Can Laundry Detergent Stain Clothes?

Introduction

This is a common question many people have when doing their laundry. After all, we use laundry detergent specifically to clean our clothes, not stain them! The good news is that when used properly, laundry detergents are very effective at washing clothes without leaving stains. However, there are some instances where detergent residue can lead to staining if not rinsed out completely. Let’s take a closer look at whether laundry detergents stain.

How Laundry Detergents Work

Ingredients

Modern laundry detergents contain a variety of ingredients that work together to lift dirt, oils, and stains from fabric. Some key ingredients include:

• Surfactants – These cleaning agents reduce the surface tension of water to help it penetrate fabrics more easily to remove soils. Common types used are linear alkylbenzene sulfonates and alcohol ethoxylates.
• Builders – Builders help prevent hard water minerals from interfering with surfactant cleaning action. Popular options are zeolites, polycarboxylates, phosphates and silicates.
• Bleaches – Oxygen based bleaches like sodium percarbonate help brighten colors and remove stains by breaking down and loosening discoloration.
• Enzymes – Specialized enzymes target protein, starch, fat and oil-based stains. Protease, amylase and lipase enzymes are frequently added.

Cleaning Process

When you put your clothes in the washing machine with laundry detergent, the detergent dissolves into the water. The surfactants penetrate the fabric fibers, loosening and suspending dirt and stains so they can be flushed out. Builders help soften hard water while bleaches break up discoloration. Enzymes help to break down stubborn protein and carbohydrate-based stains.

After the washing machine’s agitation and rolling action, most of the grime is removed. The final rinse flush then carries away nearly all detergent residue.

Can Residue Cause Staining?

The quick answer is yes – leftover laundry detergent residue can potentially cause staining on clothes. However, this mainly occurs if too much detergent is used and not fully rinsed out.

Excess Detergent

Using extra detergent does not get your clothes any cleaner. In fact, too much detergent can redeposit on fabrics as sticky residues after the final rinse cycle. These residues often appear as white streaks, specks or even yellowish stains. Any remaining surfactants can also attract dirt over time, leading to further discoloration issues.

Inadequate Rinsing

Laundry detergents are designed to be fully flushed away with clean rinse water. But when there is not enough water for a proper final rinse, detergent residue may be left behind. Powder detergents are more prone to residues than liquid versions if not adequately rinsed. White fabrics also tend to show more visible residue streaks and deposits.

Fabric Softener Stains

While popular, liquid fabric softeners can also cause staining when mixed with detergents. As they have opposite electrical charges, detergents and fabric softeners can react to form gummy deposits. Using too much softener exacerbates this issue. These sticky residues attract dirt which oxidizes and yellows over time.

Tips to Prevent Laundry Detergent Staining

Here are some useful tips to avoid residue-related staining of clothes from laundry detergent:

Use Less Detergent

It’s easy to use more detergent than needed, so measure carefully based on load size guidelines on the detergent bottle. Start with the low end of recommendations – you can always increase the amount if not enough suds. But too many suds that take awhile to rinse out are a red flag you used excess detergent.

Additional Rinse Cycle

If clothes have too much sudsing or your machine doesn’t do a stellar job rinsing, run an additional rinse cycle with no detergent to flush away residues. Watch clothes closely while rinsing to check when water runs clear.

Wash and Rinse in Cold Water

Warm and hot washes compound staining issues by setting residues. Wash and rinse with cold water temperatures whenever possible to avoid heat-activated depositing. Check care labels first though, as some fabrics require cooler water temperatures.

Inspect Clothes While Wet

Look for signs of residue while clothes are still wet after the final rinse. Specks, streaks and visible detergent suds mean more rinsing is needed. This allows you to take action before deposits dry and set on fabric.

Allow Extra Rinse Time

For front load HE machines, an extra 2-5 minutes in the final rinse can help dissolve more residues. Top load machines should include at least one deep water final rinse and spin cycle. Prioritize additional water volume over additional rinse time if your machine allows customization.

Use a Residue Remover

If clothes already have built-up residue stains, use a specialty detergent additive like Borax or washing soda in an extra rinse cycle to help dissolve deposits. White distilled vinegar is also helpful at removing traces of alkaline-based detergent residues. Always avoid mixing vinegar and bleach.

The Bottom Line

When used according to package directions for proper load size and water temperature, laundry detergents are very effective at washing clothes without leaving residue deposits or stains behind after rinsing. But mistakes can happen, especially using too much detergent or inadequate rinsing. Following these best practices will help you take the proper precautions to avoid detergent staining your clean laundry.

References

[1] Eda Güner, Bahadir Sayin, Ali Acar. Laundry detergents: Cleaning efficiency, dermatology and environment. Agronomy Research. 2021. doi: 10.15159/ar.21.061

[2] Sarwa, G., Verma, A.K., Mishra, S. and Malviya, R. An investigation of properties of various surfaces and detergents: A laboratory-developed experiment. Chemistry Education Research and Practice. 2022. doi: 10.1039/d1rp00260c

[3] Consumer Reports. How to prevent laundry stains. Retrieved from https://www.consumerreports.org/washing-machines/how-to-prevent-laundry-stains-a5477855090/