Why Are People Putting Empty Plastic Bottles in the Washing Machine? The Laundry Trick Explained

Laundry day has no shortage of unusual household tricks. One of the more curious ones involves placing an empty plastic bottle inside the washing machine along with your clothes.

At first, it sounds strange. Why would anyone put a bottle in with freshly washed laundry?

The idea is that the bottle can move around inside the drum and create additional agitation, potentially helping separate clothes and reduce clumping during certain wash loads.

But before you grab the nearest bottle, there are a few important things to know.

How Is the Plastic-Bottle Trick Supposed to Work?

During a wash cycle, clothes can become tangled together, particularly when washing bulky items such as towels, blankets, jackets, or bedding.

A clean, tightly capped plastic bottle placed inside the drum can move among the clothes as the machine rotates.