If Your Laundry Pods Aren't Dissolving, Here's What You Need To Do

While not exactly the high-tech robotic armed gadget the Jetsons used as the ultimate laundry hack, laundry detergent pods are viewed by many homeowners as a revolutionary convenience that has simplified their clothes-washing routine. No bulky detergent containers to haul around, no messy powders or liquids to measure — just toss in and go. Life should always be this easy. Sadly, easy doesn't always mean perfect. As handy as laundry pods may appear, they aren't flawless. There are times when they don't dissolve and you're left with residue on your clothes after washing. Fortunately, the problem can easily be fixed by adjusting the water temperature, loading method, or storage technique.

Laundry pods, packets, tablets, or cakes, whatever name you use to describe them, are an effective alternative to traditional detergent. The compact pouches contain highly concentrated laundry detergent, with some brands combining liquid or powder soap with stain remover and fabric brighteners and softeners to keep clothes smelling fresh. All that cleaning power is encapsulated in a thin, oil-based plastic film that's made to break down in water. However, if the outer membrane fails to dissolve completely, you may notice streaks of detergent on wet laundry or along the interior of your washing machine. This frustrating find may lead you to question the functionality of your machine or the laundry pods themselves. The good news is, in most cases, the issue with lack of dissolving boils down to user error.

Most laundry pod manufacturers claim their product readily dissolves in hot, warm, or cold water. However, if you notice plastic residue in the machine or on your clothes, you might consider increasing the water temperature as the heat will help dismantle the chemical bonds holding the pod's outer plastic coating together. Albeit, this solution is not recommended if the laundry codes on your clothing instruct you to use cold water only. In that case, you can purchase laundry pods specifically designed for use with cold water. Another option is to briefly soak a laundry detergent pod in a bowl of hot water until the outer membrane starts to break down, then add the liquid to your washing machine.

This leads to another reason your laundry detergent pod is not dissolving properly — not enough water. You must place the pod in the washer's drum before you add in dirty laundry. If you toss the packet on top of the soiled clothes, there's a good chance it won't dissolve completely as the capsule needs as much contact with water as possible to fully disintegrate. This is also the reason you should not place laundry pods in the automatic detergent dispenser drawer of your washer. Moreover, if you are cramming a ton of grimy duds into your machine, you're also hindering the dissolving process. A pod needs to be exposed to an ample amount of water to disperse, and overloading prevents this from happening. 

Laundry detergent pods can be used in standard top-loading and most high-efficiency washing machines. Consult the machine's user manual if you are uncertain of whether or not detergent pods can be used in your particular model. In addition, it's also a good idea to refer to the instructions printed on the pods' container or visit the manufacturer's website when determining how many laundry detergent tablets you should be adding to your washing machine. Using too many tablets in a single load can result in dissolving issues, which begets the aggravating task of rewashing the entire load. Typically, you will only need to use one pod to clean a regular load of laundry. However, for extra-large loads — especially ones that fill a 20-pound capacity front-loading machine — use two pods.

Finally, humidity is an enemy to laundry detergent packets as moisture can cause pods to stick together and potentially leak before you get the chance to use them. Additionally, improper storage can lead to rock-hard pods that fail to fully dissolve. To avoid this, store detergent tablets in their original airtight container and in a cool, dry, and safe area that's far away from children.