HE Detergent in Top Load Washer, opinions please...

[vintagekitchen]

Hoping everyone can help settle a disagreement between myself and a family member. She uses HE detergent, and uses the exact same dose whether its being used in a high efficiency low water level front load washer, or in a classic style deep water level top load washer.

I say that since HE detergents are designed to work in a small amount of water, they will be too diluted in the large amount of water used by a traditional top loader. In my opinion, to have proper strength of detergent in the water, you should double the dosage amount of HE detergent when using a standard top loader, just like how old fashioned detergents said to use half dosage in front loaders.

She says that since detergents no longer list different amounts for different washer types, the same dosage should apply to front load washers and top load washers.

So who is right? Same dose for all machines, or double dose for top loaders?

 

[whirlcool]

I have used HE detergents in our SP TL machine before. I just used the recommended dosage on the detergent container. It worked just fine. But I think some HE detergents like Cheer give off a strange HE odor when the clothing is dried.

But in a TL machine, I think it's a waste of money since HE detergents are usually more expensive than non HE detergents.

 

[roscoe62]

Interesting......

what about detergents labeled for both top load and HE machines are these made differently or are they HE in disguise ??

 

[polkanut]

The only HE detergent I'm familiar with is Sears (orange box) which says the same amounts can be used for fl & tl machines.  We have a Maytag Dependable Care tl for our daily driver, and follow the directions on the box and find the results to be excellent.

 

[frigilux]

My Frigidaire Immersion Care TL'er uses the same amount of water as a traditional TL'er when set to fill to the maximum level, so I, too, wondered if an HE detergent would do the job in a full tub of water. Answer: It appears to, although I do add a bit more when I use the Max Fill setting.

Decided not to keep a non-HE detergent on hand when using Max Fill, as I doubt it would rinse out as readily as an HE detergent during the water-miserly spray rinses. Suppose one could just use the Fabric Softener setting and get a deep rinse, but I almost never do that.

 

[pulsator]

I've used nothing but HE detergents for years as I have both HE TL and FL washers as well as standard TL washers. I find that HE detergents rinse out more easily in the standard TL washers so I see no reason to have both kinds lying around. However, I do keep powder (HE) around for the vintage machines... For the modern machines, HE and non-HE, I use Tide Pods... And my BF insists on keeping liquid Tide HE around for small loads or whenever he does his own laundry.

 

[foxchapel]

The Costco/Kirkland "free & clear" liquid detergent label says to use MORE detergent in the front-load than a top-load dose. Go figure.

 

[rinso]

My experience with using HE detergents in a non-HE top loader has not been so rosy. I have a brother who is disabled and I do his laundry for him. His old-style Hotpoint top-loader works much better with non-HE detergents. Hard to even get slippery water with the HE stuff and the stain removal is nearly non-existent.

 

[murando531]

I know this is an older post, but since things may have changed slightly in a year and half's time, I figured it best to continue the subject rather than start a complete separate thread.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that finding non-HE detergents on the shelves is becoming more of a challenge. What IS there is a shoddy selection of P&G's "finest", surrounded by HE liquids and pods. I also have this sneaky suspicion that the current non-HE detergents are now being purposefully formulated to not be as effective as they were in years past; for example, I use Gain Original powder, and to have a load come out fresh and spotless I also have to add a bit of Oxi-Clean powder, and let the clothes soak 10-15 minutes mid wash, whereas before, all it took was a normal scoop of detergent, even after the exile of phosphates. The washer and water itself have not changed, nor has the dirt that is in the clothes, so I blame the detergent.

There are also more and more brands, such as All and a few others I've noticed, that claim to work just as well in standard machines as they do in HE's, though I've not yet tried them. I usually buy a big box of either Tide or Gain at Sam's Club, but shortly after I started buying it there they stopped carrying normal Tide and only stocked HE, and here recently I noticed that the normal Gain is nowhere to be found.

My choices are now to try the Member's Mark brand, which also touts standard/HE use and I hear has pretty good reviews from a few sources though they mention only the liquid version, or the Tide/Gain HE powder. Have these detergents improved since the above posts to be more universal so that they would be effective in a traditional machine, or should I start trying other alternatives? If so, what would be recommended?

 

[cehalstead]

HE vs. regular

I contacted Proctor and Gamble regarding the dosage and was told that if I wanted to use HE versions of any of their detergents in my traditional TL washer, to use the same amount as was listed on the box for HE machines. I have done this mainly for suds control and have been quite pleased with the results and I'm a "stickler" for clean clothes. It is my opinion that the only difference between HE and regular detergent is the amount of suds making material, whatever that is. And we all should know that suds or lack thereof have nothing to do with cleaning ability of a detergent. My favorite? Tide with Bleach original powder.

 

[whirlcool]

Our WP Electronic(1993) set says "High Efficiency" on them. A few years ago I called the Whirlpool Hot Line (when it still existed) and asked them the same question. They said the same thing that Proctor & Gamble told you.

 

[dustin92]

One of our neighbors uses HE tide in a standard top loading Whirlpool, I assume to cut down on suds, as she has a water softener. We don't have a softener, and regular Tide sudses quite a bit in our top loader, on the same city water as she has. The water is rock hard here.

 

[washer111]

With our previous TL machine, we typically took a full scoop of powder, sometimes up to 2.5 depending on what we were washing. This was back when everything was done in cold (or lukewarm during summer... Gotta love Australian heat) and extra dirt needed that much - especially dog blankets... 

 

Now with the Miele, rarely, if ever, do we use more than half a scoop of powder. Not only can sudsing be an issue when not using fabric softener, but using mechanically softened water, we need to improve rinsing performance. The clothes are just as dirty as before (i.e. not that much), but everything is much cleaner one the whole. 

 

Even with a full load of washing, using more than 3/4 of a scoop would probably start a bubble bath - especially when we consider the Miele usually tries spinning up too quickly for most loads of clothing (triggering an anti-suds sequences.... Ugh). 

 

So in our case, we know there is enough detergent if there is tiny bit of sudsing in the wash. That will usually yield clear rinsing by Rinse 3, and clean, odourless clothes (Using Omo "Sensitive")

 

Will mention, that even when in Norway using a 1990's Zanussi, using about 1/2 scoop was plenty for a "full" load (about 5KG/10lb) at 40° - and this is in water taken straight from a well, which was light-moderately hard (lots of limestone rocks). These clothes were considerably more dirty than our usual clothes - as we were hiking about in the snow and bog, slipping around and the like. Clothes came out perfectly clean, odourfree and this was using the "Coop Colour Detergent" - One of those generic store brands (!!)

 

Digression:

I don't think "sudsing" is a word. Who cares? This is AW.org, where we make the rules on washing

Every time I try to write "scoop," I either get "scop" or "scoopy." *LOL*