British detergents in a HE Samsung washer

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bluecheer

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Hello Group! I just acquired a Samsung HE front loader. I've not purchased them yet, but I'm anxious to try the British Persil tablets or geltabs in this machine. Would I use the detergent dispenser at all or just toss them in the washer drum when starting a load? What kind of cleaning results do British or Australian laundry products give in comparison to our American products?
 
British Detergents

UK detergents contain oxygen based bleaching agents, optical brighteners and enzymes. They work best with cold fill internal heated machines to get the best biological action. You will get White Whites without needing to add chlorine bleach, which is unheard of in the UK.

Most detergents work best with a long programme, so the heater heats the water gradually, 40*c being the optimum temperature for enzymes to work and 60*c for the best bleaching action, though the TAED (bleach accelerator) to work at lower temperatures (30-40)

I use Daz and find it Brilliant on Whites
 
According to the Persil website, tablets go into the dispenser drawer. This actually surprised me; I thought they'd go directly into the wash drum.

The Gel tablets go directly into the the wash drum. Put the gel tabs in the wash drum first, then add clothes. I'd also put them toward the back of the drum, to keep them from migrating forward and getting trapped in the lip of the "boot" before the are fully dissolved.

I use UK Persil bio powder. It is an excellent cleaner and stain remover, comparable to top-rated Tide Plus Bleach. It rinses out much better than Tide, even in very soft water. This is the main reason I use it.[this post was last edited: 7/21/2012-18:56]

 
It depends on the version of the tablets. You should read the instructions on the box.

The older formulations, which included the gel tablets, were placed into a net in the drum. The net ensured that the tablets dispersed and didn't clump and that they were not left stuck on the door of the machine as could happen sometimes.

If you don't have the net, put the tablet(s) into a sock and place it at the back of the drum before you load the laundry.

The newer forumlations go directly into the dispenser drawer. Like the P&G tablets, they have a dispersant in the tablet which releases gas (CO2) when wet. This breaks up the tablet very rapidly so it flushes down into the drum.

One tip is to place the tablets flat on the bottom of the dispenser drawer so that they get sprayed fully. If they're standing up on their edge, they don't get as much exposure to water.
 
With regard to temperatures:

The newer tablets that go in the drawer work from tap-water cold 15°C (59°F). Note: European machines will not do a true cold wash. They always take the water up to about 15-20°C to ensure there is no dissolving issues with powdered detergents if the water's very cold.

Normal washes in the UK and Ireland are done at 30°C (86°F) or 40°C (104°F).

If you want to give the clothes an extra 'kick' e.g. for towels you can go to 60°C (140°F)

Boilwashes (90°C) (194°F) are really not used that often by most people in my experience.

Modern detergents like Persil will operate best in 30 to 60°C range.
The enzymes are most active at 30 to 40°C.

60°C somewhat improves bleaching power, but you will still get extremely good stain removal at lower temperatures.

Competely cold washing with the gel tablets isn't really advisable as they may not dissolve fully.

Also, with the gel tabs, you can't really use them with a very short wash. They need a while to dissolve fully.

That does not apply to the newer formulas which disperse in the drawer very very quickly.
 

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