OT Maybe, maybe not HE detergent in an non-HE washer

[Art Todesco]

Just replaced my less than 3 YO GE HE front loader with a new top loader, also GE. The old front loader was a disaster. We virtually washed everything twice, the 2nd time with no detergent in order to get the cloths rinsed ... both times selecting the extra rinse. Still the clothes didn't come clean at times and sometimes, there was still soap left in them. I was a little concerned about getting another GE, but the salesman did his job and convinced us to buy the GE. I also like that GE is made in KY ... used to be made across the street from my boyhood home in Cicero, IL. Anyway, a few years ago you could easily get non HE detergent. Now, it is almost all marked HE. The recommended amounts are now lower than the old non HE stuff was. Now, if you put this small amount of detergent in a washer that uses, lets say 6 times the amount of water (that's a guess), then the detergent will be 6 times or more diluted. So, do you use 6 times as much? At 6 times the cost? Ah that's what makes the high efficiency once cheaper to run (sorry, for the sarcasm). Everywhere you look (google), they say to just use the HE stuff in the non HE machines. However, nobody addresses the dilution question. Any ideas here? I think I will call GE and ask them also.

[recyclebinned]

What you should have done is gone to your nearest Laundromat, made note of the make and model of the machines that they use and bought the same one. You would be amazed as to how little price difference there is with what the department stores sell.

[Robert Neville]

First off - HE is a marketing term for what used to be sold as low sudsing detergent, which used to be the standard formula. IIRC Tide was one of the first high sudsing detergents to come out, and a lot of people didn't like the overflowing suds it created.The marketing types needed to draw a distinction between the two - so you used to get a choice: high suds or low suds.

The suds have nothing to do with how good a detergent is, but calling it low anything wouldn't sell nearly as well, so now we get "High Efficiency".

The new washers use far less water - and by law the new top loaders aren't allowed to use any more water than front loaders, so best not be putting 6 times the amount of detergent in them.

[Duesenberg]

Surprised that you were disappointed with your GE front loader.

We've had a GE front load 4 cu ft washer for over 2 years now and have been very happy with it's performance.

Wash times are long with it, typically one hour at our preferred settings, otherwise it's been everything it promised to be and my wife and I are very glad we purchased it. We average one load per day in our household...

[Art Todesco]

Actually, not exactly true. The new top load washers that don't have an agitator are really just front loaders on its side. So yes on that account. However, the ones with agitators use lots of water. Maybe not like you mother's machine, but they to fill the tub and the clothes to slosh around. In my case, if I let the machine weigh and fill, the tub will not fill as much as if I manually select a setting, like small load, medium, large, super, etc. In this case, it will fill to a certain level regardless of what's in the tub. My understanding is that, in the future (don't know when), they will only be the ones without agitators and very low water.

[Robert Neville]

Not very well, according to all accounts. But the rules don't specify water use by machine type. They specify water use period.

[harryagain]

I have a Miele machine. Dunno if they are available in the US. Made in Germany. It has run faultlessly for twenty years. The automatic controls can be overridden if you don't like what it's doing.

[Ashton Crusher]

that link provided no substantiation that there is any law that requires a limited amount of water use. It just talks about what the standards are for being 'energy certified'. I tried to find something on google about a LAW requiring a limited usage of water and couldn't find anything. And the link you provided said 80% of the energy was for heating the water so if someone simply washed in cold water they could use more water and still be more energy efficient then someone with a HE machine. If there is an actual law to cite I'd like to see it.

[clare]

Bought samsung 3 years ago - cold-cold, normal rinse, and never an issue. Using Tide Compact.