bobbi
Well-known member
Mark- That would be great if you could keep your pedestals.
Good luck with whichever machine you choose!
Good luck with whichever machine you choose!
Picked Up an LG TrueSteam and Sidekick
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brucelucenta
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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
Well-known member
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?
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?
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.
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.
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
Well-known member
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.
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
Well-known member
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
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
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
Well-known member
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.
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.
mark_wpduet
Well-known member
Honestly
for people who know how to do laundry properly, I doubt powders vs liquids even matter. But people who do laundry who do not really know what the h!!! they are doing, that's when you run into problems. Using cold water for everything, too much or too little detergent, too much fab softener. Shutting everything up when the laundry is done. Things like that. I've been using powders for a long time so I just continue to do so because I'm too lazy to switch - I'm just used to what dosage of powder to give certain loads I guess is why I continue to use powder.
for people who know how to do laundry properly, I doubt powders vs liquids even matter. But people who do laundry who do not really know what the h!!! they are doing, that's when you run into problems. Using cold water for everything, too much or too little detergent, too much fab softener. Shutting everything up when the laundry is done. Things like that. I've been using powders for a long time so I just continue to do so because I'm too lazy to switch - I'm just used to what dosage of powder to give certain loads I guess is why I continue to use powder.
washerdude
Well-known member
Powders vs Liquids
Powders have been used by our family for years, my Mom was introduced to tide powder by a friend a good 30 or 40 years back and we still use tide powder up to this day in our 2 year old Whirlpool duet.
In our old Whirlpool/Inglis top load, we used powder and the results were evident, clothes came out clean all the time, one day we got liquid to try it out and my Mom told me that it would not clean at all, boy was she right, there was a clear difference, clothes seemed dingy and some stains still stayed.
Fast forward to now where we also have a front loader, we did the same test, while the did come out CLEANER with liquid in our duet, the powder still did better. And if i recall, we tried Persil proclean liquid with a load which contained a shirt with ring around the collar and was washed on the normal cycle. It failed to remove it, but as soon as we switched back to the powder it was 100% gone. Adding a funny story, whenever I use anything but tide powder like that one time I used Persil liquid, my mom notices immediately after the load is washed, I don't know how she does it, probably because of the years of use she can tell the results -LOL-
But coming back, personally I think powder does work better than liquid myself just by that ring around the collar shirt. The only exception for use of liquid is when a comforter is being washed, or a load of darks which are washed in either cool or cold.
Powders have been used by our family for years, my Mom was introduced to tide powder by a friend a good 30 or 40 years back and we still use tide powder up to this day in our 2 year old Whirlpool duet.
In our old Whirlpool/Inglis top load, we used powder and the results were evident, clothes came out clean all the time, one day we got liquid to try it out and my Mom told me that it would not clean at all, boy was she right, there was a clear difference, clothes seemed dingy and some stains still stayed.
Fast forward to now where we also have a front loader, we did the same test, while the did come out CLEANER with liquid in our duet, the powder still did better. And if i recall, we tried Persil proclean liquid with a load which contained a shirt with ring around the collar and was washed on the normal cycle. It failed to remove it, but as soon as we switched back to the powder it was 100% gone. Adding a funny story, whenever I use anything but tide powder like that one time I used Persil liquid, my mom notices immediately after the load is washed, I don't know how she does it, probably because of the years of use she can tell the results -LOL-
But coming back, personally I think powder does work better than liquid myself just by that ring around the collar shirt. The only exception for use of liquid is when a comforter is being washed, or a load of darks which are washed in either cool or cold.
washerdude
Well-known member
Furthermore
I've read using powders in front loaders helps to contribute to mold prevention and it seems true, we've had our washer for 2 years and there are no smells, mold - anything.
I've read using powders in front loaders helps to contribute to mold prevention and it seems true, we've had our washer for 2 years and there are no smells, mold - anything.
mark_wpduet
Well-known member
Ya
but there are a lot of people here who use liquid in their FL washers (for years) and do not have mold problems too. I tend to think it's because they know how to do laundry properly, thus they don't have the issues that so many people have with their washers. I think your run of the mill person who just throws it in, turns it on cold, and leaves probably uses liquid. This is sad to say, but I think more people do NOT know how to properly do laundry than there are people who do. I will admit, a long time ago, I did not do laundry properly and used cold water often. But even then I always used hot with whites and bleach as well and it was a TL washer. Most people are not going to come to a forum learning new things about doing laundry because they just do not care. I can't say that a blame them most people hate doing laundry. Even I sometimes dread doing it.
but there are a lot of people here who use liquid in their FL washers (for years) and do not have mold problems too. I tend to think it's because they know how to do laundry properly, thus they don't have the issues that so many people have with their washers. I think your run of the mill person who just throws it in, turns it on cold, and leaves probably uses liquid. This is sad to say, but I think more people do NOT know how to properly do laundry than there are people who do. I will admit, a long time ago, I did not do laundry properly and used cold water often. But even then I always used hot with whites and bleach as well and it was a TL washer. Most people are not going to come to a forum learning new things about doing laundry because they just do not care. I can't say that a blame them most people hate doing laundry. Even I sometimes dread doing it.
Growing up with front loaders and powder detergents in childhood, mold and odors didn't exist. Maybe it is the new enzyme formulations and low wash temperatures that promote biological agents to build up inside modern machines. The use of plastic outer tubs may also contribute to this problem.
bobbi
Well-known member
Just updating some stuff. I got my hands on some for Shout dupe and have that treated load in now. Will report how that worked out.
Secondly, got my Sidekick fired up this morning to run a small load, and it's a no go. It just beeps and bounces around between cycles. None of the buttons respond, except the Power button, which only responds initially to start the machine. Tried the SmartDiagnosis thing, but since the buttons don't respond when pushed, I cannot get the necessary communication between machine and app.
I can only recommend the Sidekick when you only want to wash in cold and not use bleach with. We tried different things to get the machine to fill with Warm, but it's still ridiculously cold water. The water doesn't even get tepid.
Secondly, got my Sidekick fired up this morning to run a small load, and it's a no go. It just beeps and bounces around between cycles. None of the buttons respond, except the Power button, which only responds initially to start the machine. Tried the SmartDiagnosis thing, but since the buttons don't respond when pushed, I cannot get the necessary communication between machine and app.
I can only recommend the Sidekick when you only want to wash in cold and not use bleach with. We tried different things to get the machine to fill with Warm, but it's still ridiculously cold water. The water doesn't even get tepid.
bobbi
Well-known member
The Spray n' Wash dupe helped, but did not make everything come out stain free as I had hoped. Next on the list to try is a citrus degreaser.
My husband looked at the Sidekick and determined that water had gotten into the electronics board. It seems that sometimes there is a door leak on the LG FL, and this had dripped down onto the Sidekick because I had it pulled out. No more leaving it pulled out. The Sidekick is working now. Whew...I'm relieved.
My husband looked at the Sidekick and determined that water had gotten into the electronics board. It seems that sometimes there is a door leak on the LG FL, and this had dripped down onto the Sidekick because I had it pulled out. No more leaving it pulled out. The Sidekick is working now. Whew...I'm relieved.
I have always used Lestoil as a stain removal thing. I use it for general cleaning, once I can open the windows. I want only one that can do all the jobs. Clean paint off your hands, Lestoil and nylon scrubbie, clean this or that, Lestoil. Works for me and thats my clinical test. Your results may vary.
A friend of mine gave me a 2007 LG washer with a broken door hinge. It had corroded to the point of not moving, I was able to fix it by taking it apart and oiling it.
While I rarely use this machine, when I do I always select the "water plus" option along with an extra rinse as it does make a difference in rinsing. Is the water plus option still available on the latest LG models? I would have thought they would have discontinued that now.
While I rarely use this machine, when I do I always select the "water plus" option along with an extra rinse as it does make a difference in rinsing. Is the water plus option still available on the latest LG models? I would have thought they would have discontinued that now.
Yes
Water Plus is now only available on their top loaders.
Water Plus is now only available on their top loaders.
I've been researching LG front loaders and the water plus option is still available on the WM3270 and WM3670 models.
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