Duet Washer Cleaning Ability

[michaelman2]

Hey you guys...I have a Duet Washer and Dryer for my business. I use alot of linen and towels. The linens at times retain the oil from one of the products that I use, I have tried everything I can conjure to not have the oil smell, was thinking that the Duet would fix this with the heating element and all of the hype. Has anyone had experiences with these machines?

I scrolled back throughout the archives and did not see anything on these..forgive me if there have already been discussions on this...

 

[partscounterman]

I have the HE3t

which is the Kenmore version of the same machine. I never have any problems with cleaning. I am a bit disappointed at how slowly the water heats and the long cycle times, but its mostly OK

Perhaps you should try using some Sodium Tripolyphosphate or STPP. I've heard Launderess say that this is THE stuff to get. Use it with your regular detergent, but cut back on how much you use.

David

 

[launderess]

Personally for commercial use I'd go with a more heavy duty front loader, like a used commercial one that is sevearl years old and used lots of water. Front loaders sold for home use today simply do not use enough water IMHO to really get things clean, but YMMV.

Cleaning oily dirt usually means using a good liquid detergent as they are better on grease/oil than powders. Powders are great for clay based soils and dirt.

STPP might make a difference, but try using Persil liquid detergent. It is designed for front loaders and really works on grease. Fels Naphla soap (grated) is my hands down winner for getting out oils. But soap needs HOT water and can leave a build up on towels.

If your business is massage or tanning, there are several detergents sold for getting out the oils and soils typically found in linens/towels from such businesses. You can find these products online or any dealer of massage products.

Launderess

 

[kenmore1978]

grease and oil removal

Try a cup of sudsy ammonia

 

[kenmore1978]

also

How hard is your water? Maybe you need some water softener, i.e. Calgon? Add some borax, maybe?

 

[mrcleanjeans]

Hi Launderess,what does YMMV stand for?

 

[maytagbear]

I'm not Laundress, but

"YMMV" means "Your Milage May Vary." Some internet slang can be confusing, at times.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[mrcleanjeans]

thanks Lawrence,you're a Maytag teddy bear!

 

[spiraclean]

Hi Michael,
I would suggest you use a liquid detergent (Liquid detergents are much better at emulsifying oils and fats) and also use a warm pre wash cycle followed by a main wash at the recommended temperature for the fabric. Make sure the odour and oil stains have been removed before tumble drying as the heat of the dryer can set stains and make them very difficult to remove. Always use a low sudsing HE detergent in a front load washer; to much lather in the machine will greatly reduce the washing efficiency of a front loading washer. One final suggestion is do not overload the washer; allow room for the load to tumble freely, front load washers rely on this tumbling action to clean effectively.
Please post back and let us know how you get on with the various suggestions.
All the best.
Hugh

 

[washoholic]

I had the HE3t on 1 year free trial and returned it (same washer as the Duet). Maybe you can try the Soak Cycle before you use the Sanitary Cycle. The Soak Cycle uses a higher water lever with no heat. The Delicate Cycle also uses a higher water level with no heat.

Two plumbers live with me and when there work clothes were really dirty; I would wash them first on Delicate and then on the Sanitary Cycle.

I returned it after about 10 months, because it takes so long for it to balance before the final spin when it's loaded with towels, jeans, or work clothes. Do you experience this, too?

--Jeff

 

[michaelman2]

Thanks for the info..

Hey all...
David..thank you I have a note from Laundress now about this product.

Laundress, I am headed to the Mele dealer across the street from my business, going to get some Persil liquid, I had heard good things about this product before. I was always a bit hesitant and thought that it was hype...I respect your advice. I am so damn cheap when it comes to detergents. Interestingly the note you had about products made for massage oil removal, I use. The brand name is "Clean Sheets", and I always added a cup of sudsy ammonia to this mix. You would think that if nothing else I would have created a bomb!

Kenmore, thank you sir..this was suggested to me(sudsy ammonia) and actually I have been doing this, things have somewhat improved. I am not sure on the water hardness..this is something I will check for my hunch is that may be one problem.

Hugh..thank you...Yeah the detergent that I use now is a liquid..I always hesitate to use a powder in that machine I am always afraid it will clog. The liquid that I use now is "designed" to remove oil. Guess the design is not perfected. Thanks for the suggestion on the presoak!....

Jeff...Yes..believe me when I have this unit on a sanitary cycle with a presoak we are already talking in excess of 2 hours then when the load needs to level(spin) it can be in excess of 2.5 hours for a load. I should have listened to my gut ( and Laundress' advice) and purchased a commercial machine.

 

[whirlcool]

Front Loaders Cleaning Action

As long as we are talking about Front Loaders, we had front load machines in the 50's, but they fell out of favor and disappeared until the past five years or so. Why was this? The old ones had quite a bit of water used to wash with compared with the new HE models. You could see the water level half way up the door.
I like the idea of front load technology and wash action, but I don't see how you can really get things clean using such little water. The front loaders do use time and heat to clean, but what about clothes that you want to wash in room temperature water? Don't you end up with a lot of shrinkage? I think clothes really need to be well immersed to get them truly clean.
I wonder if the new Speed Queen front loaders use more water than say the Duet models do?

 

[michaelman2]

Water Level

Whirl...I agree..I can barely see any water in the Duet. Very unlike my grandmother's front loader. I just do not think that this machine cleans as well as the old front loader..maybe this is some wierd mental thing with me. Frankly I do not care about the water consumption if my clothes and linens are clean. The water level is so low that I have contemplated calling for service on the unit.

 

[kenmore1978]

Disapperance of FL machines

"As long as we are talking about Front Loaders, we had front load machines in the 50's, but they fell out of favor and disappeared until the past five years or so."

Actually, they never TOTALLY disappeared, but there was a long span where WCI was the only company that offered them under the White-Westinghouse & Gibson brands. In that span of time, Consumer Reports had 2 complaints, Frequency of Repair issues and small capacity.