Doing laundry is one of those chores that’s rather easy, but I find myself avoiding it as much as possible. As a result, I end up doing large loads every seven to ten days. Even for these full loads of clothing, I usually only fill the detergent cup about half way. Even at that point, I may be using too much soap, wasting money, and decreasing the life of my washing machine.
I have noticed that the texture of my clothing, towels, and linens changes considerably even after just a few washes. I don’t use dryer sheets, so I am certain that is not the problem. My new plan after reading an article in the New York Times (linked below) is to use as little detergent as possible. It can’t hurt to start with a small amount of soap and increase only if necessary.
As suggested in the article, I took one of my towels that has not been used since being washed, and placed it in the washing machine without any detergent. After running the machine for five minutes, it was full of suds. I used so much detergent that it was still embedded in the fabric after normal rinsing and drying. This is not normal. I’ll probably need to run my towels through several times without new soap just to remove all that is still on the fabric.
I may have to run my towels through the washing machine as many as eight times before all the leftover soap comes out. While that’s not a good idea for saving money on electricity, I’ve learned a lesson. Even though I thought I was making a smart choice by filling the detergent cup only halfway, the soap stays with the material.
How much detergent do you use?
Photo: mccheek, nateOne
For the Dishwasher’s Sake, Go Easy on the Detergent, Alina Tugeno, New York Times, March 12, 2010
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As you can see from the Tax Answers app’s main menu, you can also use this program to locate the nearest H&R Block office. If nothing else, you can use this for a scavenger hunt or you can check with your friends to see who has the most locations in a ten-mile radius of his or her home.
Liability coverage pays other people when you are at fault — the cause of an accident. Liability coverage is usually mandatory. If you do not have liability coverage and you cause an accident (and the other individual involved does not have uninsured motorist coverage) you would be responsible for paying their medical bills and car repair bills out of your own pocket. You could be sued if you don’t have insurance, or enough insurance, to cover the expenses paid by the victim resulting from your accident.
Collision coverage pays you or pays directly to a repair shop for damage to your car regardless of which driver is at fault. A deductible must be met first. Currently, my deductible is $500. This is low considering a portion of my 
Comprehensive coverage pays you or pays directly to a repair shop for any damage to your car that occurs at any time other than a collision. If your car is stolen, comprehensive coverage would pay you. We experienced a violent storm the past few days, and trees everywhere were uprooted. I didn’t personally notice any cars damaged by falling trees, only fences, buildings, utility poles, and roads. However, it’s likely quite a few people in the area experienced damage to their card. Comprehensive car insurance coverage would help them.
Uninsured motorists coverage pays you if damage to your car cannot be reimbursed by the driver at fault because they fail to have adequate insurance. Although liability insurance is required for all legal drivers, not all drivers are operating a vehicle legally. There is some, but not complete, overlap with collision coverage. Uninsured motorists coverage might pay your collision deductible. Uninsured motorists coverage will also pay for bodily injury costs not reimbursed by the other driver’s insurance.
Personal injury protection (PIP) pays you or a service provider for your medical, hospital, and funeral expenses. They may also pay for other family/household members and pedestrians involved in an accident. It’s a good idea to compare the personal injury protection benefits with those offered by your health insurance. If some of the benefits are duplicated, you may be able to justify lower PIP coverage.
Gap insurance usually is not associated directly with the other aspects of car insurance. It provides one specific benefit. For a driver whose vehicle is leased or finances, gap insurance will pay the driver the difference between the actual cash value of the car minus a deductible and the remaining balance due on the loan or lease.
