How to Add Detergent to a Washer (Where It Goes Depends on Your Machine)

You would think adding detergent to a washing machine is straightforward, but putting it in the wrong place is one of the most common reasons detergent does not dissolve properly. Undissolved detergent leaves white streaks on clothes, clogs the dispenser, and wastes product.

1. If you find white streaks or clumps of detergent on your clothes, the detergent is not dissolving because it is in the wrong place or you are using too much.
2. If your clothes come out smelling like nothing happened, the detergent may be draining away before reaching the clothes, which happens with certain top-loaders.
3. If your dispenser drawer has sticky buildup or clogged channels, liquid detergent residue is accumulating because the drawer is not being rinsed or cleaned.

Detergent pods always go directly in the drum, never in the dispenser.

Pods are designed to dissolve in the drum with full water contact. The dispenser does not provide enough water to dissolve them properly.

Here is where to put each detergent type in every common machine configuration.

Front-Load Washers

Front-load washers have a pull-out dispenser drawer, usually in the top left corner. The drawer has separate compartments for different products.

Liquid detergent

Pour liquid detergent into the main wash compartment, which is typically the largest section and often marked with a “II” or a flower symbol. Do not exceed the max fill line inside the compartment.

The machine flushes this compartment with water at the right point in the wash cycle, diluting and distributing the detergent through the clothes.

Powder detergent

Add powder detergent to the same main wash compartment. According to Samsung, powder goes in the same compartment as liquid for front-load machines.

If you wash mainly in cold water, powder may not dissolve completely in the dispenser. In that case, dissolve the powder in warm water first and pour the solution into the compartment, or switch to liquid detergent for cold washes.

Detergent pods

Place the pod directly in the empty drum before adding clothes, never in the dispenser drawer. The drawer does not provide enough water flow to dissolve the pod casing, which means the detergent may not release during the wash.

Put the pod at the back or bottom of the drum, then load your clothes on top of it.

Fabric softener

Pour fabric softener into the smallest compartment in the dispenser drawer, usually marked with a flower symbol or a star. The machine releases it automatically during the rinse cycle.

Do not overfill the softener compartment past the max line, because excess softener does not rinse out and leaves a waxy residue on clothes.

This video explains what each compartment in your washing machine drawer is for:

What Are the 3 Compartments of a Washing Machine Drawer

Top-Load Washers With a Dispenser

Newer high-efficiency top-load washers have a dispenser drawer or compartment under the lid, similar to front-load machines.

Liquid and powder detergent

Add liquid or powder detergent to the main wash compartment in the dispenser. The machine controls when and how the detergent enters the drum, which ensures proper dissolving and distribution.

Detergent pods

Place the pod in the empty drum before adding clothes, not in the dispenser. This rule applies to all machine types.

Fabric softener and bleach

Use the dedicated compartments in the dispenser for fabric softener and bleach. The machine times the release of each product to the correct phase of the cycle.

Top-Load Washers Without a Dispenser

Older top-load washers and basic models do not have a dispenser drawer. You add detergent directly to the drum or water.

Liquid detergent

According to LG, add liquid detergent to the drum before adding clothes. Some manufacturers recommend turning on the water first, letting the drum fill slightly, then adding detergent to the water before loading clothes.

This prevents concentrated detergent from sitting directly on fabric, which can cause spotting on dark clothes.

Powder detergent

Add powder detergent to the empty drum or to the water as it fills. Powder needs water and agitation to dissolve, so adding it before the clothes gives it a head start.

In cold water, powder dissolves more slowly. If you see undissolved powder on clothes after the wash, switch to liquid or dissolve the powder in warm water before adding it to the drum.

Detergent pods

Place the pod in the empty drum first, then add clothes on top. The pod needs to be surrounded by water and fabric to dissolve and release properly.

Never throw a pod on top of a loaded drum. It may not get enough water contact to dissolve completely.

How Much Detergent to Use

Follow the product label

The detergent label specifies the correct amount per load size, and more detergent does not mean cleaner clothes. Excess detergent leaves residue on fabric and inside the machine, causing musty smells and buildup over time.

HE machines need less

High-efficiency machines use less water than standard machines. If your machine has an HE symbol, use only HE detergent and follow the HE dosing instructions on the label, which are typically less than standard dosing.

Using too much detergent in an HE machine creates excess suds that the low-water cycle cannot rinse away.

For more on detergent types and dosing, see pods vs. liquid vs. powder detergent.

Common Detergent Mistakes

Putting pods in the dispenser

Pods are designed to dissolve in the drum with direct water contact, not in the dispenser. The dispenser does not provide enough water to break down the pod casing, so the detergent either does not release or releases only partially.

This video shows the common mistakes people make with laundry pods and the correct way to use them:

You've Been Using Laundry Pods Wrong All Along #Laundry #Pods #Hack

Pouring detergent directly on clothes in a front-loader

Front-load washers use very little water. Pouring liquid detergent directly on clothes instead of using the dispenser concentrates the detergent on a few items, which can cause discoloration and leaves the rest of the load under-dosed.

Using the pre-wash compartment for a regular cycle

The pre-wash compartment is for the pre-wash phase only. If you put detergent in the pre-wash compartment for a regular cycle, the detergent may not be dispensed at all because the pre-wash phase is only activated when you select the pre-wash option.

For more on what the pre-wash setting does, see what is pre-wash in a washing machine.

Adding too much detergent

Excess detergent creates excess suds that trap dirt and prevent proper rinsing. Clothes come out with residue that attracts more dirt in future washes and makes fabrics feel stiff or look dull.

Watch this demonstration of how to properly add detergent pods to a washing machine:

How to Add Laundry Detergent Pods to a Washing Machine

For understanding all your machine’s settings, see how to use your washing machine.

For keeping your machine clean and the dispenser unclogged, see washing machine care.

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