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What Happens If You Substitute Shower Gel For Laundry Detergent
By MADISEN SWENSON
While you can substitute shower gel for laundry detergent in a pinch, this product should only be used in a very limited number of circumstances and never in a washing machine.
Shower gel can help with very bad odors and minor stains, but it’s not a good swap for detergent, as it’s not formulated to eliminate odors, remove stains, and truly clean fabrics.
Using shower gel leaves behind dirt in the fabric, and improperly cleaned clothes can be a breeding ground for bacteria that can cause skin reactions.
Shower gels that are meant to cleanse and hydrate our delicate skin can contain moisturizing ingredients that can damage your clothes' elasticity and fiber structure.
Only use it in a pinch to hand wash items such as intimates and recent stains. Even in these cases, wash the item with detergent as soon as possible to get rid of any residue.
Shower gel is fundamentally different from detergent on a chemical, microscopic level, and putting it in a washing machine can be disastrous as it’s not equipped to deal with it.
If you’re absolutely out of detergent and need to do a load or spot clean a garment, hand wash only, and use a small amount of shower gel to limit the amount of suds produced.