You Probably Use Too Many of These Home Furnishings.
Most people spend a lot of money on things like laundry detergent, dishwasher soap, and other consumables. Saving on them doesn’t have to mean changing brands or waiting for a sale – you can just use a lot less product and still get the same results, if not better. Here’s how much you really need to get the job done.
Toothpaste
Regardless of which toothpaste you buy , chances are good that you are using too much of it. Dentists will tell you that a pea-sized serving of toothpaste is sufficient for most adults, while children need less than half that amount . If your toothbrush looks like a commercial – or an image on a box – before you brush your teeth, you need to reduce the amount.
It’s not just about saving money. Using too much toothpaste can do more harm than good , especially if it contains abrasive ingredients like baking soda. Over time, overuse of toothpaste and aggressive brushing will weaken the enamel of your teeth, resulting in increased sensitivity and toothache.
Washing powder
It has long been known that most of us use too much laundry detergent . And it’s not just a little more – if you use a full lid for every load, you can use 10 or 20 times more detergent than you need.
Using that amount of detergent is completely counterproductive. Washing machines use a lot less water than before, so any additional detergent you add won’t rinse off completely. If you make it a habit, you simply cover your clothes (and the washing machine parts) with a layer of deposits that never rinses off. To avoid this, use as little detergent as possible. Start with half of your usual amount and type it back in. You will be pleasantly surprised at what a simple tablespoon of detergent can do.
Dishwasher detergent
The dishwasher detergent is in the same boat as the laundry detergent, except using too much can seriously damage your dishwasher . A quick way to tell if you’ve used too much is to check for soap deposits and deposits on the inside of the dishwasher door, next to the detergent drawer.
Most of us don’t think about how much detergent we actually use – we just fill the detergent drawer and close it. But even with intensive washing, our dishes will probably only need a fraction of the full detergent drawer. Anything larger will cause a crust inside the dishwasher, making it less efficient overall and potentially damaging the dishes. It’s far more important to load your dishwasher properly and keep it clean than using a ton of detergent.
Mouthwash
You might think that it is impossible to use “too much” of something that goes into your mouth, goes into your mouth, and then spits out into the drain, but this is the case. If you remove the cap from the mouthwash and blindly fill it to the top before discarding it, you are using too much.
Most over-the-counter mouthwashes suggest only about 20-30 milliliters (roughly 1-2 tablespoons) at a time. This is more than enough to get the job done. Plus, in any case, your mouth doesn’t have to be completely filled with mouthwash – rinsing the inside of it is part of what makes it effective; filling the mouth reduces its usefulness. To make measurement easier, choose a brand of mouthwash that has a self-filling cap with a noticeable fill line – these are often sold for kids, but more manufacturers are including them in all of their bottles. Unlike toothpaste or detergents, using more mouthwash than you really should (at least to a certain extent) does little harm, but the money you’ll save on those expensive bottles of this substance by using less quantity will pay off.
If you had no idea that you were using too many of these products, it’s not your fault – often their containers are designed to hide how much is actually required for the job, or they are simply too large for the task at hand. After all, the manufacturers of most of these products cannot make more money unless they tempt you to switch from another brand, downsize their containers so you buy more often, or trick you into using more than you might need. … If you’re looking to save money at the supermarket (and keep your appliances – and your teeth – in good working order), keep track of how much of each one actually takes to get the job done.
This article was originally published on February 27, 2014. It was updated on April 22, 2021 to reflect the current Lifehacker style rules.