putting the laundry pod the way you’re supposed to be putting it, which is in an empty drum and before you add water or the laundry, then there’s a likelihood the detergent will not dissolve completely and some of it will find way to the surface of your clothes and give them certain discoloration.
Do you need fabric softener with pods?
You may or may not need fabric softener when using pods. This is because some brands offer a multipurpose pod, which means it’s able to clean, remove odor and even soften and remove static build up on clothes — which is what a softener does by the way.
For that kind of pod, you do not really need a fabric softener to go along with it. On the other hand, if your laundry pod is one that offers just a single action, then you should pair it up with necessary products to achieve your goal at the end of the day, as using the pods alone will not give you exactly what you want.
Are pods better than other types of detergents?
Pods aren’t really better than other types of detergents out there, they’re just there having their own perks and cons like the rest of detergent out there too.
Let’s talk about the three forms of detergents in comparison to one another.
The liquid and powdered laundry detergent have the advantage of being able to be dispensed from detergent dispensers, at the same time also, you can use them to treat stains and soiling prior to running a wash cycle.
Additionally, you have control over the amount of detergent you use for a load cycle which can be a great way of preventing the problems that arise from over and under using of detergents.
Laundry pods on the other hand, come pre-measured and all in one size, and you have no choice of adjusting the amount you need per load of laundry.
So you can always miss the spot and end up using too much or too little which really isn’t good for the pocket when you look at things from the bigger picture.
On the good side of things however, pods offer more convenience for users. They’re very easy to carry along to the laundromat as opposed to the packet of powdered detergent or a bottle of liquid detergent which can add up to the bulk of clothes you already have.
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing special about using laundry pods in your front loading washing machine. The same way you add it into a top loader is the same way you do it in the front loader.
The only important thing you need to know when using pods in a front loader is to make sure you’re breaking your extra large loads into smaller units which would make gauging the right amount of pods you need for cleaning clothes very easy
