Short answer: place one laundry pod in the bottom of the empty drum, add your clothes on top, then start the cycle. Never put a pod in the detergent drawer. Use one pod for a regular load of up to about 6 lb, and two pods for a large, bulky or heavily soiled load. Pods dissolve in cold water, so you do not need to change your temperature setting.
Where do laundry pods go?
In the drum, before the clothes. This is the single most common mistake. The dispenser drawer is designed to flush liquid or powder into the tub with a jet of water; a pod placed there often sits in the drawer, only partly dissolves, and leaves a sticky film behind. Placed at the back of an empty drum, the pod is surrounded by water from the first minute of the cycle and the film dissolves completely.
The order that works every time:
- Open the empty drum.
- Drop the pod at the back, against the drum wall.
- Add clothes on top, filling the drum no more than three quarters full.
- Close the door and run any cycle, at any temperature.
How many laundry pods per load?
| Load | Pods |
|---|---|
| Regular load, up to about 6 lb | 1 |
| Large load or an extra-capacity machine | 2 |
| Heavily soiled work or sports clothing | 2 |
| Bulky items: comforter, duvet, blankets | 2 |
| Small load, a few items only | 1 |
There is no half pod. If a load is genuinely small, one pod is still correct; a concentrated formula is designed to rinse clean rather than build up. What you should not do is add a third pod hoping for more fragrance. Scent comes from the composition and from how you dry, not from dose. We cover that in how to make laundry smell good for weeks.
Why a pod is 4x concentrated
A capful of liquid detergent is mostly water. A Scent Wash pod is a pre-measured 22 mL dose that is four times more concentrated, so the same cleaning power ships without the water weight and without a plastic jug. Each pod carries three enzymes that work in cold water: protease for protein, amylase for starch and lipase for oils.
Do laundry pods dissolve in cold water?
Yes. The outer film is polyvinyl alcohol, which is water-soluble at cold temperatures. A pod fails to dissolve for one of four reasons, and all four are fixable:
- The pod went in the drawer instead of the drum.
- The drum was overloaded, so water never reached the pod.
- You used a very short cycle, under about 20 minutes, with a full drum.
- Wet hands started dissolving the film before it went in. Handle pods dry, and close the box.
Are laundry pods safe for HE washers and septic tanks?
A low-sudsing, fully dissolving pod is the ideal format for a high-efficiency machine, because HE washers use less water and cannot cope with excess foam. Our pods are HE compatible and septic safe, and contain no dyes, phosphates, parabens or phthalates. There is a fuller answer in are scented laundry pods safe.
How to store laundry pods
Keep them dry, sealed and out of reach of children and pets. Humidity is the enemy: a pod stored on top of a running dryer or on a damp shelf can soften and stick to its neighbours. Our boxes close with a magnetic flap for exactly this reason. Never pierce, cut or bite a pod, and never put one in water you intend to touch.
Pods and dryer sheets together
The pod sets the fragrance in the wash; a matching dryer sheet renews it in the dryer, softens the load and kills static. Using the same fragrance in both is the difference between clothes that smell clean out of the machine and clothes that still smell of something two weeks later in the drawer.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put a laundry pod in the detergent drawer?
No. Put it in the bottom of the empty drum before the clothes. In the drawer it may not dissolve fully and can leave residue.
How many laundry pods per load?
One pod for a regular load of up to about 6 lb. Two for a large load, an extra-capacity machine, heavily soiled clothing or bulky bedding.
Do I need a separate cycle setting for pods?
No. Pods work on any cycle and any temperature. Cold water is fine and helps the fragrance last longer.
Can I use a laundry pod for hand washing?
We do not recommend it. Pods are dosed for a full machine load and the undiluted formula is not meant for prolonged skin contact.
