What happens if you don't use the "right" amount of detergent to wash your clothes?

I am using a liquid detergent and I use exactly the half of the detergent they say I should use. If a the washing machine requires 1 cup, I do half. Mostly because I don't trust the company to put me over their interests.

Now, what will happen? Will my clothes end up staying dirty? Will it not remove stains which a full cup would have removed? Will surfexcel kidnap me and torture me for not obeying their commands? Help meeee!!

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If you use too little, it won't get your clothes as clean. If you use too much, your clothes will come out of the washer still with detergent in them or perhaps you'll have issues with too much suds leaking out of your washer (or at least out of the tank portion potentially into some of the electronic components.) There's probably a pretty wide margin of error, though, and you'd have to use a lot too little or a lot too much to see any noticeable difference, though. If you're happy with the results you're getting, keep doing what you're doing. If you feel like doing some experimentation with the amount of detergent you use, hell, everybody needs a hobby.

You almost can't use too little detergent, recommended amounts are actually too much and tend to leave residue. You only need 1-2TBSP to properly clean your clothes.

The detergent goblin takes them, as you haven't provided the right payment.
- Help me oh kind wizard, I do not want to die.
  
  Throw in some extra socks next time. He'll take them as tribute and leave your other clothes.

The only harm is using too much. My mother-in-law has ruined multiple washing machines over the years. She doesn't understand that modern high efficiency machines require very little detergent and proceeds to clog them up with too much.
I literally had to teach my wife how to do laundry correctly when we got married so she wouldn't ruin the washing machine.
- Another thing is good quality washing machine cleaner/descaler/degreaser
  Use it every year, or every six months in hard water areas. Drastically increases the life of your machine, and it'll keep washing like it did when it was new
  
  That and don't forget to clean the filter! I do that every month, doesn't take long and it keeps everything running smoothly.
  
  What brand do you recommend, or style?
  
  I actually do the cleaner every couple of months and use vinegar once a week, at the end of my first load. (my water tests between 300-400ppm) I also gave up on fabric softener and dryer sheets when I found just running the dryer again with no heat for 20min gives me the same result. (less residue left behind in the washer/dryer and cleaner skin)
- Doesn't help that people don't realize that HE detergent doesn't produce as much suds as conventional detergent.

Any effect should be immediately obvious, shouldn't it? If your clothes are still dirty after washing, that's something you can see/smell/feel. Anything else that your average detergent claims to do is luxury.
- Persistent smell of sweat doesn't reappear immediately after washing, it takes a few days. Then you'll know if you used too little detergent. Could use a vinegar soak or wash (or bleach for whites), because detergents can't dissolve everything.
  
  Ah, good point. Still something OP can find out by experimenting a bit and adjusting the amount where needed.

How much you need depends entirely on the hardness of your water.
If half a serving is enough to get your clothes smelling clean, then you're using enough.

The first technolgy connections video with the words washing machine in it.
- This is a dishwashing machine video, not a clothes washing machine video.
  
  Apologies - That was very lazy of me.
  On a second look I'm shocked to be unable to find a technology connections video on this. This guy has near on 10 years of gold on YouTube.
  
  What's the difference?

For washing clothes, remarkably little soap is needed to clean ordinary soiling. Washing machines are very efficient. Using too much, besides simply being a waste, can accelerate the degradation of some fabrics, shortening the life of your clothes, and on the extreme end it results in overproduction of suds. Most washing machines from the last 30ish years will detect this and stop their cycle until the suds have died down, so it also wastes time.

Too little and your clothes will be exposed to more friction, causing things to get pulled and rubbed more.
My newer LG with a mobile app once scolded me for using too much.
- Well fuck LG, just build a tank into the washer that I can fill with a gallon of detergent at a time and do your own metering.
- Wait, how does the detergent affect friction?
  That just sounds wrong
  
  Mix some in water and feel it.
  They work by getting between the fabric and the “grime” and lifting it off. Also something to do with surface tension.

Typically one trusts the instructions, but it does depend on the kind and quality of detergent, the quality of the machine, and the amount and types of clothes. I myself just entered an era of having no working machines for two days (on my third and am surviving on a pink hoodie over purple plaid shirt, jeans, and temple garment bra/panties which is my "last life") because the slots are broken on both home and public machines and do a half-effective job.
- Keep in mind that the instructions are written by those who wish to extract money from you.
  
  It's not like they're stealing it. They're just guiding you on how to use detergent.
  It's like saying the people who make microwavable popcorn are extracting money from me because they struggle to take into consideration how the microwave works.

Theres no way to figure out what will happen or what the optimum amount of detergent is because it can depend on a lot of things like the fabric (type, color), type of stain (oil, dirt, paint, ink etc), detergent formulation, washing machine, water (minerals/tds and temp) etc. The worst that can happen is permanent stains on your clothes but that can sometimes happen even if you use the right amount. You clothes might also not smell as strongly of detergent but that doesnt mean they arent clean.

I always use less detergent and add some vinegar.

Switch to powder, your wallet will thank you.
- Switched from powder to liquid actually, powder wouldnt mix and leave residue, liquid is kinda easier

whenever I see westoids say to use X amount, I always divide by 4, or 7

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