There are various reasons why you may have suddenly found yourself with a box of washing powder but no scoop in sight.
Maybe you usually use liquid detergent, but your closest shop didn’t have anything but the powder today. Or maybe your trusty scoop took a tumble off the top of the washing machine and was left with a big crack down the middle, rendering it unusable.
Not to fret, being scoopless is no reason to panic! There are a number of household objects that can also double as a washing powder scoop if you just take the time to read this article.
Why Do We Need to Measure Our Washing Powder?
There are a few important reasons why it is necessary to measure out the right amount of washing powder for our load of laundry.
The main reason is that too much washing powder can be both unfriendly for the environment and not ideal for the garments that you are running through the machine. If you add more powder than recommended, your clothes are likely to come out covered in an unpleasant residue.
This is why washing powder measuring scoops are designed to measure out the exact right amount of powder for your specific load.
What Can You Use Instead of a Scoop?
If you have found yourself without a scoop, the next step would be to start checking around the house to see if you own any other items that use a similar measurement system.
This list would include jugs, baby bottles (that are not in use), coffee or rice scoops, the spoon in a bottle of protein powder or a bag of dog food, or even a standard measuring spoon. Just don’t forget to clean these items properly if you’re going to use them for multiple purposes!
If you can’t find any of these items, then you can turn to a trusty tablespoon, which usually holds around 15 ml of washing powder. You can then calculate how many spoons you would have to add.
In a final effort of desperation, you can also use your kitchen scale and work out how many grams you will need, depending on the instructions.
There should be instructions somewhere on the box of washing powder that will indicate how much of the product you should be using, depending on what you are planning to wash.
This amount will change depending on the size of the load, the type of clothing, and the water hardness levels where you live.
Conclusion
It’s likely that you will be able to find something in your house to use in your endeavours to accurately measure out the perfect amount of washing powder for your specific load of laundry. This object should be able to tide you over at least until you can purchase another proper scoop.
If you feel that the constant powder measuring lifestyle is not for you then you could always give liquid detergent a try. Usually, the cap doubles as a measuring cup and it is very easy to add this product to your machine and ensure that you never have to improvise a measuring device again.
An adventurous book lover with an animal obsession and a proclivity for travel and spontaneity. Used to passionately despise cleaning but has grown to enjoy it thanks to learning all the best tricks and shortcuts to guaranteeing a stress-free routine and a spotless home.
