4 Rules to Make your Front Load Washer Work Better

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's also leading to misunderstanding and confusion by consumers who are not being fully educated about the proper use of a front loading washing machine.  Manufacturers could alleviate much of the confusion, and consequently help their customers, by simply explaining the idiosyncrasies of these machines and the methods owners must use to obtain a good quality wash. Informing customers about the most important requirements and how they relate to the low waster consumption of a front load washing machine would correct much misinformation. It is for these reasons that we offer the following article and explaining the four most common misunderstandings. They  are: Detergent type, detergent quantity, fabric softener, and water temperature. 

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 necessary for proper operation. 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 odours, 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.

How much detergent should you use? A good place to start is how much you used in your previous top-loader, and then half or quarter that amount. So if your old top-loader needed a cup of detergent to do a good wash then only use a half-cup of detergent in your new front-loader. If after a couple of loads of washing you're satisfied the clothes were cleaned then lower the amount of detergent used still further. Try a quarter of a cup or less for the next few loads. 

Most front loaders come with a detergent dispensing system built into the console. The minimum and maximum amount of detergent suggested will be indicated inside the detergent dispenser cups. 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. Therefore, because 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 indicated on the detergent box. What many people don't understand is that the box recommendations are general suggestions only. Suggestions that encompass all makes and types of washing machine, all load types, all load sizes, dirt levels, 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 local water hardness affects the amount of detergent required.  Hard water needs more detergent to be used per load while softer water needs less detergent. Even the style of detergent used will affect the quantity required. For instance, liquid detergents tends to be more concentrated than powdered, so when using liquid you may want to lower the amount per load even further.  

How much fabric softener should you use? 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, the fabric softener should never be used full strength. Don't be tempted to pour it directly from its container into the fabric softener dispenser cup. Instead, the fabric softener should 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, then shake the bottle to mix. This will provide you with enough of the proper mixture for about fifty loads of washing.  

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 resulting in your clothes taking on a prematurely dull or worn appearance. Cold-water washing can also result in a thin deposit of detergent and fabric softener inside the outer tub of the machine. This can cause a buildup of debris between the tubs that results in the washing machine producing very bad odours. Odours 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 and 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 stale or mildew odor that will be almost impossible to eliminate.

Therefore as has been shown above even though the front loading clothes washer is a fantastically 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

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