HE Washer-what to Use

Love love love Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day detergent and fabric softener. They work great in my HE machines (I barely use any product), are environmentally safe (made from plants instead of petroleum oil byproducts), and REALLY get baby/kid stains out (especially love their stain treatments).

I buy mine in bulk from Amazon.com (subscribe and save program saves an additional 15% off bulk price with free shipping).

PS-I used to use 7th Generation like another of the responses, and it cleans great, but I think Mrs. Meyers is even better on stains.

I have had my HE washer for about 2 years and love it! We use ALL HE, and they even have a ALL Free and Clear for HE, just look for the HE on the corner of the bottle!

All has an HE soap. when we switched to HE I switched to the HE All because I have sensitive skin and needed an HE one that didn't have any dyes in it. My sis. recommended and we have been really happy. so you shouldn't have to change your brand, just get the HE version.

If you are a member of Costco, they have a very gentle HE degtergent that is in their line of "Environmentally Friendly" products. My skin is super sensitive, and I have had no problems with it at all. It is pretty inexpensive, too.

Country Save. $14 for 80 loads at Vitamin Cottage.

Hi there...

The only detergent that I have seen for sensitive skin for HE washer was the new Purex all in ones...its the little sheets that have the detergent, softener and dryer sheet all in one. I saw them at Kohlers (if you live in the Lehi or Highland area you'll know where I'm talking about) but I'm sure they have them at Wal-Mart. There was one with out any dyes or perfumes. A box of 20 of them was about $6 but there are some coupons if you can find them.

I have used All in my HE washer. I just have to watch the amount I put in. It took 2-3 times to figure out how much to use (maybe half the amount). I would watch the rinse process (if you can see the drain tube) and make sure it's not foaming with excess suds. If it is, you can always do a rinse cycle to get the excess out of your clothes. You can also hear the bubbles in the clothing as you pull them out of the washer.

I use All-free in my HE washer now - just make sure that whatever brand you use, it has to say HE on the package.

You can continue to use ALL, just buy the one that says HE.

My two children and I have sensitive skin. I use MelaPower, which you can buy online. It's great because it's natural based, with no harsh chemicals or fillers! Just drop me a line if you'd like to know more! I hope you find advice that works for you!

Tricia
www.mamas2mamas.com

They mall ALL in HE - I use Free & Clear when I use All.
Mostly I use Vaska - you cna find it online.

Costco has an environmentally friendly kind and a free and clear kind that are both usable in HE washers.

I have 3 gross boys & a soldier to clean clothes for. I've started using ALL instead of Tide because of the cost. I'm pretty sure I saw HE All Free & Clear at Walmart. A lot of detergents are going scent & extras-free, at least in the stores around me anyway.

I don't have an HE washer but do have very sensitive skin as does my youngest (to the point that we cloth diaper because of it). I use MelaPower by Melaleuca for most of my laundry. It does come in an HE variety. For my diapers I use 7th generation or did till they quite carrying the citrus scent I like in my stores-and they do have an he version as well in both powder and liquid. I really like Soap Nuts-they are so low suddsing that you have to squeeze the bag to get any suds at all plus it can be used for wool or silk. I get the 7th generation and the Soap Nuts at a local health food store but I know you can order the soap nuts online as well.
I think I have seen that All does make an HE version most major brands are starting to in order to keep their customers-if not save it for when you need to take the load of sleeping bags to the triple washers at the laundry mat or for doing your hand laundry.

T.
edited to add I found this great link that is actually for cloth diaper detergent but it has which ones have Enzymes Enzymes: Enzymes attack organic matter and help dissolve stains when activated with water or moisture. Sweat, urine, and feces are all organic matter so there is a risk that these substances that are lingering on baby's skin will be a target for these enzymes. In particularly sensitive children, these enzymes can cause blistering, bleeding, sores and rashes. Fragrances and Dyes: These are harsh and unnecessary chemicals for a baby's laundry. It is best to avoid them. Artificial fragrances are often made from petroleum. Many do not degrade in the environment, and may have toxic effects on both fish and mammals. Additionally, they often can cause allergies and skin or eye irritation. Optical Brighteners: These are actually tiny particles that stick to the surface of your clothes after washing. These particles make colors appear to be brighter by absorbing invisible ultraviolet light and re-emitting it as blue light. If you want to see if your detergent has these brighteners, simply look at the detergent under a black light. Although these optical brighteners may make your clothes appear brighter, they are chemical residues that are intentionally left behind on your clothes and may cause skin irritation or other allergic reactions.
taken from http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

http://www.amazon.com/All-Concentrated-Detergent-Efficien...

My kids have really sensitive skin too. I use the perfume and dye free Tide HE. I think my HE washer does a much better job at getting the clothes clean which I think helps out with the skin issues too.

Mela-Power HE from Melaleuca - its PH-balanced, super gentle because its chemical-free, works AMAZING, and costs only 14 cents per use. Message me is you would like to get some.

Hi M.,

We use Shaklee laundry detergent for sensitive skin with our HE washer.

L.

I use 7th Generation. The plant-based detergents are easier on my skin than the petroleum based detergents.

I use regular tide for HE washers, but they make a Tide-free (it's in the white bottle) for HE washers too. I used that when my daughter was a newborn and it worked great -- no stains and no skin issues.
You might want to get the smallest size of a few kinds to try them out -- with sensitive skin in your family you don't want to get stuck with a big container that you can't use.