denim

This question will bore most of you to tears. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I bought a front-load washer to save power and water. So far, I've had it for less than a week, it's been okay.

I'm still using the laundry detergent I was using at the laundromat, but it's getting a bit low. It's time to find the Right detergent. Tide is right out. I'm looking for a powdered phosphate/dye/fragrence-free product which is also rated for HE use. So far, I've found EcoVantage, which seems to be made by ASKO, ALL HE, and Persil sensative. And I'm planning to go to the local Whole Food Market to see what they suggest.

Meanwhile, I'd like to see what y'all here might suggest, please.

rekinom

Post removed.

denim

Try a Google search on just about anything, Rekinom. You'll find fora on the topic! Today, I found a "Homes & Gardens" forum where they discussed front-loaders, but not detergent. I already got the washer. I got the dirty clothes. I don't have the detergent. But I bet the Whole Food Market will have something.

Jay Francis

I also have a front loading washer. Low sudsing front load detergents are great but they are hard to find. Recently Fab was on sale for $4.00 and it turned out to be a great low sudsing detergent for my washer. Having said that, though, I have defaulted back to standard Tide Mountain Spring, but I use half the amount. If my load is really large, and I see that there is nominal sudsing, I might add a little bit more during the cycle.

Front load washing is awesome. No more hand washing. Just use the gentle cycle.

MSD

HE detergents don't foam as much when you use the full amount. Regular detergents produce the same amount of foam when using half the amount that you would use of HE. Does anyone else see the irony of calling something "high efficiency" when you use twice as much?

I just use Tide Free.

soccerchamp76

Front loader here and we have this huge bucket that we get at Sears. It is nice because you only have to use a small amount (about 1/4 of what you normally use) so it lasts a long long long time.
Advanced Formula Plus HE is the kind we use.

__________________
Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department.
Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity.

absorbentishe

I normally buy what ever, and only use half the amount. I have used Amway detergent too, and that stuff is great, cleans clothes a lot better with front loader. Hard to find someone that sells it though.

Jesus Pimp

Speaking of detergents, what's the best detergent for keeping black clothes from fading?

__________________
Never date anyone who doesn't make your dick hard.

denim

But the regular detergents don't clean as well at half the amount. The low foaming is apparently to help both rinsing and cleaning action, as the dropping of the clothes into the water is a large part of the cleaning action. Suds soften the motion, apparently, which is counterproductive.

I found a detergent I'm trying now at Whole Foods, but the one I found a few minutes later at Trader Joe's (a place I hadn't known existed in this area) actually had instructions for front-loaders. I ran out of the regular stuff over the weekend, and started a load with the Whole Foods product just before leaving for work this morning. I didn't watch it, obviously, but I'll see how it did when I get home.

Rodney

Thanks for this discussion. I ran into my first box of Tide "High Efficiency" detergeant the other day and hadn't a clue what was going on.

denim

Comes down to, if you don't know what it's for, you don't need it.

isis

I'm highly allergic to tide. I mean, if I rub my face on a blanket that has been washed in it, I turn red. For that fact, I wouldn't recommend the regular stuff.. it seems to cause problems in quite a few people because of certain ingredients.

I'm not sure if you guys have Cheer in the US, but I use it and love it. It keeps my colors bright, as well!

bernadette

i use arm & hammer in my maytag neptune.

i just use half the amount that i used in my old top loading machine as per the washing machine instructions.
seems to be working out fine for me.

__________________
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

bernadette

tide is proctor & gamble.

animals died for that tide.

seriously, proctor & gamble is huge, but they cruelly torture small animals in archaic unnecessary ways.

i work hard to boycott all P&G products.

__________________
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

denim

Surely, you girlcott it, no?

Rubyee

I had no clue there was this much to detergent.

This was my prior knowledge of laundry detergent:

It is expensive.

You pour it in the cap to the little #3 line, and dump it out into the bottom of the washer. Then you throw the cap in so that it comes out clean.

It is normal to drip a blue line from where you poured to the tub of the washer.

The powder stuff makes you itch.

I am glad that I just have a cheapass top loading $150 washer.

__________________
You don't know from fun.