The detective has discovered that 70% of soils are invisible! Let the detective take you through the evidence, which will determine how much detergent YOU should use.

The key facts to consider are: 1. How dirty your clothes are.
2. Water hardness. 3. Size of the load. It is important to use the right amount of detergent to get the best possible washing results.

The more heavily soiled your clothes are, the more detergent you will need. The average wash contains 38g of dirt. Most of us think of dirt as the visible marks and stains on the outside of our clothes. But did you know this is only 30% of the actual dirt that a detergent has to remove? So where does the remaining 70% come from?

Forensic Report No1 - Body Soils
70% of the dirt on your laundry comes from
your body and is often invisible. Here are
some examples
Skin Grease (sebum)
– Skin secretes a greasy layer which keeps skin soft and pliable, keeps out water and protects against infections. An average adult produces ~40g of this grease every day (and that’s how we end up with collar and cuff stains!)
Sweat – An average adult sweats ~1 litre/day. Sweat contains 1% salt = 10g/day!
Skin – your outer layer of skin (epidermis) will produce 1 billion skin flakes a day! On average you will shed 1-2g of dead skin cells a day
The 'unmentionables'
– post urine dribbles, faecal smears, menstrual stains...lots can end up on your underwear!
Our bodies are a rich sources of soils – lots of which end up in your washload!
Compiling all the evidence from the Forensics together, you’ll find a typical washload for a 5kg washing machine contains ~38g soil in total – that’s a lot of dirt for the detergent to remove!
Forensic Report No2 - Other Soils in a typical washload
30% of the dirt on your clothes is usually more visible and comes from external sources such as:
Accidental stains
e.g. tomato sauce, coffee, etc. Average 2g in a typical day)
Applied products(e.g. lotions, creams, deodorants, etc. Average 2g in a typical day)
From the Environment
(e.g. dust, pollution, smoke, etc. Average 4g in a typical day
Professional Hobbies
(e.g. oil, mud, grass, etc. Average 4g in a typical day)
As you can see there’re lots of ways your clothes will become dirty in a 24 hour period. Don't under estimate the amount of soil in your load - over time not dosing correctly can lead to whites becoming dingy.

Water hardness plays a key role in dosing correctly, as the mineral content in your water determines how effectively your detergent works.

Hard water areas contain a higher mineral content and will need softening to ensure great cleaning results. That’s why detergent manufacturer's recommend dosing slightly more in hard water areas, to allow enough detergent to firstly breakdown the water hardness, and then clean your clothes.

Use the map to check the water hardness in your area, or contact your local water provider.*

*Map is for visual representation only and there may be regional pockets not illustrated here. Contact your local water provider for more details. **Refer to detergent manufacturer’s dosing recommendation on-pack.

The Laundry Detective has compiled all the information together in a simple table. See how YOU can dose correctly.

*refer to on-pack detergent recommendation for your drum size and water hardness.

Top Tip

A general rule of
thumb for drum size
6kg - fit a single duvet
7kg - fit a double duvet
8kg - fit a king size duvet

Note: will vary by machine + type of duvet

Expert Tips

Over time, not dosing correctly can lead to whites becoming dingy. Dose correctly for great washing results.