Detergents & Front-Loaders

[autowasherfreak]

I know that front-load washers are not new, but the HE detergents that the manufacturers recommend we use are. My question is, when the first front-loaders came out there were no HE detergents, so what did people do, just cut back on the amount of detergent they used, or where there special detergents for the front-loaders?

 

[golittlesport]

HE under a different name

Back in the 50's and 60's there were a number of "HE" detergents, but they went by the name of low-suds or controlled suds. All, Dash, Vim, Ad and Salvo to name a few. They were formulated to be used in front loaders such as Bendix and Westinghouse, or in any top loader if you didn't want the "excess suds to choke the wash action."

Check out some of the great detergent commercials for some of these brands under "video downloads" button on the homepage of this website.

 

[thomasortega]

I have an interesting fact about FLs x HE detergents.

BULLSHIT!

continue using your regular detergent but reduce the ammount.

Ok, HE detergents will help your rinses... but that's all!

They DO NOT clean more than regular ones, and they are too expensive.

Of course, if you find cheap HE detergent and it cleans properly, don't think twice. BUY IT!

 

[launderess]

There Were

For front loading, top loading, wringers, wash tub and any other type of laundry one could imagine. Dash, All, amoung other brands come to mind.

Indeed initally most all "detergents" were low sudsing, but housewives avoided them in droves since the prevailing wisdom built up over generations of using soaps for laundry was one needed to see a rich layer of suds to be sure the job was being done. Housewives didn't belive a detergent,which was suspect from the start because it wasn't "soap", could get their laundry clean without suds. So Tide and others added surfactants to create froth, and sales picked up.

FWIW sudsing levels are NOT an indication of cleaning power when it comes to laundry with man-made surfactants, versus pure soap, and happily for the American laundry market, top loading washing machines aren't affected by high foaming detergents, so they mostly took over. Controlled sudsing detergents like All, and Dash did have market, especially with front loading and other washing machines that recommended use of a low sudsing detergent.

Most detergents, both high and low sudsing had directions giving dosages for all types of washing machines then in current use. Wringers, Top Loading, Front Loading, Twin Tubs, etc. Indeed can remember seeing such directions on detergents from as late as the 1970's. But as wringers, twin tubs and even front loading washing machines became less and less a part of the market, those directions for the most part died away.

Yes, the directions did state one was supposed to use less product depending upon type of washing machine. With high sudsing detergents one had to be careful, but remember vintage front loaders used much more water than today's machines, and had many more rinses, all the better to cope with froth.

Today some persons still use regular detergent, though in smaller doses in their front loaders and apparently without problems. Have done so myself, but found certian HE detergents such as Persil simply rinse better.

L.

 

[maytagbear]

I really, really do not understand!

People seem to have no difficulty accepting dishwasher detergent (Cascade, Somat, Great Value, Calgonit-to name a few) in a dishwasher, but have terrible trouble accepting HE detergent in an HE clothes washer.

Just sign me: "Konfused in Kent."

 

[launderess]

Well, detergents for automatic dishwashers are different from those used for hand washing of dishes. The former is normally highly alkaline and today more often than not contains enzymes, not something one would wish to use with bare hands. Indeed until modern gentle surfactant based washing up liquids came on the market, women had to use lye or other highly alkaline soaps, which were great for removing grease and food soils, but were very hard on hands and skin; hence the term "wash day red hands".

Methinks the problems with Americans and using "HE" detergents, is when P&G and others launched such detergents they were sold a higher price points than normal products. So here you have consumers already purchasing a washing machine that cost more than what they were used to, and in some instances they had no say in the matter, (and soon will surely have no say in the matter due to govt regulations), but also had to purchase a special detergent that costs more than what they were used to.

In Europe and the UK the term "HE" detergent simply does not exist as all detergents are designed for front loading washing machines, top, middle, lower shelf and even store brands. To be fair many "HE" detergents sold in the US have now began coming down in price to the point they are equal with regular detergents.

The United States government could clear up this nonesense by simply either by regulation or otherwise, having all laundry products sold in the United States to conform to a certian standard. There really isn't a need for half the fillers and sudsing chemicals in many laundry products, and eliminating them wouldn't harm the process, especially if consumers are properly educated.

L.

 

[frigilux]

This is what I don't understand: Why do HE detergents make suds at all? Most manufacturers are opting to use very little water in their new frontloaders, so wouldn't rinsing be more thorough if HE detergents were 'no-suds'?

I find that, in very soft water at any rate, they don't oversuds in the wash portion of the cycle, but each succeeding rinse seems to have a lot of suds remaining.

Away with suds!

 

[thomasortega]

LOL

Have you ever tried to put a scoop of Tide in your dishwasher?

that would be something like this video.

 

[maytagbear]

No, I have never

put Tide or hand dishwahsing liquid in my dishwasher. I know better. I do not find domestic incompetence in film or television to be particularly amusing. Nor do I find it particularly sexy.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

PS- I vastly prefer light-to-no sudsing in my clothes washer.

 

[thomasortega]

me too
but if someday the Skip's price increases, I'll run back to regular detergents.

 

[autowasherfreak]

HE Detergents

All Small & Mighty is pretty reasonable, and works good too. I have seen Arm and Hammer HE detergent, but none of the stores here carry it yet.

I like my Frigidaire's, but I find them rather boring LOL. I would like to have a vintage washer and dryer--Kenmore, Whirlpool, or Frigidaire. I really like the Frigidaire with the control tower.

Does anyone remember Breeze detergent that a towel in every box? That's all my Mom would use. I don't know if it was because of the towel, or if she really like the detergent.

 

[thomasortega]

Heeeeeeeeeey

I know the gay who designed that dials...

 

[volvoguy87]

HE Detergents.

All used to be low-sudsing. Is it still low sudsing? I would imagine that it has been reformulated several times, but does it still have similar sudsing characteristics to its original formulation?

Also, Costco's Kirkland HE liquid has always disappointed me. My parents use it in their GE Adora and I find that it does a relatively poor job of cleaning and it just won't rinse out very well, and they do not have especially hard water. Recently, however, Costco surprised me. They reformulated the liquid detergent into a 2X version. The 2X is EVEN WORSE! Even with a third of my former dosage (which wasn't that much to begin with) and the extra rinse selected, it just won't rinse out! Also, the new even more concentrated Downey won't even rinse out of the dispenser drawer! I HATE this detergent, I HATE concentrated Downey, and I ESPECIALLY HATE GE Adoras (but I already ranted and raved as to why some time ago). I would gladly go back to the old Shreadmore we used to have which never broke!

I can't convince my folks to spend the money to buy decent detergent (or even a decent washing machine). Is there anything that is low sudsing, high quality, and cheap?

Thanks for listening to my rant of frustration,
Dave

 

[launderess]

Well with detergents, one generally tends to get what one pays for. Though, IIRC the last few reviews of detergents rated several MOL "HE" versions good buys. Keeping that in mind, IIRC Costco's detergent was on that list, and you've been there and done that.

Tide HE, cleans well, and when used in small doses (much less than it says on the box, about 1 or 2 tablespoons), and can be "cheap" if one looks out for sales and cuts coupons. You can also contact P&G via the telehpone number on any Tide package, and ask about coupons. P&G will always grant a coupon or two if one asks nicely about trying one of their products.

Only version of "All" detergent one has ever tried was the "free" powder, and it made tons of suds in a front loader. So much so gave the box away because never would use it again.

 

[twinniefan]

Low suds detergents down under

Hi folks,
Actually for quite a few years Unilever (or Lever and Kitchen as it was back then),had the low suds market all to themselves as Omomatic was the only low suds detergent available here in Australia at that time.
The front load market was quite small though as virtually everyone owned either an automatic top loader or a twin tub so there was no huge demand for low suds detergents.
I also personally believe that people who did own front loaders were most likely seduced by the advertising on the Omo-matic box which stated that all manufacturers of front load machines recommend ONLY Omomatic for their machines,also L&K countered the option of reducing the amount of standard detergent by claiming the cleaning results would not be any good as you lost too much cleaning power etc.
Nowdays with front loaders making up about 30% or so of the market there are quite a few low suds brands to select from and I actually get them from time to time and fins they work quite well in the top loader.
I agree with Laurence and Laundress in saying you do not need layers of suds to get good cleaning results.
Cheers.
Steve.

 

[appnut]

Jim, unless you are extremely mechanically inclined, having a vintage washer as your sole washer (depending upoon how much laundry you do) isn't the most wise approach. Most everyone who uses vintage washers as their daily drivers here have NUMEROUS vintage washers whereby they can "spread the wealth" around. I don't miss my 1986 Lady Shredmore at all. I have a 2002 or 2003 Frigidaire front loader I got from a club member (he fixed it after finding it behind an appliance store). I love it. I still don't find it boring, I watch just about every load I wash. Yes, I would love to have unimatic, but I couldn't depend on it as my sole washer. And personally, as cost of utilities and such increase, modern front loader spin speeds, only thing that can rival that in a vintage machine is a Frigidaire Unimatic or a Frigidaire Rapid 1000 dry washer. Yes, a certain member who lives in Omaha, his daily driver mostly is a Whirlpool Duet washer & dryer. Now, he alays washes towels in the Unimatic. And yes, he'll use many of his other vintage washers for the fun of it, but he got the Duets to help him with his daily laundry and to get a lot of it done when he needs it too. And, there's always a waher he's having to tinker around with for some reason to get it back to full fine-tuned performance. Iit's a never-ceasing hobby, just like vintage cars.

 

[laundromat]

When detergents were introduced and Tide was the first one out,Proctor and Gamble would "brain wash" consumers that the more suds you see,the cleaner your clothes will get.For example,one of the selling points on millions of boxes of Tide was "Oceans of suds"written right on the box!The fact of the matter is that now more than ever,consumers are insistant on seeing some sort of bubbles in the water they use to wash anything.Floors,dishes,clothes and cars.That my friends almost ruined the market for front loading washers in America from 1960 to 1978.

 

[re563]

Well my friends;

A while back, Robert, (Unimatic1140), posted a thread where he showed pics of using Reg.Tide w/bleach in his unimatic frigidaire. The pics showed how low sudsing it was and how clear the rinse water was. That got me to thinking as at that time I was only using Tide HE or Gain HE. So, I took a chance and bought a box of Reg.Tide w/bleach, and used a 1/3 cup measure. No suds in the wash, clear final rinse.

And IIRC, Miss Laudnress use to do the same thing. Anyway, since money has got very tight here, that is what I am doing is using reg detergent (Tide, Gain), in reduced amounts. Getting more loads from a box and thus saving money all at the same time.

 

[laundromat]

I use Gain w/Bleach and have no problems with oversudsing

 

[autowasherfreak]

HE Detergents

So all the hype about damage to the machine from using regular detergents and clothes won't come clean if you cut back on the regular detergents, is basically BS??? I wouldn't want to damage the washer that took what seemed like forever to pay off.

If I were to get get a vintage washer and dryer, I would still use my Frigidaire as my main washer and dryer.

If I had the space and the money, I would love to have a modern kitchen and a vintage kitchen, vintage laundry room, and modern laundry room. I think was born at the wrong time, and should have been born sooner.

 

[autowasherfreak]

HE Detergents

I also used Jewel's HE detergent, it was $9 for a large bottle, and with the Jewel Saver Card, I received a $2.00 discount, but I didn't care much for it. I used more per load than I did with the Tide, and went through the bottle quicker than I would with the same size bottle of Tide.