Come on, I didn't say use any particular minimum, I said use the minimum needed, and no more. The minimum amount required varies according to load size, product, water chem. and temp, and soil load. No matter how much you use, if you get in the habit of over-dosing for your situation, you'll get into difficulties. I happen to use a very small dose of regular (non-HE) Cheer powder in my 5kg Euro FLs: just about 1 1/2 tablespoons (slightly less than one of those green Charlie's scoops - I like the scoops better than the product, but that's another story). I use somewhat more when my stuff is particularly grungy (animal, garden or woodlot dirt). My water is naturally quite soft (spring water). My cleaning is excellent, otherwise I would use whatever additional level of product needed to achieve the results I require. I am certainly not prescribing this level of product for anyone else. All I am trying to do is point out that for some people radical reductions in the "normal" dosage may be perfectly acceptable. Cleaning results always depend on the interaction among soil load, product selection and quantity, time, temperature of wash water and vigor of agitation. I do tend to use hotter water than many people do, partly because I can, but mostly because most of my fabrics can withstand hotter temps. My older Miele and Asko are default long-cycle machines, so my time is longer than many people would have and my water is particularly fine. Perhaps those are the major keys to my success. YMMV, but I've had my FLs for going on two decades with this regimen. I would have noticed, by now, if it was creating problems. The detergent questions often comes up with new FL users who are having trouble adjusting from their old habits. Top loaders are much more forgiving of too much product, in my experience. (The reason for that is that TLs use so much more water, any excess is diluted out of harmfulness.) Many people are pretty casual about dumping stuff in and figure if a little is good, then more is better. You'll get in big trouble with most FLs if you continue on that path, no matter which product you choose. Apparently I am getting near-perfect suspension of the dirt in the wash liquor since I always get soft, clean clothes and have no build-up in my washers. I think everybody should start with set dosing (package suggested dosing is a fine place to start) and evaluate in situ. If you get good results, then see what somewhat less will do. If results degrade, increase back up. If it's still fine, then try another drop. You have to measure consistently for this plan to work. The less detergent we use, the better for the Earth. And you may find you can save some bucks, as well. L

That sounds like what I have happen - I think it's that MrHunzi makes the loads large sometimes, and the FS dispenses (automatically) but doesn't have much room to spread around. We use Kirkland detergent (but I do have some Mexican Ariel!) and I have oxi powder, and chlorine bleach, and we've been using Kirkland FS - I'm allergic to something in dryer sheets so none of those for us.

Julie Cheer liquid is bad smelling I agree..try the powder if you get a chance its much better, has an old fashioned detergent scent. The Persil Pearls are tremendously good..use them with real hot water and whites will SCREAM. I'd keep it awsy from darks and colors...also have you tried Persil Power Caps? They are awesome, clean very well and the scent IMO is strong, but I LOVE IT and I'm not really into scents as much as some are. I seen you used Pearls with Oxy stain remover..do you mean Oxyclean the booster?? Anywho Glad to have you onboard.

Original dawn dish detergent (non-concentrated) can be a great way to "strip" items. In cloth diapering world, this is an extremely popular and effective way to de-funk microfiber diapers. 1tsp / load and I believe best for top loading machines. Someone above mentioned this method, so I thought I'd chime in on that. I came to this link with the same problem- having trouble getting funky smells out of laundry (especially synthetic fibers) when using unscented detergent. I do recommend a product called, Bac Out. The brand has many items, but their concentrated enzymatic cleaner is what I've always used for urinated items (kids live here). It works well for funky workout wear but it's just too expensive to use every day. For those without a large household, or perhaps a higher disposable income, I would highly recommend this product. You can find it at health food stores and, at times, your local grocer. It can be very pricey via Amazon, though, beware. For those using the old vinegar standby, can you elaborate on how much you use and how you use it for your poly workout wear? Are you just pouring a splash into the rinse cycle, or measuring out a certain amount and using specific water temps, etc.? Anyone have a negative reaction to using Borax? When I cloth diapered there were many people warning of Borax burns etc. I didn't use it due to many people claiming that it was dangerous. I'm also not a huge fan of powders because when used with hot water, I feel like I'm inhaling dangerous chemicals.