Correct dose of HE detergent based on sudsing

[Chetlaham]

How much sudsing for  the right dose of HE detergent? I've got 2 Tide Free and Clear Pods at a little over 2/3 water level on this load. Do the amount of suds show to much, to little or just enough detergent? One pod barely gave any suds so I assumed it was not enough adding another Pod. However now I'm second guessing myself and not sure if a second rinse is needed. I've never been able to make the transition from regular none detergent to HE detergent. 

 

[panasonicvac]

This is one of the reasons why I don't use pods, one may not be enough to clean but two could be too many. Especially if I had only a few things to wash but even one pod could foam up alot. Perhaps maybe if one pod isn't enough for your top loader, you could always add a little bit of either liquid or powder (if there are any free & clear powder ones left). I honestly don't remember any of the top loaders I've used foaming up like that even with using HE detergent. But I've always used the same amount of detergent on the instructions just like with the non HE ones for the top loaders due to the amount of water they use. Usually with that much I don't really need a second rinse. That's just my experience.

 

[mark_wpduet]

exactly...using pods = too little or too much.. I don't like them

But in that pic... that looks about right to me..not overly sudsy... but enough to know be comfortable with the amount of detergent to get the clothes clean.

I'm about to run out of powdered detergent which I've used for years...and I'm thinking of going to liquid...and I know dosing is going to be a learning curve...

 

[Chetlaham]

Here is one POD for this lightly soiled load. Glad to know my first pic is in the just right category. I'd say this one is right too.

 

[DADoES]

 
Suds level isn't an indication of proper dosage.  Check the wash water for proper slipperiness ... unless mechanically softened water is involved in which case acceptable cleaning performance is the factor.

 

[Chetlaham]

Guess I've got to learn something new here. How much water slipperiness is right?

 

My water is not softened and comes from the city.  

 

[mark_wpduet]

Just stick your hand in the wash water after it's full and feel to see if the water feels slippery... I really don't know how to tell what level of slipperyness.. It just should feel slippery...

He's right. Suds are no incidation of anything... I was just basing that view when I used to use a top load washer... that was about what the top of the water looked like...few suds...not overly sudsy... I'm guessing if you're at least seeing that many suds that water should feel slippery..

God I hope I got that right

 

[mrboilwash]

Isn`t slipperyness of the water mostly tied to alkalinity and thus more of a meaningful factor when using a powder?

Maybe I`m doing it all wrong, but I always judge by the suds level and it never seems to fail on me.

 

[frigilux]

Call your city water office and ask what the water hardness is—in grains per gallon—and you’ll have a good idea of whether you need to dose detergent higher or lower than package recommendation. The water in my town is pretty hard: 24 gpg. I have a water softener so the water is very, almost unnaturally, soft. I dose 1/2 to 2/3 of the package recommendation. I usually dosed the recommended amount when I had a 2017 top loading Speed Queen, because of the large volume of water. I now have a 2023 model 7009 SQ front loader.

 

[mrboilwash]

Knowing your water hardness is a good start, but judging the soil level can be tricky especially if your`re dealing with something that might not be visible but depending on someone`s body chemistry it can be present in abundance like body oils for example.
If I have a lot of t-shirts in a load I need up to 3 times the amount of detergent or even more as compared to something "lightly soiled" like a load of curtains (which is mostly dust) to get to a similar suds level.

 

[DADoES]

 
Slightly below medium water level.  1/4 cup (4 tbsp / 2 oz.) of Persil liquid + 2 tbsp STPP.  Slippery water.

 

[littlegreeny]

One Pod

One pod is enough for most loads, regardless of whether you have a front or top load washer. Tide pods have a number of ingredients to prevent sudsing so suds level gives no indication of proper dosing.

Are loads cleaned to your satisfaction with one pod?

 

[DADoES]

 
Sister & sis-in-law are at mom's place this weekend to do some maintenance things, altho mom is away with other sister for grandson's penta-versary.

I was there today to check-in.  They had went fishing with neighbors mid-morning to early afternoon.  Sister put in a load of laundry, clothes and a pair of shoes.  I checked a bit later.  Cold water.  Zero suds or bubbles.  Not the slightest hint of slippery to the water.  I added a good shot more detergent.

They and mom are working on mucking-up another machine ... 

 

[bpetersxx]

I'm going to have to study this carefully

I have the same problem

Same amount of detergent produces varying levels of suds

Am making sure to measure very carefully

And trimming down the amount to use

 

[polkanut]

The detergent that I use from Wausau Chemical says to use 1/4 cup for a 12lb. load, and it does an excellent job with no suds whatsoever.

 

[DADoES]

 
Pete, suds is not an indication of proper dosage.  Conditioning of the wash water is the aim.  High-sudsing detergents can generate a lot of suds even when the dosage isn't enough.

 

[mrboilwash]

I think conditioning of the water by feeling the slipperiness is a term or practice that can be used to overcome water hardness.
An excellent way to tell how much STPP or any other alkaline water softener to put in before adding detergent.

If unsure about to overcome the oil content in clothes (detergency) maintaining a certain suds level is still the way to go in my opinion.
Of course a zero suds detergent can clean well too but how can you tell if you used enough detergent because laundry sins like using too little detergent frequently only show after many repeated washings and then it could be too late to save those clothes.

And of course a high sudsing detergent has a different sudsing profile than an HE detergent and a good detergent shouldn`t require an additional water softener but it`s not so hard to take those variables into account and still judge a proper suds level.
And remember, to get visible stains out is only one side of the coin.
If your whites are still snow white after dozens of washings and your darks are still smelling sweet after dozens of washings and months in the closet then you`ve done it all right, sudsing or not.[this post was last edited: 5/23/2024-03:17]

 

[DADoES]

 
This is an example of why suds level isn't an indication of proper dosing.

Several minutes into a deep fill wash (Bulky cycle) in my Neptune TL, with no clothes.

1/8 cup (1 tablespoon) of Ariel powder.  No STPP.

The water has absolutely no slipperiness.

 

[mrboilwash]

This could just as well be seen as an example why suds level isn`t an indication of proper rinsing.
If there`s not a trace of residual oils in clothes or like in this case no clothes at all, even a tiny amount of detergent or detergent residue might beat up plenty of suds in a FL or any other washer with similar agitation.
I`m sure a thimble of detergent or even less or a few drops of a bubble bath would produce the same results. Still no slipperiness and still no harm to the skin if left on I suppose.

And yes you`re right! Suds level does not necessarily indicate proper dosing, but the presence of suds throughout the whole wash cycle shows you at least that there`s more detergent than oily soils.

I wonder what a single t-shirt worn for one day on a very oily skin type would do when thrown in picture #17.
I suppose all the suds would collapse in no time at all.
Now the question is would it prove the shirt is already rinsed well or would it indicate there`s not enough detergent to match the oil level?[this post was last edited: 7/10/2024-01:43]