HE detergent is LOWER suds not suds free. Much depends on your water as to how much suds you will have but its not the only factor.

As for the homemade. Read the back of the Borax and Washing Soda boxes..dont they say to add about a half cup along with your regular detergent to boost your detergent? And the Fels Naptha needs enough used to work up a good lather of at least several inches. So in actuality with such a small amount, only grams of each product it couldn't possibly clean any better than plain water. This formula was used years ago but that was prior to synthetic detergent and at a much much higher dose.

This recipe will cause dingy, clothing with odors it will also cause washer problems. As someone above mentioned it will gum things up...not where you can see but inside where the only way to clean it is to completely tear the washer apart and literally scrape it off. It makes a perfect breeding ground for mold growth.

I'm not trying to put you down I'm stating how it is in hopes you will try to understand. But probably not. All the mommy blogs sing the praises of this stuff but read the reviews a lot of them are not pretty. Do you really think detergent manufactures would pay thousands of dollars to chemical engineers to develope detergents if it was as easy and cheap to toss a few inexpensive otc chemicals together and end up eith something that

cleans clothing.

Sandk when I ask for your recipe I had hopes that a new one hit the WWW, If you reslly want to use the stuff your using than I'd be happy to share what knowledge I have as to how it can be done.

I had a Bosch before I had this Electrolux. I find that there is much more water in the Electrolux than the Bosch, so the comments about not much water in the Electrolux is interesting...(I have the cheapest one though, I think...Not the higher end models.) I only use 1-2 tablespoons of HE detergent...

As stated above, try washing a clean load of clothes (but without adding any detergent) to see if your water is sudsy.

Interesting comment about some suds not necessarily meaning it's not all rinsed. Did not know that, but it makes sense. Kind of.

"You might try washing a load of clean laundry. The test is if you're
using too much detergent you'll see suds when clean laundry is being
washed."

CindyTownsend - is this a new washer for you? You might be overdosing, or it could be old residue in the fabrics. When we got our Miele FL washer, I had lots of detergent residue in everything(!!!) from our old TL water hog. I took some towels from the linen closet, ran a cycle with no detergent, and had six inches of suds. yikes

Our FL requires very little detergent, depending on size of load, how dirty it is, etc. I keep hubby away from the machine because he does not have the patience to figure it all out. And even then, sometimes there are too many suds, if I used 1/2 teaspoon too much. Ugh . . .

When I get too many suds, I empty the washer, run a quick/express wash to flush out the suds, and there is a nice thick layer of suds on that water when I look in. Then I put everything back in there (the load that was just completed with all the suds in rinse cycles) with one or two more dirty items. I run another wash cycle with no detergent. The residual detergent (from all those suds) grabs onto the dirt in those new items and it all goes out by the end of the cycle. Even the newly added clothes smell clean, so I know there was enough residual detergent in that pile of washed laundry.

Running the load over and over with endless rinses just uses up a lot of water and won't get rid of the suds .... in our house, with our water. Completely bizarre.

And you might need to use reeeally low doses of detergents until it all gets washed out. I had to use one teaspoon for a full load, in the beginning. It was crazy. Too much residual detergent in everything, leftover from previous TL washing machine. I had no clue until I got a FL washer. HTH

I echo what everyone is saying...do not use the amount on the he detergent bottle....you only need 3/4 tablespoon at the most for normal loads. My washer has a light on it that tells me when I need to clean my washer....the manual says to run a normal load with 1/3 cup liquid bleach in the dispenser. Fun to watch because it really cleans out all the suds in the washer . In the three years I have had my front load washer, I have never needed to rinse the clothes more than the original cycle.

The amount of detergent needed will be different for everyone. Some things that determines the amount needed is water conditions, load size and soil level just to name a few. Theres often a fine line between too much and not enough. You have to use enough to condition the water and have enough surfactants, and enzymes to do the job but not so much your having a Brady Bunch moment.

To clear the air.

HE detergent is lower sudsing but NOT suds free contrary to what I see a few posters saying.

If you don't use enough detergent not only will your clothing suffer but your washer will as well.

And Sparky gives good advice that liquid detergent gums up the machine. Its fine to use if your also doing some loads in powder....and hot water.

I don't think the point is to run a "load over and over with endless rinses", I think it's to run a cycle with NO detergent and clean clothes, previously washed normally, to see if you're using too much detergent.

Interestingly enough, I saw some suds in a load of laundry this morning during the final rinse, so I dumped a ton of bleach and ran the clean washer cycle. Well, there was literally nothing sudsing. I mean nothing. The faintest bit of clear tiny bubbles that went down immediately in between tumbling back and forth. I'm starting to wonder about suds, if they are actually soap suds or just what happens if you swish water around fast enough because I can make tiny bubbles in plain water.

So OP, maybe run your clean washer cycle and see if there is a lot of sudsing going on. I'm tempted to try and force myself to just turn on the wash, never look, and just let it be. (If only I could really do that.)

Some types of chlorine bleach formulations can generate light sudsing.

3/4 of a tablespoon would *never* be enough detergent for my typical laundry loads. I use 2 to 4 tablespoons of Persil liquid (HE toploader) depending on the load size, and up to SIX tablespoons of Tide w/Bleach HE powder for a max-size load of whites. I don't get oversudsing, and rinses are *clear*.

The only time I've gotten oversudsing is when washing bed pillows ... which technically are a *very small* load because the only fabric involved is the outer case of the pillow ... AND the stuffing of a pillow holds air which (mostly) releases during the washing process and causes a lot of foaming.

I come to this comment thread out of frustration. I've had my Electrolux over five years. I use only a thin film of Tide HE. But I just ran the clean washer cycle as I do everytime it comes on and the tub was so full of suds that they spilled out on the floor and had to be scooped out by the bucket-load. This has been a frustrating machine. I often run a couple of rinse cycles, especially for towels, which never seem rinsed. I'll try some of the suggestions but I just wish this thing worked properly.

Have you tried to just running a wash cycle with hot water and no clothing? It may just have some residual soap that has built up over time. Obviously don't add any soap.

Wyshful, Stop using the liquid/gel detergents and start using powder. Also check your drain hose to make sure only 6 inches of the hose is pushed into the drain. Too many times I see installers push several feet of the hose down the drain and it causes rinsing issues because the hose restricts the drain flow by being in too deep. the result is over sudsing.

When you go to powder throw the cup that come with the box away and get a 2 tablespoon scoop ( This is an 1/8 cup scoop ). use 1 scoop for most clothes and 2 scoops for really muddy clothes.

“I use only a thin film of Tide HE.”

What is a thin film of detergent?

Thanks, Everyone.

To Kevinande, yes, I do run hot water without soap. I have to wonder if I'm actually saving any water. Yesterday, I did three more cycles with vinegar -- a recommendation from the company -- and there was still some soap in the tub.

To Jakvis, I will give your suggestion a try. I have a stacked washer/dryer so will need to get some heavy lifters to check on the drain. You may be right about that being an issue. Will try your soap recommendations.

To Cavimum, by "thin film" I meant probably only a tablespoon or two -- just enough to cover the bottom of the soap container in the washer.

Again, I appreciate the comments.

Thnx for explaining "thin film".

Generally, one tablespoon is the most I use for a load of laundry. We are just two people and I rarely fill our 4.-something cu. ft. washer more than halfway or 2/3 full.

Detergent dosing is like Roulette, mentally gauging load size, soil level, water hard/soft-ness of the season, and detergent dose. There is no one-size-dose-fits-all, for us. Just a half-teaspoon too much detergent causes sudsapalooza. Our FL uses very little water, but things rinse out well when I hit that sweet spot of detergent dosing. And I finally figured out which cycle and rinse options to get four rinses.

I didn't have this drama with our old style TL washer, but I also didn't know poorly it rinsed laundry, until I saw how loaded up with detergent residue all our clothing and towels were, when we got a FL washer.

BTW, towels are the worst. They take less detergent than we think they need. The other day, I washed two bath towels, four hand towels, and a heavy cotton bath mat. Bath mat had not been washed in weeks. Again, dosing roulette. I only used 1/2 Tablespoon of All F/C powder and 1/4 tsp of STPP, four rinses, and I still had a bit of suds in the final rinse. Our water is rated at "moderately hard". So I ran a separate Rinse cycle, which fills up the drum twice before spinning out.

Any type detergent residue now makes my skin crazy, so it has to be gone.

Towels were also the worst offenders when we got our FL washer. I finally ran them on a cycle with no detergent. and had six inches of suds inside. The old TL had left that much residue. And I followed dosing instructions on the detergent packaging for decades (ha!) because that was all I knew. Then I found this forum and got a good education on laundry 101.

I do remember our first load in the Duet after using our Direct Drive for about a year. Suds galore in the main wash even using minimal HE detergent. I never felt like our Kenmore DD rinsed well. We frequently are given compliments on how soft our towels are. I attribute this purely to extra rinses.

wyshful, does your particular Electrolux machine have the option for increasing the water level, or is yours an IQ Touch?

doreycrouse -- I never checked for this option. Thanks for the suggestion. But I have given sometimes several extra rinses. I've received a lot of good suggestions on this conversation thread.

Electrolux and the models that they make for Frigidaire and Kenmore have a lawsuit going against them because they have manufacturing defect that Electrolux would cover up when customers would call their customer service line and question them the whole thing about them not rinsing properly know they don't rinse properly that's what the lawsuit is about please Google Electrolux Kenmore Frigidaire front loader washer lawsuit and join in there is still time to get your money back they sold you junk and they knew it and then they tried to cover it up

I just bought a new set of Electrolux machines. Because of all the cautions about them on different websites, I'm a little apprehensive about how well they work and the problems with mold. But they were the only set that fit my space with enough capacity for my king size comforters and a reversible door. So far, I really like them.

But, because of the issue (stated here, but not my experience yet) of low volume of rinse water, I have been washing most loads using the 15 minute quick wash and then running it again, so I get 3 actual rinses in a very short time. My clothes are seldom very dirty. So far, so good.

My Electrolux front loading washer, it just doesn't know how to get the suds out. With a lot of experimentation, I have found that after the first two dots, or 20 minutes have expired, I canceled the load and restart it. It adds more water without draining first, and this is helping to combat the lack of water issue. I have been watching washing machines go through the cycles for the last 60 years. Their engineering departments need to throw in water spraying on the clothes during the spin cycle. It would help to flush everything out. Just like back in the early 60s. I was like a cat watching a mouse hole. I love to watch the cycles. I am a laundry freak.

I agree with you HU-85391998124.

Every washer manufacturer (if they were smart) should by default have at least one spray rinse spin and aways include a Pre-Wash option for each cycle.

Trust me on this:

Get a top load Speed Queen and die happy, and in CLEAN clothes. With more water, more everything, and zero trouble. Are they fancy? No. Do they come in colors? No

They wash your clothes , really well, and are trouble FREE.

Though my machine is only 6 months old, I have started looking into the top loaders. Several friends swear by their top loaders and are claiming no soap residues. I will look at Speed queen as well.

Thank you guys for your comments. I'm going to check out that lawsuit. I had the same thing happen to me on the phone with them. you guys are awesome

"Get a top load Speed Queen and die happy, and in CLEAN clothes."

Not everyone has space for a top loader. Many laundry rooms (or closets) only allow space for front loaders.

No this isnt normal. i have the same problem with my Electrolux front load washer. This problem only started recently, after 3+ years of usage. I have observed the entire washing cycles of the various washing modes, and i noticed that everytime the washing gets towards the end of the Rinse cycle, it suddenly gets very soapy/foamy again, as if washing just began all over again. Before this happens, the rinse cycle just before, had already cleared/rinsed away almost all of the suds. I am certain that there is a problem with the programming - the last cycle of rinse becomes a wash cycle, in that the washing machine releases the detergent from where it stores the detergent where it ultramixed, when it shouldnt Be doing this in a rinse cycle.

Where do you figure the machine is storing a supply of detergent? Is there info in your operating instruction book that references a storage reservoir?

No this isnt normal. i have the same problem with my Electrolux front load washer. This problem only started recently, after 3+ years of usage. I have observed the entire washing cycles of the various washing modes, and i noticed that everytime the washing gets towards the end of the Rinse cycle, it suddenly gets very soapy/foamy again, as if washing just began all over again. Before this happens, the rinse cycle just before, had already cleared/rinsed away almost all of the suds. I am certain that there is a problem with the programming - the last cycle of rinse becomes a wash cycle, in that the washing machine releases the detergent from where it stores the detergent where it ultramixed, when it shouldnt Be doing this in a rinse cycle.

What is happening with last rinse is TRUE 100%. The last rinse does mix any fabric softener if used thus even without that any soap residues still in chamber get released. I had the 617 for 5 years before my Miele. I absolutely hated the machine beyond belief. Too little water, horrible rinsing. All I can say is use as little detergent you can. Stay away from liquids and pods. Towels and denims use 1 tbsp powdered HE detergent no more. 2-3 TBSP for other loads. Always do another rinse and spin for every load. Also one thing to note is the Electrolux does not completely drain the washer between rinses. The drain time is ridiculous! Let alone no spin between rinses on most cycles.

top loaders use more water and are harder on clothes.

as for detergent: don't use the fill lines on the dispenser tray as a guide. look at the instructions on the package. some detergents are more concentrated than others. I wind up only using about a tablespoon of mine. also check to see whether it's for cold water or not - some types are made to work better in cold. as soon as I figured all that out, there were no longer residual suds on my glass. besides you really don't need much detergent for regular weekly washes. if my stuff is super dirty, I pretreat or add oxy bleach or vinegar. it rinses way easier than soap, and will help get some of the buildup out of the machine while you're at it. (too much soap and softener can build up in the machine and contribute to a smelly washer or funky towels.)

you also don't really need fabric softener. I stopped using it years ago, not even dryer balls. my clothes look and feel exactly the same as before. if you have trouble with static, dry for less time.

I hated my Electrolux as well. Got rid of it after 4 1/2 years. I gave up. I think the rinsing on the machine is garbage. You can't use enough detergent to get the clothes clean without oversudsing. I sat watching the cycle many times. It seemed like it rinsed with sudsy water. Almost like it takes the same sudsy water each times and cycles it back through for the rinses. I ended up with biofilm/stink on my clothing. Took taking the machine apart to realize it was the clothes that stunk when they got wet and not the machine. I told this story several times on here. You can read it here:

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/6191793/new-washer-and-dryer-recommendations#n=8

I wrote above that I have a new Electrolux machine and so far am really happy with it, tho' I am still apprehensive about the problems others report. The machine has a 'clean machine' cycle that has a reminder which lights up when it's time to clean it. Recently, I ran that cycle for the 2nd time since I've had the machine. You pour a cup of chlorine bleach in the detergent dispenser and turn on the clean machine cycle. I noticed that the machine was filled with suds (even tho' I'd not added any detergent) and was agitating (but without an agitator, don't know what else to call it) much more vigorously than when washing clothes. So I think the 'clean machine' cycle really cleans the guts of the machine to keep any mold issues at bay. My clothes get perfectly clean with no odors. I'll just keep cleaning it when reminded and hope for the best.

Olychick there was tub clean cycle on my machine too. I used affesh tabs monthly. My issue had nothing to do with the cleanliness of the machine. My machine seemed great in the beginning. The problem built up over time. You couldn't smell anything when the clothes were dry. It was when they got wet that it activated the bio stink.

Those with SmartBoost here is a link on proper cleaning, beyond the clean cycle!

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6154975/share-how-to-clean-electrolux-smart-boost-washers#n=0

If you clean your Electrolux in the above manner you will not have mold or smell issues. vinmarks I suspect that the SmartBoost chamber and spray nozzle was your odor issue.

Mark, I couldn't tell from your instructions - do you use your method to clean in lieu of the regular 'clean machine' instruction or in addition to that? And you're saying to add the bleach while the machine has already started to fill - to the soap dispenser, right? Thanks for posting this. I'm willing to do whatever to not get a funk smell...I'm kind of a super smeller, lol, and it would drive me crazy if it developed.

@Olychick,

Some bleach formulations can generate some sudsing. Those that are splashless, scented, or stated as for cleaning or stain removal not for disinfecting may exhibit the behavior.

Mark the washer did not smell at all. I opened up and I smelled every single part of that machine. Undid hoses, smelled the pumps etc. The smell was in the clothing. Towels were completely fine. Sheets were completely fine. The smell only came when I washed clothing. When I got my new machine I still got the smell when washing clothing because the bio stink was in the clothes. I had to wash all our laundry multiple times on sanitize cycle with ammonia to finally get the smell out.

I used clean cycle followed by whitest whites. For clean cycle add bleach in detergent dispenser left side without insert as it fills. This avoids the drain at beginning of cycle start.

Follow with whitest whites same way. Pour in bleach right at fill so it gets into chamber. I suggest heavy soil to maximize a hot heating cycle.

I notice some materials the clothes stink. So I don’t think it’s the washer it’s material used in some clothing. Awful

dadoes, it was sanitizing bleach...all that I buy.

If it were the material of the clothing they would still stink in my LG washer and they do not.

@dadoes i gathered there is a ultramix storage area in the washer from some youtube videos eg https://youtu.be/Qcw_II74PBw

@Mark now even my Rinse & Spin setting is haywire. It releases the ultramixed detergent at every rinse! I’m so mad!

Have had our Electrolux machines since 2017. Soap isn’t rinsing out. Washing towels as many as 6 times without detergent (Liquid Tide. Persil will not rinse out, period). powdered soap didn’t do anything but clump up in tray. didnt dissolve on clothes. What a mess. Very disappointing. Looking at speed queen. Whoever designed the supposed low water usage machines need to think again.

Percil is horrible I tried it too. Awful once I went back to tide all was alright again

How I agree. I've had my Electrolux since 2015. On the advice of others, I got down to using only 1 tablespoon of liquid detergent (Tide or Woolite). After two so-called "fresh rinses, I still often rinse the towels in the sink because they are so full of soap. Even adding Downy doesn't get rid of the sour smell. I doubt very much that I'm saving water with all of the extra rinsing.