Your washer delivery guy is probably not your best source of information for how to operate anything - these guys are barely trained for their jobs, unfortunately. Did they level your washer?

Generally, you want to use HE (high efficiency) detergent because they are formulated for lower sudsing and will typically have more complexing agents to prevent dirt from redepositing on clothing. However, depending upon your water, some people have found non-HE detergents that work just fine in their machines. HE detergents are readily available in most grocery stores now, as well as at Sears and various online sources. Tide, Gain, Wisk, All, etc. all have HE versions of their detergents, most in either powder or liquid.

Alice is right about using the HE detergents. I've been having trouble locating the powdered HE detergents, all the grocery stores seem to be switching to liquid laundry detergents, which I find to be a mess to use. I've been ordering my Tide HE powder laundry detergent from Amazon.com or getting Charlies Soap, which I like a lot.

Enjoy your new machine

momj47, I also can't get powdered HE detergents at the supermarket, but my local Target does carry Tide HE powder. Which do you like better, between the Tide and the Charlies? Whichis less expensive?

dmlove- I use the Charlies too sometimes. It is about $13.00 for an 80 load bag compared to Tide H E 31 loads if you use it as the box says and it cost about $7.00 at my Wal/Mart. With the Charlies the shipping is included in that price and you only use 1 tablespoon per load plus there is no smell--if you like unscented? Check out their website. It is a very clean rinsing product.

I like Charlies Soap better, I just forget to order it. I've got an order coming now, though.

Charlies Soap is cheaper, it's just been a little harder to get, but now that I have to order Tide, I'd rather order Charlies Soap.

Tide HE
Gain HE
Cheer HE
Wisk HE
All HE
Purex HE
Arm Hammer HE
Sears HE
Quixtar Amway SA8 HE

Bravo for your installer for telling you the truth about detergents! No, you do not have to use a special HE product if you find a regular detergent and a correct dosing range that work just fine for you with your water chemistry, your machine and your stuff.

I've tried just about every detergent (HE and non-HE) available in the US and the best one for me is an ordinary, big-brand, non-HE, low sudsing, powder. When switching over to FLs many people find that HE products make the switch easier but if you don't like what is available in the HE range (scent, formula, additives, etc.,) then try a reduced dose of the detergent you formerly used. Monitor the results and see if you can arrive at a dosing range that cleans correctly without generating too much suds which can impede the cleaning action in a FL.

Back in the olden days many detergents were labeled "low-sudsing" because they were made that way, and still are. In general, I find liquid non-HEs more likely to create suds problems than non-HE powders, but your results may vary.

Molly~

Non HE detergent=
1/4 cup
You should be fine.
HE detergent=
1/2 cup

HE detergents rinse better, important because you're using far less water. You also want very low sudsing because you may get a SUDS error message from your front loader like I did. I have found that Purex 2x HE liquid to be the lowest sudsing and is very good at cleaning. It is also very economical at $3.50 for 32 loads at Kmart. I find that liquids are easier to use then messy powders.

Doesn't adding a bit of Fels Naphta (sp?) soap reduce sudsing?

JessyF,

Yes, adding Fels Naptha (or any other pure soap) more or less instantly reduces (over)sudsing, but it also can reduce soil sequestration, can impair rinsing and could be more likely to contribute to bio-film, so I wouldn't rely on it on a routine basis for suds reduction.

However, I think no Fl laundry room should be without a small stash of grated soap to use to quell over-suds situations. I used my Microplane to devour a couple of bars of plain soap and keep it in a sealed canister so it's always fresh and ready. I use it 4 or 5 times a year when washing guests' laundry that is loaded with detergent residue from being washed in top loaders. You can never tell in advance, so I try to catch a glimpse of guest laundry loads during the early wash phase and if necessary toss in a couple of teaspoons of my grated soap if I see too many suds for good washing action. If the clothes were particularly dirty (hiking or gardening clothes for instance) this would earn them another short cycle ride in my machines to make sure they were clean enough to meet my standards.

I really didn't intend to make such a large quantity - a single bath-sized bar made more than two cups of grated fluff. But after I saw how tedious it was going to be to clean out the Microplane afterward I went ahead and ground up enough to last me a very long time.

Molly~

Wow, you use 1/2 cup of HE detergent? What do you use? I use All Small and Might Free and Clear He in my Cabrio and I only use 1 TBSP. Are you useing a powder?

I use 1/2 cup too. My water is medium hard. I have an HE3 and soils can be from light to moderate in the clothes. If it's a lightly soiled load I do use less--about a 1/4 cup.

I keep reducing the amount of HE detergent I use in my HE2t (but DH does most of the laundry - how lucky am I? - and I can't seem to get him to reduce (dishwasher either). I'm down to about 1/4 cup for colors and a little more for whites. I have no idea how hard or soft the water is (how do I find out?)

dmlove:

If you are on city water, they should be able to tell you how hard or soft the water is. If you are on a well, you can look in your local yellow pages for water analysis. By the way I forgot to post that I use Tide HE Powder. I do keep a small bottle of tide 2x liquid on hand but don't use it for much as I find the liquids are messy, run all over the place, and over all I find that powder works better and rinses cleaner.

I've always been amazed at the people on this board who use such minuscule amounts of detergent -- 1 tablespoon. That might work if mechanically softened water is involved, but I can't imagine, for example, dirty jeans from yard work coming clean with 1 tablespoon of detergent. Have any of you done the "slippery water" test? Feel the wash water between your fingers, if it's not slippery then you aren't using enough detergent to suspend soil in the wash water so it can be flushed away.

I use a TBSP in each load and it works great. It takes ground in soil out of my gardening cloths, even my gardening gloves which I do not bother to rinse. I put all my dirtiest cloths in one load and wash on the normal cycle, warm/cold, heavy soil. My white gardening gloves (who thought of that anyway) come out spotless. I used to have to rinse them with my old machine and they still came out grungy.

Well, duh! I did not even think about the fact that I use a concentrated detergent, All Small and Mighty Free and Clear HE. Now that I do, I have no idea if a half cup is actually a lot or not. I have been using Small and Mighty formula since it first came out (not HE back then). It has been so long since I used a regular detergent I have no idea how much would be used. I will have to look at the supermarket.

I may call Unilever just out of curiosity to see how much of their regular detergent 1 TBSP would equal. And they will probably send me coupons for asking - I love that!

1/2 cap of the All S&M HE is an ounce. The bottle says 32 loads and it is a 32 oz. bottle. That is for the "normal" load, so if it was the regular formula All it would take 3 oz.-1/3 cup for a "normal" load since it isn't the 3X concentrated-right?

Yes. I just looked at the bottle and it is 3X concentrated so 1 TBSP Small and Mighty Would Equal 3 TBSP regular. That would be about 1/5 of a cup of regular detergent. Mmmmm, that is a lot less than 1/2 cup, but it does work great in my machine.

I use Tide HE powder in my topload agitator washer.
It works fantastic.
No problems here.

Kenmorewasher-Why do you use the HE in the reg. washer? Do you just like the low sudsing, that way you don't have to double rinse? Even some of the H E detergents suds like crazy in my soft water--more so if I try a liquid.

HE detergent should work fine in any washer, HE, or non HE. In fact, there are additives in HE detergents that fix the dyes in clothes to prevent colors from rubbing off from one garment to another that might help even in a deep fill washer.

As far as using reduced amounts amount of detergent are concerned, I always use as much as I can without causing oversudsing so that I maximize my washer's cleaning performance.

Charlie's Soap - hands down! It is cheaper to buy directly from the company but my local Whole Foods carries it as well (when you forget to order!) I buy the BIG bucket and it lasts a good year. There is no artificial smell and it rinses clean. It's great for those allergic to soap additives, etc. and who like a nice clean, not masked with perfumes, smell.

My topload agitator washer uses 25 gallons on Extra High water level. I like the low sudsing and the cleaning results of Tide HE.
2002 Kenmore 90 series Super Capacity Plus washer and 2002 Kenmore 80 series Super Capacity Plus electric dryer.
Extra High water level=
Ultra Clean cycle with extra rinse uses 75 gallons of water.
Ultra Clean cycle with normal rinse uses 50 gallons of water.
I like the reduced water usage with Tide HE.