Before HE detergents what did you use?

[vintagesearch]

Hi everyone?
Hope everyone's doing well i have a question to all those that own Fler's before todays frontload boom.

What type of detergent did you use before the entire "HE" kickoff? For example if i remember correctly the maytag neptune for instance came out 98-99 correct? I dont ever remember seeing HE detergents during that time, so what did some of you do? was oversudsing ever an issue? I do remember long ago tide actually made a "frontloader" detergent, i remember seeing it in walbaums and that was ages ago. I also saw someone use that same tide with the label "frontloader" at the laundromat more or less lets say 1997-1998ish i swear im not crazy the handle had what looks like today "total care tide". anyways was curious to know.

Take care

V

 

[laundromat]

Growing up,we had a Sears Lady Kenmore gas washer-dryer combination.We used Dash,All,Salvo and/or AmwaySA8.We used All with its original scent more than any other brand.

 

[mixguy]

Low sudsing detergent were suggested

I remember directions saying to use half as much detergent in a front loader than was suggested for top loading washers.

Some manufacturers suggested using low sudsing detergents like Dash and SA8

 

[tuthill]

When we bought our FriGEmore, in about 2000, we just used "purex". A regular amount seemed to RARELY over suds, if ever. I used this a lot last year in college too, when I couldn't afford a "brand name" HE detergent.

 

[j2400]

Purex might have another advantage in a college setting--less likely to get stolen than The Big Expensive Brand?

Of course, the ideal choice for not getting stolen is one of those super-cheap generic brands. The type that's 99.999999% water.

One could be clever, and use this probability to one's advantage: Buy a supply of the stuff one likes. And a supply of the cheap junk. Toss out the cheap junk, refill the package with the Good Stuff. (Liquids are the easiest to work with here. But powder would have an additional advantage--most people are now conditioned to using liquid, adding an additional level of protection to my scheme.)

I can imagine my scheme working wonders. "Hey, Pal!" the guy you barely know says. "I've run out of laundry detergent! Can I borrow some of yours?"

"Sure thing! Here's my bottle!"

"That stuff? Yuck! I think I'll just go and scrape soap scum out of the gym shower and use that. It'll work better!"

 

[jaxsunst]

Growing up, my mother always used Tide, until it started breaking me out at age 16. We (then I) used Fresh Start until it was not available in the area anymore, and I switched to Gain. Now, I use Gain HE.

 

[supersuds]

Back in the Sixties, used All...it was called low sudsing, which is much more descriptive than "HE" though not perhaps as good marketing.

 

[phillygrl]

I've owned frontloaders since 1981, and always used a frontloader in the laundramat in college. For the life of me I cannot remember what I used in the laundramat in school. At home it was Ivory Flakes, then Ivory Snow, a soap based liquid from Sun and Earth (?) and now I make my own laundry soap powder from Zote soap, borax, and washing soda. Have never used an HE product.

 

[tlee618]

I have had a front loading washer since 1985. When I first got the machine All was still available but I was disappointed becacuse it wasn't at all like the old "controled suds" All that I remembered. I had soft water so most everything I tried made way to many suds in the Westinghouse. Finally discovered Sear's detergent and had great results with it. Still use it a lot today.

 

[gyrafoam]

In the past I used whatever I had on hand,so if it was not a so-called "low sudzer" I just had to learn to adjust the amount of detergent I used.

I was very unimpressed by the "HE" detergents when they were first offered as I felt they produced just as much sudz----and were much higher in price.
I have found that the Mexican detergent "Foca" does just fine in my old FriGEMore as I have learned how to dose it.

 

[autowasherfreak]

Amway Detergent

I remember using Amway detergent when I was in high school, my best friends mother at the time was a Amway dealer. I've thought about trying the Amway detergent again, but I wonder how expensive it is. I remember one time I did a load of whites with the Amway detergent, and used regular bleach, and it ate everything up, huge holes in everything, some things looked like they just went through a paper shredder.

Anyone on here use Amway today?