Freshly washed sheets: one of the best things in the world.

Your laundry pod not dissolving properly: one of the most frustrating things in the world. 

Let’s troubleshoot.

SO WHAT COULD BE GOING WRONG?  

1) IMPROPER POD PLACEMENT

Believe it or not, where you pop your pod makes a huge difference. Your pod should be put in before the laundry, at the back of the drum. Water gathers at the bottom of the drum first, so the pod will start to dissolve straight away...

2) WATER NOT-SO-HOT

Our pods are designed to work at temps as low as 20 degrees. But just because you set the machine to 20, doesn’t mean that that’s the exact temp it’s washing at. If it’s very cold outside, the water may not warm enough to dissolve the pod quickly and activate the detergent during the wash. It might be worth trying a slightly warmer temperature than usual if it’s a chilly day and you’re doing a short wash!

3) MACHINE OVERLOAD

We’re all about filling the machine to the max load size (efficiency is key) but there’s a max load volume for a reason. If your machine is stuffed full of bedding, it makes it much harder for water to reach the pod (which means that by the time it’s started dissolving the load is almost done). To avoid this, make sure you can comfortably fit a fist on top of the clothes in the machine.

4) A STICKY SEAL

Some machines have a plastic seal that’s the perfect size for a pod to get trapped underneath (not ideal). By popping the pod to the back of the machine, you can make sure that it’ll start  to dissolve before it discovers the front of the machine during the cycle. And if this still isn’t working, we’d recommend popping it into a delicates bag, so that it’s no longer the perfect shape to get stuck.

5) POD STORAGE

The film on the outside of a laundry pod is specifically designed to dissolve when in contact with water. But improper pod storage can lead the film to become altered in ways that make it not-so-keen to dissolve. Exposure to direct sunlight or air can cause the outer layer to become harder over time, so  it might take longer to dissolve. On the other end of the spectrum, humid or very warm environments can cause the film to become extra sticky - meaning that the pods become thicker in certain areas and don’t dissolve as easily. Our packaging is designed to keep them cool, dry, and covered - so either keep them in there or pop them in an airtight plastic container. If under your sink tends to be damp, we’d also recommend keeping them somewhere else.

Pods still not dissolving? Fire us over an email to hello@gethomethings.com