UK households urged to stop using washing powder on popular clothing item

UK households have been urged to stop using washing detergent when it comes to waterproof clothing this winter as we head towards Christmas. Chris Kennedy from Taunton Leisure warns if you’re washing waterproof jackets, you must do this without detergent.

He said: “All waterproof clothing is treated with a water-repellent coating, but this will wear off over time. If your jacket starts to wet out (where water no longer rolls off the surface), it’s time to apply a re-proofing treatment to keep the jacket performing like new.” He added: “Wash the jacket first: Waterproofing treatments won’t work on dirty fabrics.

"For wash-in treatments, avoid turning the jacket inside out: This will affect how the waterproofing works. Wash items separately. Avoid using detergent and fabric softener: These can interfere with the water repellent coating.”

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Homes and Gardens.com explains: “I had always heard that clothes and linens should be super soft after every wash so I was a little confused as to why my clothes were always stiff or scratchy when they came out of the wash.

"I had been adding more and more detergent and softener each time to try and soften my clothes – little did I know this was only making the problem worse and it made my laundry room smell damp.

“While detergent does get dirt and grime out of your clothes and shifts odors, using too much was creating a horrible build-up of soap suds that I could not shift – probably because I was trying to fix the problem with the very thing that was causing it.

"How much detergent you need to use will depend on your washing machine and the type and size of your laundry load. As a general rule of thumb, however, use approximately one to two tablespoons of detergent per load, reducing this if you was only washing a few things or something that is not heavily soiled and simply needs a freshen-up.”