I have the Maytag Epic w/d set, on their commercials, they claimed to wash up to 16 prs. of jeans... That's false! I like my FL, but it doesn't hold as much laundry (& get it clean) like the commercials state. Someone above mentioned the clothes need room to move, this is very true! You'll have to give yourself time to learn all of the tricks though, there are plenty! Same w/ detergent, don't use the recommended amount, use way less to begin with. Also, different loads call for different amounts. For instance, I've found that on Sanitary cycle w/ a full load of towels, I need to use less detergent, I suppose it's because of the longer wash cycle & the friction of the towels. However some here have mentioned that maybe it's b/c of left over soap residue from your body. Like I said, it's a trial & error thing. As for fab. soft. I buy a bottle then pour 1/2 into an empty bottle & fill the bottles w/ water the rest of the way. Since these washers use so much less water, it makes sense that you wouldn't need full strength. This helps save $ too! Some ppl here may try to steer you away from using FS b/c of mold/mildew issues, but as long as you dry your washer out & do regular cleanings, there shouldn't be a problem. I also use dryer sheets in some loads. The only thing to remember about DS's is that they make a film on your lint screen, although it takes a while. If you use DS's regularly, you should clean your lint screen every few months or so. To test your screen for build-up, just run some water onto it, if the water sits & doesn't run through, there's build-up, it should be cleaned. I don't use DS's on a regular basis, so I only clean my screen about every 4-6 months. Another tip that I've learned is if you have extremely dirty, greasy laundry as I do, you can safely use a dishwasher pac in a prewash cycle & this helps tremedously! (*Put the pac right in the tub w/ the clothes, not in the dispenser.) My DH works construction so his jeans always have grease/oil/dirt on them. I throw them in w/ a pac on prewash & do the main wash as usual & they come out sparkling! Some of these jeans have set for several days too as he works out of state for 2 wks. @ a time, so that shows how well these little pacs work. Good luck w/ your new machines! Shannon

Herring_Maven I think that is why I went to liquid to start with (in Australia always used powder) because I use cold water in a lot of washes and the cold water in winter is VERY cold in New England lol so I thought it might not dissolve the powder adequately Re the amount I use - I actually use LESS now than I did when living in Australia (in Australia used Bosch and Asko FL with absolutely no issue and also used fabric softeners) ... I use 1Tb of Charlie's soap liquid (you measure with the container so always the same amount) with vinegar in the rinse cycle - NO fabric softeners etc... the water is midway between hard and soft but I use a water softener from Charlies Soap to ensure no issue with hardness The only other thing I can think of is that in Australia we did not have humidity where i lived and is a very dry heat in summer - I also don't usually use hot water but never did in Australia either (and no issues) though I have recently changed due to dust mite allergies (which is a new thing for me) and now do a few sanitise loads per week which I am guessing will be good for the new machines I change for since that should help prevent the mold problem

Bleach is fine. We've got to change some wording. It's just that bleach leaves its own residue if you use too much. If you have sensitive skin (like a baby's butt when washing cloth diapers), I would recommend running another wash with Charlie's to get the bleach out if you use more than a tablespoon. But it's fine to throw bleach in with the wash. The reason you don't need fs is because most fabrics are naturally soft once you get through the old detergent residues left behind by your previous washings. That can just take several loads. After that, soft will be the norm. Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions! Here is a link that might be useful: Charlie's FAQ

Back to your initial question. I am surprised that you smell the vinegar. You must have a much more sensitive nose than I do...although I'm not opposed to the scent of vinegar, I guess if you are sensitive to it, you might be. I have been adding 1/4 cup of vinegar to my rinse, since just before I changed to a front loader. I had already switched to Charlie's Soap for my top loader and using vinegar in the rinse. I had been using vinegar to 'set' color in my wash for several years before. I don't recall ever smelling it though. Have you tried an extended rinse?