I don't think it has been discontinued. They are now putting it in a box instead of the bucket.
For some reason it's no longer shown on the Sears website, but I have seen it in stores in the box.
I recently started using it too and find it to be a really good detergent.
I'll save my bucket and refill it with the box when the time comes.
Maybe check another Sears when you get the chance, I'm sure you'll find it.

Janet

Oh really? My mistake. I saw the boxes but didn't see the HE symbol in them and assumed it wasn't HE.. I still have the bucket too, though I bought a big box of tide HE powder and put it in the bucket. I use the sears scoop for the Tide HE though :)

Help. I bought a box of Tide HE powder.......The scoop inside is HUGE compared to the Sears scoop. I always used 1 level Sears scoop with good results...I wonder if it would be appropriate to use one Sears scoop with the Tide HE. BTW.....I don't like the smell of the Tide HE.......YUK! Unfortunately that is the only powder HE they had at the supermarket here that I went to.

I use about 3-4 T of Tide HE in my FL. Nowhere near what the box recommends. You'll probably have to do some experimenting to see what works best in your machine.

Tracey

Tide HE is the only other powder form sold readily in most stores. The biggest box you can find of it is usually sold at Target, which does 63 loads if you measure by their scoop. There is also 7th Generation and other natural deteregents in powder form that can be found at stores. Then you have the internet where you can purchase a whole multitude of powder detergents for HE machines. Word of warning....the multipurpose powder manufactured by ALL is made for use in HE machines too, but it is terrible stuff.

If you got the Tide HE powder, use no more than a 1/4 cup on a large soiled load, and only a tablespoon on average loads. In fact, you may want to rethink your views of liquid vs. powder all together. I will explain why.

I was just goofing off surfing the web and checking things out. Came upon a website where people were disscussing washer problems; odors, mold, and total malfunctions of machines. Interestingly enough, most of the people were using powder detergents which had built up in machines and had actually eaten away aluminum parts in there machines.

I got curious and did further research and came upon two videos. One was a man whose Kenmore's front loader aluminum spider assembly had pitted and broken from detergent. Another was of a ex repair tech who had developed a special cleaner for washers and he said no more than a table spoon of any detergent should be used to wash the average load of laundry.

I also read another blog by a tech who said that powder detergents can actually shorten the life of a washer as they deteriorate parts faster. He only suggests liquids be used.

Needless to say all of this info got me wondering, so I am currently doing a test on a variety of detergents here at home using an old aluminum baking pan I have. I'll let you all know the results.

happymomof2kids ~

Boy, it's like you can't win for losing. I read, just a few weeks ago, about liquids being the problem with gasket mold and smell on front-load washers. Maybe the problem is that a lot of folks are washing in cold water and the detergent (liquid or powder) just doesn't disolve and causes all sorts of problems.

I always wash in warm at the very least. I use Sears powdered detergent and use 1/2 a scoop. I use hot water for all my whites and it has made a difference.

I will be interested in hearing the outcome of your experiment. You are great to do it and report back.

Robyn

Sorry Happymom, ever since I stopped using liquids my top loader doesn't smell anymore and I didn't even use the full amount. I will use powders for the rest of my life!

I'm not sure how many tablespoons the sears scoop holds........But I washed a load yesterday for the first time since I bought the TIDE HE powder and I used a level Sears scoop....It seemed to work well....I still could smell the perfume smell just a tad... (with sears detergent) I only smelled the clean clothes smell. I always used white vinegar in the rinse. But yeah.......If you're using the recommended amount of TIDE HE.........UGH.......that's way too much. No wonder alot of these people are having problems.

I was a former Liquid Tide HE user and I am certain that was the cause of my problems with build up and that awful smell on our clothes, especially when they changed the formula to the Ultra 2X. It really smelled bad. I was also probably still using too much even though it was less than the recommended amount, but since I have been using Sears HE powder the smell has gone and now our clothes are fresh smelling and rinse clean.

I was also experiencing mold in my old fl Neptune washer, not a lot, but enough to notice. I have also read about the liquid detergents contributing to mold issues. I suppose if you look hard enough, one could find supporting theories on both liquids and powders, but since I have switched to using powder and actually measure the amount I'm using, our laundry has improved tremendously.

Janet

Believe me, I like powders myself. They are usually cheaper per wash and work better. Not to mention they are easier to store, can be stored in just about any temperature where humans live, and easier to clean up if you have a spill. My experiment was more out of curiosity than anything else.

You are all also correct regarding liquids causing more mold. I have done the same research on that myself.

My exdperiment will be done shortly as I am waiting for my last test drop to dry. I'll post what I found out. It was pretty interesting.

Here's what the industry says about the strong points of liquid vs. powder detergents:

"Liquid Detergents  Especially effective on food and greasy and oily soils. They are also good for pretreating spots and stains prior to washing."

"Powder Detergents  Ideal for general wash loads. Powders are especially effective at lifting out clay and ground-in dirt, making them ideal for childrenÂs play clothes."

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.cleaning101.com/laundry/LaundryFSRev.5-10-25-05.pdf

suburbanmd,

Thank you for taking the time to look that up and post the link. It is appreciated.