Picked Up an LG TrueSteam and Sidekick

[yogitunes]

Lestoil is still available.....and depending on your location, at Walmart of all places....

a lot of times, items like GOOP or Orange Pumice hand cleaner works on removing a lot of stains.....for the most part, these wont suds up.....

I was even going to say to rub with a bar of FelsNaptha or Lava soap.....

its just matter of finding a formula that works.......

Bobbi, where your husband works, do they have hand cleaner he uses to wash his hands, that exact product may work on his clothes as well.....can't hurt

http://https//www.walmart.com/ip/23...75035&wl11=online&wl12=23619936&wl13=&veh=sem

 

[brucelucenta]

Actually hand cleaner works quite well on grease & oil stains.

 

[mark_wpduet]

That video of that FL washer

doing the oil rig clothes - Back in 2005, when I first got my FL washer, that's the kind of wash action I expected to see, with water going all over the place, down the glass, as the drum rotated super fast. I remember when I first cranked up my duet and sat and watched it, I was so FREAKING BUMMED OUT! I, as well as many others who got FL washers at that time when they were starting to become popular, I think we were all expecting them to operate the way this one does. I've grown used to it, but I would KILL to have a FL washer like that to do my laundry. LOL

I wonder what's in those powders? It has to be some institutional stuff.

 

[yogitunes]

I worked in a laundry like that......

and they are some harsh chemicals, that only those sort of machines can handle.....

we had one TL Whirlpool, those chemicals would tear up seals, rubber, and especially pumps on this machine.....

not even sure the supply company carries this stuff anymore, this goes back to 1983.....it was called 'EDWARD DON', and some of the chemicals were:

Hulk Powder/50lb
Boost Liquid/5gal
Sizing/1gallon

http://www.don.com/catalog/browseca...g+Products_16&child=Laundry+Detergents_160601

 

[bobbi]

Bruce - I have tried the Goop hand soap. It was a disappointment, especially since it says something about being the best stain remover and it has a picture of clothes hanging on the line. I was bummed.

On the Lestoil -I was over on Amazon reading reviews of the various stain treatments, and noticed Lestoil. Recent comments allude to the formula having been changed, and now it's not the same. Still worth a shot.

Yogi - As far as rubbing soap on the stains, I have tried the Fels-Naptha and even my own homemade lye soap. White Zote soap works best, but it works best if lay the garment down in the tub, pour boiling water on it, soap up all spots with Zote, then scrub with a stiff floor brush. I used to do this. It took me about 1.5 hours to do them all, and it's hard on the lower back and knees. Very soapy too...your skin can get so soft that it tears or rubs away easily. I am trying to find a better way, but maybe there isn't one.

Mark - I freaking KNOW what you mean!! I have again and again watched a YT video of a Bendix Duomatic that looks like it uses plenty of water. I would have loved to own this machine. I watched CL and the classifieds here for a couple months for a vintage FL. Anyhow, there's lots of splashing around in this machine, and the agitation looks great...like it really cleans. LOVE this thing:
And it gets the washing and rinsing done in about 12 minutes. Why can't they duplicate this with modern tech? I do have to say that my LG FL is close to that when I use the Water Plus option. I do get splashing on glass. [this post was last edited: 2/7/2017-13:21]

 

[bobbi]

The oil rig laundry guy - Yeah,the stuff he's using is probably not suitable for a residential machine. But he could at least tell me, right?

Another thing I really like about my machine is that the drum is tilted back just like a Neptune. Seems to me that the tilted drum could hold more (and deeper) water that way, but what would I know? One thing is for certain...at least I won't have to worry about the door latch breaking and water pouring out all over like what happened twice with my Samsung FL that had a "straight" drum. In all honesty, I was probably overloading on occasion and that's what ultimately stressed the latch. These newer FL have a lot more capacity.

 

[yogitunes]

try as we may, there are some stains, or grease/oily stains that just wont come out....

some automotive greases/oils are beyond stubborn, even to get off auto parts alone....

although, you got me curious, Brake Parts Cleaner, one of the few products that cleans as fast as you can spray it.......

the only issue that would concern me, is any type of oily residue on clothing, and then washed....many machines warn against it...

this one puzzles us like using a cleaning cloth, saturated in a detergent solution, used to clean the house, WHY is it my cloth gets dirty if I am using a concentrated cleaner......most times it only comes clean once it goes through the machine......the world will never know!

 

[appnut]

Front Loaders like there used to be

the only way this will happen is getting ride of Energy Star program and all related stuff. 

 

[mark_wpduet]

Bobbi

Yea, that FL looks GREAT. Like you would see in a laundromat. There's NO question the clothes are clean just watching it. But with the new HE FL washer, you just have to assume with proper laundry habits, that it knows what it's doing. LOL

I'm pretty sure my clothes are clean, they smell good, seemed rinsed well. So I'm not complaining. But if there was a FL washer on the market like that one, it would be my next one (as long as it had a heater)

I remember seeing on some old gardenweb forum topics about the LG Water Plus. I even emailed WP a long time ago asking them to at least add an option to their machines for the user to select if they wanted more water. I got back some canned response. The manufacturers can still add options like that, while the machine can still be Energy Star compliant. But interestingly, some of the newer FL washer cycles use a lot more water on some special cycles than my old Duet does from what I've seen. And my Duet uses a decent amount of water actually. But it's the same amount of water on virtually every cycle except delicate and soak. I'm waiting for my duet washer and dryer to fall apart any moment because in April they are 12 years old. I don't think they could possibly go much longer!

 

[bobbi]

Yes, Martin. At some point I may have to throw in the towel. :/

Mark -Lol....In that case, maybe you need to start researching what to get next. What features will you be looking for now that youve had a FL all these years? Any ideas on what you'd want next? I am glad to hear your WD is still going after 12 years.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Already have and it's definitely going to be

Either a Whirlpool Duet Or Maytag FL - definitely with a heater and definitely with specialty cycles. From what I understand, my current pedestals on my Duet will fit on these machines. I hope so.

 

[bobbi]

Mark- That would be great if you could keep your pedestals.
Good luck with whichever machine you choose!

 

[brucelucenta]

I have an LG made front loader with all the options and it really does do an exceptional job. It is kind of unnerving to watch as it washes because it really doesn't look like there is enough water to do a good job of cleaning, but it does seem to get everything clean and fresh when it comes out. I always used extra rinses to make sure ALL the detergent is removed. The new generation of front loaders just DO NOT use very much water at all, but it seems to work as intended. Difficult to get used to, since most of us are used to seeing a washer use a lot more water.

 

[bobbi]

I know what you mean, Bruce. Still gun shy from the performance of my previous two FL machines, I find myself always using the Water Plus feature, and that really does make it seem like it is enough water. I am working myself up to not using the Water Plus feature on a load that isn't very dirty. I need to get over what I am sure is just a mental hump.

Another thing that's very important in a FL is a very good detergent that is targeted to the type of dirt in that load. When we bought the FL, we stopped and got Gain HE. Last night I saw someone mention that Gain is really a MOL detergent, but I have also been adding Biz. Today I am going to pick up Persil Pro Clean because it's supposed to be good with removing cooking oil spatters, which I am a magnet for, and Tide Ultra Stain Release, which is supposed to be good for grimy laundry.
What HE detergent(s) do you use?

 

[mattl]

I'm a Tide guy, right now I have a year's supply of pods that I got cheap, but normally I use the powder.  I've used liquid in the past, but never been a real fan of that type of detergent. 

 

My stuff is not anywhere as soiled as what you are dealing with, So I would suggest doing what you are doing and try different products.  Your water will have an effect on the cleaning process too, and may interact with one detergent better than another.  Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[askolover]

We are currently well stocked on Tide Botanical Rain pods with Febreze as I found a case at Big Lots for a good price, same goes for Gain pods Wildflower and Rainfall with Febreze.  Also have All packs with the powder in the middle, and Persil pods.  Am finishing up some Fresh Start powder that does a fabulous job.  But we have used CVS brand (made by Sun) free and clear plenty of times when it was on sale for a giveaway price and it really does an ok job too even on my yard working clothes.  I only switched to pods because Tony tends to overdose the machine with liquids and cause it to over suds and pods don't do that.  But we also use hot 140F (whites) and warm 120F (colors) washes all the time.  We've really not found ANY detergent that didn't do an ok job in our washer.

 

[bobbi]

Thanks, MattL. I had read that powders are better for front loaders.
May I ask how/where you got a year's supply of pods cheap? I see that they cost about 25+ cents each, and larger loads require 2, so it makes it seem as though going with pods are expensive. Dollar General has Tide pods for $2 off, so I may jump on that.

It is a real pain to buy these stain remover products and then have them not be effective for my needs. I have been researching to avoid mistakes. I find something that seems to be formulated for my needs, then in the consumer reviews there are complaints that it does not work well. Ugh. Yesterday I told my husband that this may be as good as it ever gets with his T-shirts and hoodies. He doesn't care, but I do.

Right about the water. I have a whole house water softener, so I find I need less detergent than called for - about 2 tablespoons.

Askolover - I stopped at Ollies (similar to Big Lots) last night, and they had very little of anything.
Yes, all detergents I have used, except my DIY detergent, seem to work well for general dirt. I wish I only had general dirt. The one thing I seem to have trouble with outside of my husband's laundry are cooking oil spatters and salad oil on my clothing.
I will not use Cold to do my laundry either.

 

[mark_wpduet]

I've used powder since day 1

Tide, Gain, Sears, Costco Brand HE powder - this is my latest buy, I've been using it for over a year - bought at Sams Club. It's really good stuff. It has a super light scent but it cleans really well. I still use dish soap on oily stains though. Back when I got my Duet, I always heard powders were better for FL washers so that's what I've always used. I also add ammonia to colors and lights, but bleach to whites.

http://https//www.amazon.com/WindFr...486852519&sr=8-1&keywords=windfresh+detergent

 

[mattl]

Pods were on clearance 35 pods of $6 and I had $1 coupon.  ( gathered a few more coupons...) Bought 3 or 4 bags, that is a years supply for me, or close to it.

 

[bobbi]

Mark - I have to check out the Sears. I see that mentioned as a favorite a lot. There's really a limited selection when it comes to HE powders vs. liquids and pods. Do you know why powders are supposed to be better for FL machines?

Matt - That's quite a deal you got there. Our Dollar General had Tide pods on sale for $2 off the 31 ct. so I got 4 bags. That should probably be enough to last me a year as well.