Look At Common Laundry Myths (NAPSA)—Just about everyone does it—yet few enjoy it. About once a week, you gather your fam- ily’s hampers and begin the neverending chore of laundry. In fact, the average household washes more than 6,000 articles of cloth- ing each year, as reported by the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA). As often as people do laundry, there are still some common laundry myths that you need to know the truth behind. Myth 1: The bigger the bottle, the better. Manylaundry detergent brands are introducing concentrated formulas—detergents that get the job done using a fraction of the deter- gent that regular-sized products require. These small, yet powerful formulas perform just as well as their larger counterparts but are more environmentally friendly. Packaged in smaller bottles, they use less plastic and require less water in the manufacturing process. Plus, the smaller bottle is easier to carry, use andstore. Myth 2: Natural and “green” cleaning products aren’t all they’re cracked upto be. Natural laundry products tend to get a bad reputation for being pricey, less effective and lacking in fragrance. Breaking this misconception, Purex Natural Elements (www.purexnatural.com), a new detergent made with 100-percent naturally derived cleaning ingredients, is priced the same as other Purex detergents and has the same tough-on-stains cleaning power. It also uses natural fragrance extracts for a pleasantly fresh laundry experience. Myth 3: The more detergent you use, the clothes will be. cleaner the It’s important to use the sug- gested amounts—whether powder or liquid—as using too much or too little is not optimal. To tell if you’re using too much laundry detergent, check the lint trap in the dryer—if there is a lot of lint with each load, chances are you are using more soap than necessary. Myth 4: Cool water is better for cleaning clothing. Although cool-water washing does save energy, detergents are typically more effective in warm- to-hot water. However, lightly soiled clothes can be washed in cool or warm water. Just remem- ber to use the recommended amountof detergent. Myth 5: All detergents are created equal. The age-old question has al- ways been: Powder or liquid? Although the SDA reports the only difference is texture, liquid detergent is convenient for pre- treating stains prior to washing and is especially effective on food, grease andoil stains. With the 6,000 articles of clothing you may washthis year, laun- dry is more important than you may think, andit’s good to have a better understanding of how to make the most out of your cleaning experience.
