Just use a color safe shampoo and conditioner, and once every couple of weeks, use a good detox shampoo. All the professional brands have one, also, Malibu products are good. Remember to condition well after using the detox shampoos. They are higher in PH (alkaline) so you need to use a conditioner to bring down the PH. Hair PH is at a 4.5 - 5.5 range, so anything used on the face skin and hair should be in this range, also. Don't look for PH balanced on the bottle...that just means it's been balanced to the PH of water...which is 7. Look for brands that are proud to say they have a PH of 4.5-5.5. Detox products (ones that remove buildup, clorine, etc) are higher in PH, so remember to use only once a week or less. Then use a good conditioner to close those cuticles up. Hair should be shampooed only every other day at the most. Unless you are doing something that gets it dirty on a daily basis. The natural oils need to be built up to condition the hair (nature's best conditioner.) Also, after getting hair colored, try not to shampoo again for at least 24 hours...better is 48 hrs.

We just had our Electrolux dishwasher installed last week. It's very quiet, can't barely tell it's running. That's very important for us as our kitchen is open to the family room and both are small. But we were shocked at how wet the dishes came out. We too tried to avoid adding more chemical to our dishes so we experimented with different options on the DW and I think we've come down to an acceptable level after a few tries. First, both Electrolux and Bosch, as well as many other new models out on the market, do not have exposed heating element. It dries dishes by condensation. Water condenses on the wall of the DW and drips down to the pan. That's why glass and silver wares (which get hotter during wash cycle) dry better than plastic. We still don't use any rinse agent, just powder dishwasher detergent. Our water heater is set to the lowest temp setting. We loaded the plastic on bottom rack to avoid water dripping down to dryer dishes. When the DW is done, keep the door close for a couple of hours (to trap the moist air in so it condenses on the DW wall). Most items are dry with the exception of plastic but we're ok with it as we expect to use less and less plastic as the kids grow older. Still love our new DW as it's so quiet, no bad smell and is supposed to use much less energy than our old one.

Of course the dispenser holds more than 1/2 oz. It's not how much it will hold - it's how much do you need. We use powdered detergents and have hard water so the conditions are prime for a slight acid rinse helping. I've read in the past you need to be careful with vinegar as it can have a damaging effect on fibers like cotton and linen. That's why I've started with a small dose and will only increase after seeing results for a while. I thought the rule of thumb for traditional top loaders was 4 oz of vinegar. But that's 4 oz into a tub holding 15 to 20 gallons of water. I'm guessing my front loader might use 2 to 3 gallons in it's final rinse so somewhere between 0.5 to 1.0 oz of vinegar would be a good starting point. Just been moving to this bigger FLer (from a 5 kg machine) so don't have my quantities 100% dialed in yet, but 4 oz might be way too much for my situation.

Vinegar works in two ways with regards to laundry: Vinegar dissolves minerals. If you have hard water that is combining with detergent and leaving a residue on the clothes, the vinegar will dissolve the minerals in the water, stopping the deposit of residue. Vinegar neutralizes the alkalinity of wash water. This makes clothing feel more pleasant to the skin. There is nothing inherently "softening" about vinegar, and the fact that I have a whole house water softener probably explains why I get no benefit from vinegar. Those with hardness in their water will benefit the most. I also read in another thread that Miele recommends against using vinegar, as it may damage vital rubber components in the machine. Senseo, a large manufacturer of coffee makers, also says that vinegar can damage its machines and recommends use of citric acid instead. The concern stems from the fact that acetic acid (vinegar) is a mineral-based acid, and as such is damaging to some rubber and plastic components. Citric acid would be a better product to use in the rinse, and citric acid also has the added benefit of "smoothing" fabric fibers which is something vinegar doesn't do.