As I understand it, HE detergents are formulated for lower sudsing and better rinsing. If the Purex works for you and rinses thoroughly, there should be no reason not to use it.

"HE" and "low sudsing" are not synonyms; some HE detergents - especially liquids - are pretty sudsy.
In principle HE detergents are formulated to suspend dirt better in low water quantities, as well as to rinse out better. As this is not a regulated designation, any particular HE detergent might or might not be better in this regard.
The Oasis uses much more water than (say) a FL, so using regular detergent should not generally be a problem, though you should check your warranty to make sure you are not voidingit by using the non-HE product. - DR

HE detergents also have ingredients to help prevent dye transfer as any color bleeding that may occur is more concentrated in the lower volume of water.

I used Tide HE on the last three loads in my F&P toploader, which is a semi-HE machine. It seems to work very well. The EcoActive wash phase (a recirculation spray of concentrated detergent solution) can generate a HUGE amount of suds with a full dose of "regular" detergent, eventually causing the pump to cavitate. Tide HE doesn't do that. I washed a grungy white towel with a load of jeans (mix of old and new) which always has a blue tinge to the wash water, and the towel came out quite nice.

Another thing to remember with detergents is that the hardness of your water has a big effect on how much sudsing you get. If you have soft water you are definitely going to need an HE detergent because detergents suds like crazy in soft water. If your water is hard then it's conceivable that you may not notice that big a difference between an HE detergent and a regular detergent.

Regardless though, like dadoes says, HE detergents have additives that prevent dye transfer, so using HE detergent in an HE machine is a good idea.

As is stated on the washer & in the manual, you will void the awrranty if useing non-HE detergents in your Oasis. I really like Sears HE detergents!!

Well I've been successfully using non-HE Tide Coldwater in my Asko... until last night. I put a King size duvet cover into my machine, which seemed to be eerily quiet about 20 mins. into the wash cycle. I went into the laundry room to be greeted by water on the floor and suds coming out of the detergent dispenser. The porthole view was pure white, like piled up snow outside of a window.

I don't know what happened, as I had washed this duvet cover before without incident, but for some reason last night the Tide Coldwater decided to turn into a suds monster. I have been using a water softener since moving in, so the hardness of the water has been consistently low. I immediately drained, rinsed, drained, rinsed, and spun. I rewashed it using EcoVantage (my other standby) and it washed just fine.

Whew!

You can use any detergent. I believe he-detergents to be a rip off and only tried them at the begining of my eight years with a front loader. Just use less of a regular detergent, and if you make a mistake add about a quarter of a cap of fabric softener to kill the suds.
By the way--powdered detergents are stronger and thus work much better than liquids. I recommend Arm & Hammer Perfume & Dye Free. But I've also had good results with the low sudsing detergent sold at Sears in the Orange Cardboard Box, not the one's they sell in the plastic pails.

Again, how are HE detergents a rip off when they cost the SAME as the regular? Tide HE is always on sale when regular tide is. I have never paid more for any HE since I got my FL. I just don't get the "HE detergents are too expensive" tales.

I don't get it either. I've never found the HE version of a particular detergent to be priced higher than the standard verson for the same number of loads per bottle.

When they first came out HE detergents were more expensive, but that was several years ago. Now they are the same price as regular detergents.

Washer Man,

Now check out the number of loads Tide recomends you should receive from a typical 100 fl/oz container of its HE liquid as opposed to 100 fl/oz of its regular liquid.

26 as compared to 32. So the regular liquid goes about 24% farther than the HE. You don't suppose that HE may be a watered down product with less surfactant? Perhaps they should re-name it Tide Lite.

Since Tide is, by far, the most widely used detergent in the U.S.A. and most probably the world, maybe more of us should be exposing this charade . This old but proven tactic has used been used by P&G, in various forms, for years.

--Marc

HE detergents such as Tide HE has higher levels of ingredients...Thats why you get slightly fewer uses per bottle/box compared to regular Tide.

All 100 ounce Tide bottles are 26 loads/bottle and always were, they just said 32 to fool you. Tide had to change the bottle to say 26, as the 32 loads per bottle was actually for a smaller load and was misleading. I read about this shortly before tha bottles of 26 loads starting showing up on the shelves.

Kenmorewasher,

Since when do "higher levels of ingredients" equate to "fewer uses per bottle/box." Logically, one would conclude just the opposite. What am I missing here!

Springer,

Not true! Only HE liquids specify 26 loads per/bottle, while all regular Tide liquids specify 32 loads. That equates to roughly 4 oz. of HE to 3oz. of regular liquid. If that's not watered down, than what is? Furthermore, that same general incongruity persists throughout their entire powdered line; and for that matter, their entire product line.

On another note, it's hard for me to believe that P&G is in the business of "fooling" anyone. (class action lawsuit) Misleading; MAYBE.

--Marc

IIRC, at Costco, they have Tide HE, Tide CW, and regular Tide. All are packaged in the same capacity 8.87L bottles, and all are rated at 78 uses. They all have the same price, $22, and they all get discounted at the same price as well whenever they are on sale.

HTH

http://sdahq.org
http://tide.com

Marc,

When companies change something printed on their packaging, they don't throw out all the products they have sitting in stock -- they grandfather the old stuff out as they bring the new packaging online. That's why you're seeing the HE bottles having 26 uses and the non-HE with 32 uses, and once those 32 use bottles are gone you'll see the 26 use bottles. The formulation and quantity of what's inside the bottle is still the same.