Wondering if anyone out there has a high efficiency washer? I have had one for almost a year, and i realized it is as important as they say it is to use the HE detergent! but they dont make oxiclean HE or anything like that. I will also be having another child soon and will need to start using Dreft, but I dont want the clothes to come out messed up and I dont want to ruin the washer. Anyone know of alternatives?
Thanks for all your responses, ladies! Now for the kicker: that piece of crap washer broke on me this morning...yes thats right, one month after the warranty was up. No idea what happened, lights were flashing and it made a broken noise, you know, that noise when something is broken and you know it...and i was blessed to have water gush out of the front loader without my knowledge of there being water n there. We took out what ever water was left in there by letting it spill into a large bucket. Currently my clothes are on a spin cycle at mom's.
We have a HE washer. We use All Free And Clear HE. We have a 7 week old and have used only the ALL which is also what we use and have had no problems. Plus the ALL actually gets stains out of things whereas the Dreft left the tough ones behind.
My husband and I both have sensitive skin and have had no issues with the All Free and Clear - no perfumes or dyes...
I know we tried to get together before...but we never did connect. I can let you know of some alternatives you can use that will save you some money. You won't have to use a seperate detergent for your children's clothes and yours. you can email me at ____@____.com because i sometimes forget to get onto mamasource to check my messages. been really busy lately! yikes!!!
J.
I have been using an HE washer for several years, and I have used HE detergent and regular - probably in every commercially available brand to see what works well with our water to clean our clothes at the least expensive cost.
You CAN use regular detergents and additives, but you need to reduce the amount (as other folks have stated). I usually adjust by half. Our water is rather hard, so I gave up on powders because they do not seem to dissolve completely - with the exception of oxi-type cleaners (you can use generic brands and they work just fine) and Biz. I usually add these directly into the load (sprinkling it around) before I start the cycle.
It is also true that Dreft and Ivory detergents are not really necessary for babies unless your family has a history of skin sensitivities. Most products are safe and gentile enough for infants and my pediatrician has backed this up.
My family does have skin sensitivities, so I used Dreft for my first child. When I learned more about detergents, I tried my regular detergent on my second child's clothes and we had no problem. I did a test for the 3rd, too (just to be safe), and again no problem. It sure was nice not to have to separate and run a small load in my big HE for the infant clothes anymore.
I come from a family of 8 kids with 7 of us owning HE washers now, and we all use the oxy-type additives and regular detergent
(unless HE is on sale)- with no problem.
So, my recommendation - stick with what you want to use, just reduce your amount by 1/2 for non-he detergent of what you would regularly use, otherwise, watch for sales.
We've had our front-loader for aout 5 years now and love it! You *can* use regular detergent but you have to use WAY less than normal washers and you have to run an empty washer (no clothes or dtergent) once in a while to clear out excess residue. A PAIN...so we use the Sears brand HE powder and really like it. I think they make one with oxiclean, too (not sure). Tide also makes and HE liquid but it's ezxpensive and hard to find. Our sears detergent...about $16 bucks for a huge tub that lasts us at least a year!
BTW, we still use Dreft for our son's stuff...just use less than you would in a regular machine...I use about 1/2 to 2/3 the amount and it's been working just fine. Another good thing...Downy FREE fabric softener(the unscented stuff); it leaves less residue.
You don't need to use dreft on the baby clothes -- it's just a marketing scheme. I'd use one of the "free and clear" (e.g. no scent, no dye) HE detergents.
And yes, as the others have said, you can use regular detergent, but just less of it, in a HE washer in a pinch.
hey i havent had any problems with my high efficiency washer and not using HE detergent. i have the same problem with not having as many options in the detergent department. the only problem is the suds when not using he detergernt. to fix that problem i use less of the reg. detergent. to get away from the suds. it works fine. just make sure to run the santiary cycle once a week or so. i use the cold water detergent in my right now and havent had a problem. good luck. you may also want to call the maker of the washer and see if they have sugs. for you
Hi A.,
I have a high efficiency washer too and I use a terrific detergent called MelaPower that is both safe for the machine as well as for the environment. Also, it is phenominal for babies, sensitive skin, etc. It has no harsh chemicals or additives like many on the market today (including Dreft). Email me at ____@____.com and I'll share more with you.
Actually have you tried contacting the companies via e-mail to see if they have or will have an HE alternative? All the products have either a 1 800 number or website on the package now. Also try contacting the maker of your washer for the same question they may be able to direct you to the proper products or people to contact. Oh and as a side note several other companies have come out with Baby laundry products that are as good as if not better than Dreft some of them maybe suitable for your machine.
Hope this helps and congrats on the new little one and your voyage into toddlerhood!
J.
all other detergent except for HE will create lots and lots of bubbles. mine makes this beep after it's done washing the clothes to let me know the detergent is not completely out of clothes so sometimes i have to run it twice.
but using less detergent has helped sometimes while iw as using dreft. not always just sometimes.
good luck
vlora
