Need help for a friend with a 2006 Frigidaire..

[1952crestwood]

Heavy Duty Commercial top loading washing machine. He has an extreme chemical sensitivity so he's limited as far as detergents, so I thought I should put that out there at the top. He uses All brand Free & Clear detergent in his machine and despite his attempts to reduce the recommended amounts he puts in, there is a continuing problem with the machine creating too many suds and the soap doesn't completely rinse out of his clothes. I had a suggestion from another member (off group) that he take all his clothes to a laundromat and give them all a good rinsing in those machines but the odor from all the detergents/chemicals in those places would cause a direct hit with his allergic reactions. It was also suggested that he put a small amount of vinegar in the rinse water, but apparently even the vinegar causes some issues with his chemical sensitivity. I'm sure opinions about the machine itself may vary from folks who hate them to those that love them, but I'd sure like anything you all can send my way as far as ways he might be able to work with the current machine & detergent. If the machine is really that junky, could you all suggest another machine (new) that isn't outrageously expensive but would make a good workhorse for him? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[frigilux]

I owned a 2006 Frigidaire top-loader for four years, and am well-acquainted with it. I have softened water and used high-sudsing detergents like Tide, but never had an issue with there being too many suds. For all the negative things I could list about that washer, rinsing ability wouldn't be one of them, so I'm surprised by your friend's issue. Some thoughts:

1. Water only goes up to the third row of holes down from the top of the tub at the highest water level setting. Because of this, your friend should only load clothes to the third row of holes down from the top of the tub. If he's filling the tub to the top with clothes the rinsing action will be poor.

2. Does his washer have an Extra Rinse option? If so, use it. If not, he should run an extra rinse manually, or even an entire cycle using just a few minutes of wash time, which would give the load two extra rinses. That should take care of the problem.

I know of no new washer that will rinse better than his current washer.

 

[yogitunes]

has he tried other detergents of the Free n' Clear type.....Sears Ultra Plus F & C might help in keeping the suds down to a minimum.....

and like others have mentioned, even running a second full cycle of just clear water can't hurt....

most detergents today are HE/low suds even for TL machines....

not jumping the gun here, but my Mother's alergic reaction to detergents was not from the detergent, but from her medication against it.....once we got her medicine changed her sensitivity was reduced.....this was discovered by accident...

 

[mrb627]

Water Level Agreement

I agree with the water level statement made by Frigilux above.  Determine the machine's highest water level and never load dry laundry above that water line.  He may even want to reduce the amount of laundry in the machine further than that to improve rinsing performance.

 

I have found that most people that have complained to me of their machine's poor rinsing blame the detergent and machine when actually, it is their loading habits that are the culprit.

 

Malcolm