HE detergents....

[yogitunes]

Do you guys really buy and use HE detergents for your FL or HE machines?.......

I have, and still had suds in the machine, didn't notice a difference, unless I used the Frigidaire with the shot glass of water....

When I got my first Neptunes in 98, I used Tide Liq when it came in the 200 ounce container, and only cut it in half........and thats basically what I do with all regular detergents......never had a rinsing problem, or oversudsing, unless I did it on purpose.....why pay the extra money?

probably the only one without suds ever is the SearsUP or Kirkland powder......you could add 10 scoops, and never have suds or rinsing problems...

 

[henry200]

I never had a sudsing problem with any of the liquid HE detergents I've tried but recently I bought a box of powdered Tide HE and with as little as 1/4 dose plus using the extra rinse option there is a little remnant of suds in the door boot and a faint hint of the detergent scent in the clothes.  My washer is a Whirlpool Duet ca. 2009.

 

The only non-HE detergent I've used in this machine is a small amount (maybe 2 tsp) of Woolite to wash a load of wool sweaters.  With the extra rinse option there is no trace of suds left.

 

I always wash in warm or hot water.  Cold water here is too cold to dissolve any detergent. 

 

[kqkenmore]

The only thing is that if you get a new washer that is HE then if you do not use the HE detergent then it will void the warrenty.

 

[mrwash]

I wrote a mail to Gain that they've brought out so nice smelling new detergents but actually can't use them as they all are NOT HE. *rant*

 

[rp2813]

I use HE in my Affinity and used it in the Duet that we included in the sale of our previous home.  With both machines I have experienced sudsing issues, but with the Duet it was primarily in early loads of laundry that had been previously processed through the TL '97 Amana-from-hell that couldn't rinse its way out of a paper bag.

 

So far, the worst so-called HE liquid I've used is Wisk.  No matter how little of it is added, the suds accumulate right away.  It makes me wonder if Wisk just slapped HE labeling on their regular stuff.

 

[pulsator]

I'm not much of a suds person...

... As a result, I don't use anything but HE detergent.

 

In my modern FL washers and TL washers, I use Tide Pods, Tide CW HE (though I never wash in cold, I just like the scent), or Era HE. In my vintage machines, I use Tide HE powder.

 

I like being able to see the clothes during the wash moving in the TL washers, so the suds have to go! It's also been my experience that HE detergents seem to rinse out better.

 

[passatdoc]

I use Tide or Gain HE powder as the daily driver. On trips to Europe, I bring back packets of Persil or Ariel, and several European friends bring me packets when they come to visit, so the work/dress clothes get the Euro detergent, while basic cottons/linens/towels get the Gain or Tide HE powder.

I use a coffee scoop (30 ml or 2 tbsp) to dose detergent. I never use more than 2 tsp (full scoop or 30 ml), and may use half a scoop (1 tsp or 15 ml) for small loads. Everything comes out clean, no sudsing problems, and detergent boxes last forever. We had fairly hard water here, I don't know what would happen with a soft water situation. I use a bit of 20 Mule Team Borax in most washes as a booster (clothes seem to rinse out cleaner and suds-free with it).

Laundress, who mostly uses a Miele FL, has posted about using 1 tbsp (or at most 2 tbsp) of Persil or other detergent and I think she's right, my experiences are the same.

 

[passatdoc]

@mrwash

Wird Gain in der BRD verkauft?

 

[tomturbomatic]

I would posit that the suds seen after switching from Tide liquid HE to the powder formula were the builders from the liquid formula that were still present foaming in the presence of the powder formula. It's those citrates they use in the liquids that keep foaming in the rinse water. They probably acted like steroids for the moderate amount of suds produced by the powder.

Martin, how can you really tell what's going on in those no window Neppies? Probably with large loads, you can get away with using half the amount of regular formulas.

 

[foraloysius]

Using half the amount of detergent is ok as long as you don't use a frontloader with a heater when you have hard water. In a frontloader with a heater you need to use enough detergent so the water is softened enough. when you don't use enough, you might get more limescale in the machine, especially on the heater, which will make the heater break down sooner.

 

[arbilab]

Growing up with Westys, also grew up with CS (controlled suds) All. We bought 25# drums of the stuff.

When I switched to FL from my 1970s Tag I had standard detergent I wasn't going to throw away. The extra suds can fill the space between drums and inhibit spin. But after 5 rinses suds were gone. Once I ran out of standard I switched to HE and stuck with it.

 

[yogitunes]

Tom......now you know I have spent hours with that door open watching that action of the Neptunes, and now with the make-shift demo window, I am watching it again......

but also, both Frigidaires have windows.....not hard to mis whats going on inside.....

before HE even came out, when I had a TallTumbler, I used to go to PathMark, and get their five gallon bucket of Controlled Suds, no suds no matter how much you put in there......they always take the good stuff off the market....

 

[mrb627]

Seems Like...

American HE Detergents are formulated to foam out of control at temperatures at or above 120. Perhaps another conspiracy to ween Americans from washing in hot water.

Malcolm

 

[mrb627]

YOGI...

How about a video of that demo door on your Neptune...

Malcolm

 

[tomturbomatic]

Powder Tide HE does not foam out of control at temps up to 190F. My observations might have something to do with the fact that the Mieles use minimal water in the wash portion of the cycle so there is not a lot of water to be aerated into suds by the wash action. I found liquids to be very unreliable at higher temps years ago when I tried them in that application.

 

[sudsmaster]

When I got my Neptune 7500 set in 2000, the only HE detergent I could find was liquid Wisk. I was underwhelmed with its performance. First, the sickening odor of the fragrance over-added. Then the high suds level when even 1/2 the recommended dose was added. Third, the poor cleaning performance no matter what.

I soon graduated to Sears HE powder and found much better results. It got even better when I finally figured out that it was STPP that was the missing ingredient from modern laundry detergents.

I wonder, however, what specific Kirkland powder Yogi has been using. There are several from which to choose: the stuff in the cardboard boxes, the stuff in the round buckets, and the stuff in the rectangular buckets. All the types I've tried suds too much, except I haven't yet tried the stuff in the rectangular bucket. Is this the one that people are claiming is so low sudsing?

 

[powerfin64]

Rich

What HE detergent(s) are you using now?

 

[retro-man]

I have been using powdered tide w/bleach for 10-15 years in two different front loaders. the 1st being one of the original neptunes and now whirpool duet. never a problem with oversudzing or rinsing. I use about 2 tablespoons per load. No buildup inside the tub or scale anywhere. I did have a little over suds problem a couple of weeks ago. I washed a large load of white towels with tide and added oxy clean to its own compartment. saniwash with steam. suds were up to 2/3 of the window. hit cancel and drain then went into heavy wash with no detergent. No balking by the machine. It just went on it merry way through the cycle and no suds at the end. I think it is just a gimic by the manufactures.
Jon

 

[mrwash]

@ PassatDoc

No it is not sold over here. But as a flight attendant I am frequently flying to the US and I do visit the supermarkets over here. So I know most of the Gain detergents are not HE. I would like to buy the Gain Apple MangoTango HE somewhere but all the stores I've seen so far just have the regular version. I just do have a bottle of regular Gain liquid und regular fabric softener. I wanted to buy some of the HE Island Fresh but I just found massive bottles that would be too heavy to carry them along. So I am always looking for big grocery stores as the detergent isles are bigger there and the chance to find the desired product is higher.

 

[kimball455]

I usually use Gain HE. Now that the 'pods' for TIDE are available I have tried them and they work well. Also Purex 'pods' work well and the fragrance is minimal. I have never had an over suds problem with any of the HE detergents no matter what wash temp. I do not use cold wash, always warm, hot or super hot for linens and towels. Washer is a Duet HT about 5 years old. No problems with the washer. I do run the clean cycle every month.
Harry

 

[frigilux]

I use HE detergents in my 2010 Frigidaire front-loader (with its "shot glass" of water). My water is mechanically softened, so I've just become used to seeing a few suds in rinse water.

I choose the Sanitize cycle to wash loads of greatly-stained kitchen whites, since it mimics a profile wash (cool water enters, then gets gradually heated to around 155 degrees). I use (UK/Unilever) powdered Persil Bio detergent for those loads. Cleans like a champ and rinses very cleanly. I did try using liquid Tide HE with Bleach Alternative once, and the long wash tumble (around 70 minutes) combined with very hot water turned the suds into what appeared to be whipped cream! In other words, I echo what Malcolm stated in his post: US detergents (well, Tide, at any rate) aren't meant for long, super-hot washes.

I use powdered Tide HE with Bleach Alternative or its liquid counterpart for all other loads. Oh, and I use Perwoll for loads of blacks/dark colors. Perwoll is very sudsy in the wash, but it rinses cleanly.

 

[lovestowash]

"It's those citrates they use in the liquids that ke

Thanks Tom...I didn't realize that...

Just this week did a warm wash load of woven shirts in the Westy with liquid Tide Plus Bleach Alternative, a detergent I seldom use...
Minimal suds in the wash, but went back to check on the cold rinse, and suds 1/3 the way up the window...on the second rinse...
Granted it's more like a froth than rich suds, but I thought the washer was broken...had to run another complete cycle to get a clean rinse...
I've noticed a sticky residue feeling on sheets and towels when I use a liquid...those get powder only...

I try to buy HE whenever possible for both the Westy and Amana/SQ...but I have no brand loyalty...
Also like to try new scents...just bought a box of Gain Ocean Escape, though not available in HE...

George

 

[bosch2460]

I have been using non HE detergents in all my FL for years. I got my first Frigidaire FL in 1998, and the only HE detergent available was Tide, and was more expensive. Through trial and error, I noticed I did not need the recommended dose, and figured why waste my time or money. I rarely buy a HE specific detergent to this day. My current machine is a Miele, Bosch before that, and I have mechanically soft water. I never use more than 2 TBS per load, and as long as I measure carefully for size and soil of the load, I never have any issues. A typical, average soiled load, I use just over 1 TBS (20 ml). Like Frigilux, I have grown accustomed to occasionally seeing a small bit of suds on the glass in the final rinse, but the water itself is clear (I rarely use fabric softener). I think HE detergents are a bunch of hoo ha, personally.

 

[yogitunes]

I go to CostCo and get the rectangular plastic bucket of Kirkland 200 use.....only thing compared to SUP, is no enzymes.....but this stuff is multi purpose, for garage floor oil pickup to gritty kitty litter supplement.....but doesn't work bad for most normal soil.....

I love Tide w/bleach powder, the scent is great, most times its one scoop of SUP and one of Tide.....I get great results....most loads are hot water, and my water heater is set at 160...

My Frigidaire has been altered to add more water, to the bottom of the door, which allows for sudsing, but I'll take that over the fact it does not "play" the balancing act anymore with the final spin....no time wasted, turns left, then right, then left, and takes off everytime.....rinsing is clear.....

I have never ever run a clean washer cycle, nor had to run one, never mold or mildew, never leave the doors ajar, or remove the dispenser, never a mildew smell....lucky if it ever sees a cold water wash, although I do run 2 to 4 loads a day, one being bleach......but was confused when I came to this club and members were mentioning about this kind of stuff happenning, and I never experienced it

Malcolm, next time Darren or Brian is here, we'll do a video....I need to get updated on doing this stuff......Brian tried the last time to shoot a video, but without plexiglas in place, it shot a load of suds in his face.....THAT's the video you want to see....LOL

 

[passatdoc]

@mrwash: Wenn ich in Deutschland bin, kaufe ich ein oder zwei Paketen Persil in ReWe, meistens Megaperls Universal oder Color. Immer Pulver, das sicherer im Flugzeug ist. "Da weiß ich, was ich habe...".

Aber in Amerika waschen wir nur mit 60 C Graden oder kalter. Ach, Du weißt die Amis. Für deutsche Großmütter heißt 90 C "Normal" und 80 C "Kalt".

Ich habe nur Gain HE Pulver ohne Duft in Amerika gesehen. (kein Apple Mango oder was). Billiger aber so effektiv wie Tide HE Pulver.

 

[mrwash]

Gain powder without scent ? Wow I just know the version with scent.

By the way, German people are following the trend of washing only on warm temperatures or max. at 60° C. So we have the problems with bad smelling washers and laundry here as well.

By the way, this is the Gain I mentioned earlier. Smells really nice in the bottle:

 

[countryguy]

I use both Tide HE liquid and powder in my He4t and have never had a problem with sudsing.

Gary

 

[passatdoc]

@mrwash: the Gain HE to which I referred "does" have a fragrance, but it is the "basic" Gain fragrance, which is not heavy, and is packaged without any mention of a special fragrance (like "Apple Mango Tango"). However, you are correct, there is no "fragrance free" or "sensitive" version of Gain.

By the way, Tide and Gain are both Proctor and Gamble products. Tide is marketed toward the "average middle class American", while Gain is marketed more toward Latin American immigrants, who supposedly tend to pay more attention to fragrance (hence all of the fruity fragrances) and who supposedly are less likely to demand "fragrance free" or "light fragrance" versions of the product. Gain is priced slightly lower than Tide, though organizations such as Consumer Reports have found little difference between the two (Gain is not rated as often as is Tide, but at times Gain HE powder---on the rare occasions when CR bothers to evaluate it---has been rated a "Best Buy" on the basis of performance and value/price).

People of my mother's generation were pretty much brainwashed into thinking that only Tide could clean adequately, and that it wasn't worth the savings in cost to use a cheaper detergent. Of course this was the higher-sudsing formulation used in top loaders. Many middle class housewives who could afford to pay for Tide developed a loyalty to the brand similar to Persil's brand loyalty in Germany (though I think Tide is inferior to Persil).

 

[mrwash]

Thanks for letting me know about the target customers of both detergents. I was sure that Tide addresses to the average American customer but I did not know that Gain refers more to the Latin people. I thought it would target more young people who like exotic fragrance combinations. Well, I am not Latin but I must say that Gain is an interesting detergent. As I said, I do miss more HE versions but we'll see with what they will come up with within the near future.

In Germany as well you can categorize the different detergents. Take Henkel for example. They have 3 detergent brands:

Persil
Weißer Riese (White Giant)
Spee

Persil is for the "upper class people". In TV spots you always see well situated and modern thinking people who obviously have a high income.

Weißer Riese is a detergent for families. You will always see childern who get very dirty in TV spots and the Mom who gets everything clean with Weißer Riese.

Spee is a low budget detergent and target customers are definitely young people who just move to their own place and students as well.

 

[passatdoc]

Henkel bought the Purex line of detergents here in USA, in fact there is a Henkel USA regional office near me in "the OC":

 

http://www.henkelna.com/careers/irvine-ca-5695.htm
 

However, they don't sell Persil here on a large scale, which is a mystery to me. Persil is sold on a small scale through Miele stores in USA, so obviously they are seeking the high-end people who buy Miele appliances. It costs $50 for a large box, which no one in Germany would ever pay. There are never any discounts, because any Miele store which cuts prices and gets caught will be cut off by both Miele and Henkel. It's easier and cheaper to have friends from Germany bring it over, or I bring it over myself on trips to Germany. I buy the plastic bag package because it's luggage-safe for air travel...basically impossible to break. Und da weiß man, was man hat....