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Your
front load clothes washing machine only uses about 25% of the water that would be used
by a top-loading machine. This is a significant saving and
probably one of the reasons you switched to a front loader.
Unfortunately, it has also led to misunderstanding
and confusion by consumers because manufacturers are not explaining the idiosyncrasies
of these machines. Additionally, consumers are not educating
themselves about their new style washer and the methods necessary to obtain a good quality wash.
Most people are simply assuming that the methods used in their
previous washer will apply. Therefore we offer the following article to explain the four most
common misunderstandings.
1...
Detergent Type
Due to the
machines
tumbling action a front load washing machine needs special detergent
called high efficiency (h-e) detergent. It’s a low suds detergent
that is
necessary to allow a front loading washer to operate properly. When buying detergent
look for the letters 'h' and 'e' inside a circle, it’s the universal
logo for this type of detergent. Don’t
be tempted to use standard laundry detergent because it’s less
expensive. Using the wrong detergent can result
not only in a poor quality wash but also, detergent left
in clothing fibers, water leakage, bad odors, mildew, and unnecessary strain upon the
machine. Using standard laundry detergent in a front loader will
be a decision that can come back to haunt you.
2 ... Detergent Quantity
How much detergent is required by a front loading washer? A good place to start is how
much you used in your previous top-loader, and then half or
quarter that amount. If after a couple of loads of washing
you're satisfied the clothes were cleaned then lower
the quantity of detergent used still further. Try a
quarter of a cup or less for the next few loads. Many
of our customers who use liquid detergent report that they only
use a tablespoon of detergent per wash.
Most front loaders come
with a detergent dispensing drawer where your laundry detergent,
fabric softener, or bleach is inserted prior to starting the
cycle. Look inside the dispenser cups for a mark or line
indicating a suggested amount to use. But even with these
guidelines many consumers continue to grossly overfill the
detergent dispenser. This is usually because consumers simply can't believe how little detergent
a front load washing machine uses. The detergent level markings seem so low
many people think they are incorrect, or not to be taken
seriously. They unwisely assume that such a small
amount of detergent will result in a poor wash – this is
untrue.
Additional confusion can result when comparing the amount
indicated in the detergent dispenser with the
recommendations on the detergent box. What many people don't
understand is that the box recommendations are general suggestions only.
Suggestions that must encompass all makes and types of washing machine, all load
types, all load sizes, fabric type, water
temperatures, and the waters mineral content. The suggestions on
the detergent box are
in no way specific to front-loading washers, nor your particular
needs. Even your
water
hardness affects the amount of detergent required. While
harder
water requires more detergent per load, a softer water needs
less detergent per load. Additionally,
detergent type affects the
quantity needed per load. For example, since liquid detergents are
more
concentrated they require less per
load than a powder type.
3
... Fabric Softener
Again, because of the small
amount of water used by a front loader the amount of fabric softener
required per load must be lowered significantly. In fact, it
should
never be used full strength in a front-loading washer. Don't be tempted to pour it directly from its
container into the fabric softener dispenser cup. Instead, the
fabric softener must to be diluted with water before being added to
the machine. A dilution ratio of 7 to 1 is suggested. That is: Seven parts of water
to every one part of fabric softener. The easiest way to do this is to
mix it in an alternate storage container. Something such as an old (clean)
wide-mouthed juice container with a screw cap works well. Add one
cup of fabric softener to the container followed by seven cups of
water, secure the lid, and shake the bottle to mix. This will provide you with enough of the
proper mixture for about fifty loads of washing.
4 ... Water Temperature
Lastly, we suggest
avoiding cold-water wash unless you are washing lingerie or
delicate items. This is because the combination of low water volume and
cold
water during the wash section of the cycle may not wash away all the detergent from the clothing
fibers. This can result in your clothes taking on a prematurely dull or
worn appearance.
Cold-water washing can also result in a deposit of detergent,
fabric softener, and debris between the tubs that results in the
production of very bad odors. Odors that may get so
strong that they will even impregnate the clothes. Note, we said cold water ‘wash’
-- not cold water rinse. Therefore, a hot wash followed by a cold rinse cycle
is acceptable. Or a
warm wash followed by a cold rinse is also okay. It’s only the cold wash and cold
rinse combination that should be avoided. A worst-case scenario is
when consumers combine a lot of cold water washing with excessive use of detergent,
followed by full strength fabric softener. This can result in the machine starting to produce a
mildew odor that will be almost impossible to eliminate.
Therefore as has been shown above even
though the front
loading clothes washer is an amazingly efficient piece of machinery it's one
that requires a slight adjustment in your way of washing. But in
my opinion they are definitely worth the rethink. Putting into
action the above methods will allow you to use
this machine to its maximum, resulting not only in clean and
sparkling clothes but at a substantial cost saving to you and your
family.
By Donald Grummett
Copyright © 2009 Donald Grummett. All rights
reserved
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