Love laundry day. Love yo’ laundry.
We've compiled our most frequently asked questions, tips and tricks, best practices, as well as usage directions to help you enjoy all that your Humble Suds Natural Laundry Soap has to offer!
Directions For Use
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Laundry Practices
Laundry Tips + Tricks
Ingredients + Safety
STANDARD DIRECTIONS:
Add up to 1 TBSP into the appropriate machine dispenser. If there is no powder dispenser, add directly to drum before adding clothes.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW SHOULD I STORE MY LAUNDRY SOAP?
To best preserve our laundry soap, we recommend transferring laundry soap into a vessel with a lid to prevent clumping. Humble Suds Natural Laundry Soap contains no preservatives, therefore it may gradually begin to clump. However, any clumps will be easily loosened with slight pressure.
IS HUMBLE SUDS LAUNDRY SOAP SAFE FOR ALL FABRICS?
Since our product contains sodium percarbonate, it is not recommended for wool, silk, or other dry-clean fabrics.
DOES IT WORK IN ALL WATER TEMPERATURES?
Our ingredients are best activated in warm/hot water. If washing in cold water, we recommend diluting a tablespoon in warm/hot water and transferring to the washer to ensure it is completely dissolved and the ingredients are activated.
WHY IS MY LAUNDRY SOAP CLUMPING IN THE BAG?
Because our compostable bags oxidize, air slowly seeps in and can dry the powder the longer it sits in the bag. Because we do not use anti-caking preservatives, our powder may eventually clump together if it is not transferred to an air tight container. We recommend glass containers with lids. There are many available at Ikea, Target, Walmart and other major retailers.
WILL ESSENTIAL OILS IN THE LAUNDRY SOAP STICK TO MY CLOTHES?
No, our essential oils are completely blended into our powders and will not leave an oily mark on your clothes.
IS YOUR LAUNDRY SOAP COMPATIBLE WITH HE MACHINES?
Yes, our powder detergent is formulated for HE machines. Just add a TBSP to the drum before adding clothes OR add directly to your powder dispenser if you have one. For smaller loads, feel free to use ½ TBSP.
IS YOUR LAUNDRY SOAP APPROPRIATE FOR CLOTH DIAPERS?
At this time, we do not recommend our laundry soap for cloth diapers. However, our Illuminate Mineral + Oxygen Powder sanitizes and cleans them well.
DOES YOUR LAUNDRY SOAP WORK IN HARD WATER?
Yes! However, for extremely hard water, we recommend adding a scoop of our Illuminate oxygen powder as it offers extra softening. Using vinegar as a final rinse to your wash is a great option as well.
IS YOUR LAUNDRY SOAP SAFE FOR SEPTIC AND GREYWATER SYSTEMS?
Yes, our product is safe and does not harm septic systems. It is low/no sudsing and uses plant-based ingredients. The baking soda in our product is actually helpful to a septic system. A natural, biodegradable alternative to synthetic, harsh chemicals, baking soda will help keep a septic tank from clogging without the harsh chemicals that kill off all the good bacteria.
DOES YOUR LAUNDRY SOAP HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE?
Because our bags are compostable, they can begin to biodegrade in as little as 6 months, and this may affect the freshness of your laundry soap. This is why we recommend transferring your laundry soap to a vessel with a lid, which will extend laundry soap freshness for up to 2 years.
IS YOUR LAUNDRY BAG HOME-COMPOSTABLE?
Yes! To compost your bag, be sure to remove and recycle the tin tie first.
HOW DO I REMOVE STUBBORN ODORS FROM CLOTHES?
We recommend diluting our Illuminate powder in hot water and submerging clothes that have acquired a stubborn odor. Once the water has turned cold, remove the clothes squeeze out excess moisture and wash as normal.
MY LAUNDRY SOAP DIDN'T FULLY DISSOLVE? WHAT DID I DO WRONG?
You did nothing wrong! Was it a smaller laundry load than usual? If so and you have an HE machine, it may have not needed all of the detergent in the dispenser. For smaller loads, try using a smaller amount. If that didn't help, try adding it to the drum before the clothes. If you need additional help, shoot us a message at hi@humblesuds.com.
BEST PRACTICES
- Do not overcrowd your washer.
- If you are noticing powder remaining in your drawer/dispenser, decrease the amount. Most likely the machine recognized that it didn’t need additional soap.
- Presoak any synthetic or polyester materials in our Illuminate Oxygen + Mineral Powder. Dissolve 2 scoops Illuminate + 1 scoop Natural Laundry Soap in hot water. Add and submerge clothes. Soak for 1 hour until the water turns cool. For more tips, visit our Illuminate User Guide.
- To achieve extra whitening and brightening, we recommend using Humble Suds Natural Laundry Soap with one of the following to help keep whites white and to brighten clothes
- For standard machines, feel free to add an extra scoop given the increased water usage. But remember, more soap isn’t always better.
- When drying, do not over-dry your laundry. This can lead to static and gradual damage to your items. Even dryers with moisture sensors can over-dry, so it’s always best to monitor the cycle.
- Instead of dryer sheets, use Wool Dryer Balls to eliminate static and decrease drying time. We like adding a drop of essential oil to ours for a nice after scent. See all of the benefits here.
- Clean your washer on the cleaning cycle at least once a month.
LAUNDRY TIPS
PRESOAKING
When to pre-soak your laundry:
Any laundry that has set-in stains, strong odor, greasy grime, or is simply more heavily soiled than usual, should be pre-soaked in our Illuminate Oxygen Powder. See the Illuminate user guide and instructions here. Do not use this pre-soak method on “dry clean only” fabrics.
WORKOUT WEAR
- Let your gym clothes air out for a while outside of your laundry basket, such as in your laundry room or outdoor space away from direct sunlight.
- Wash them inside out to ensure the inner fibers, which absorb the highest concentrations of sweat--and sweat-loving bacteria--get the full washing action.
- Use a full scoop or two of Illuminate Oxygen Powder + 1 scoop of Laundry Soap in your wash. Or, pre-soak using the “heavy soil” instructions above. While it can be tempting to use hot water when washing gym clothes, always use warm water to prolong the life of your cherished items.
- Never machine dry your workout clothing. Air drying in a well-ventilated space or outdoors will help keep your clothes from wearing out before their time.
- When in doubt, always defer to wash instructions on garment tag.
STRIPPING
Over time, linens, towels and clothing can become oversaturated with residues from continual exposure to body oils, grime, dust and chemicals. Stripping your laundry means to “strip” to reduce these residues. To “strip” using Humble Suds, we recommend:
- Before placing items in tub, check for colorfastness to ensure that they won’t won’t fade or bleed onto your other laundry. One easy way to test if a fabric is colorfast is to dampen a clean, white cloth. Rub the wet cloth on an interior seam or hem of a colored garment. If any color comes off onto the white cloth, then the item is not colorfast and the dye will run when the garment is washed.
- Fill a bathtub with hot water and add 2 cups of Illuminate Oxygen Powder and 1-2 small boxes of baking soda. Note: only strip items appropriate for hot water.
- Let sit, stirring every 30 minutes, until water turns cold. If water is very dirty, drain and repeat as necessary.
- After soaking, wash in hot water with Humble Suds Natural Laundry Soap with an extra rinse cycle. Repeat as necessary.
DELICATES
Delicates can be hand-washed. Dissolve our Laundry Soap or Scour Cleaning Paste in warm water. Add garments and swish around to clean. Rinse with cool water and dry according to garment directions.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS + INGREDIENTS
Safety: Keep out of reach of children. If skin contact occurs, rinse with warm water. In case of eye contact, flush with cool water for 15 minutes. If ingested, drink plenty of water and do not induce vomiting. Consult a physician. Do not mix with products containing ammonia or chlorine bleach.
Ingredients: Sodium carbonate, Sodium percarbonate, Saponified coconut oil [Sodium cocoate, *Glycerin, *Water, *Sodium chloride, *Sodium gluconate], Sodium bicarbonate, Sweet orange essential oil, Lemongrass essential oil.
- HUMAN + PET SAFE
- H.E. MACHINE SAFE
- ANIMAL CRUELTY FREE
- SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE FREE
- HYPOALLERGENIC
- SLS FREE
- VEGAN
