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Why Front Load Washers need HE Detergent

   Man with Laundry

Since the introduction of the front-loading washing machine into the North American market their sales have literally exploded. Like most people, you probably bought one because of the suggested savings.  When operated properly you can save energy, water, and money. Plus they do a fabulous job of washing your clothes. But, using the wrong laundry detergent can quickly destroy any hopes of savings.

Your front load washing machine requires a type of detergent called HE (High Efficiency) detergent. Made specifically for front-loading clothes washers, it's a type of detergent that washes your clothes while producing very small amounts of suds. These non-suds properties are necessary for your front load washer to clean properly. Unfortunately, we have become so use to seeing suds in our older types of washing machines that we mistakenly relate their presence to proper operation. Nothing could be farther from the truth.   

While we are all familiar with the old top loader method of immersing clothes into a large tub of water, a front-loading washer uses a very unique method of operation. Rather than immerse them a front loader simply passes the clothes through the wash water. Inside the drum the clothes are picked up by the vanes, lifted to the top, and then dropped into the water laying at the bottom. This process continues during every revolution. It's the continuous impacting of clothes and water that dislodges any dirt from the clothing fibers. To further help with the cleaning action the wash water is replaced numerous times during each cycle. All these actions allow a method of cleaning that is both simple and dependable. But this highly efficient wash method will stop working if the wrong laundry detergent is used by the homeowner. Hence, we come to the basic idea of this article. 

Using regular laundry detergent (crystal or liquid) in your front-loading washer will have one major consequence -- it will produce excess suds. Even a small amount of regular laundry detergent will result in a big fluffy cushion of suds being produced at the bottom of the wash drum. A cushion of suds that lies on top of the water and impedes the clothes from reaching the wash water. Even though the clothes continue to tumble they hit the suds cushion, rather than the water, resulting in a very poor wash. So if you have been using regular laundry detergent in your front-loading washer stop using it immediately. Even owners of front loaders who are using HE detergent can misunderstand how to use it properly. Again they incorrectly assume that they should see lots of suds to get a proper cleaning action. Not seeing any they continue to add increasingly excessive amounts of detergent until suds finally appear. The result is a poor wash. 

Too much suds, whether from using the wrong detergent or too much of the correct type, can even result in serious damage to your front loading washer. This is something you certainly want to avoid because front loaders are complex pieces of machinery that can be expensive to repair. Symptoms of this problem often appear as:

·        door window covered in suds
·        water leaking around the door
·        vibration
·        noisy operation
·        poor spinning
·        clothes coming out wet
·        clothes not cleaned 

If you have been using the wrong detergent or seen any of the symptoms described above you need to begin  returning your front-loading washer to normal. Running the machine empty through a number of cycles using a hot water wash should help expel the old detergent. It usually takes 3 or 4 full cycles of the machine to start breaking down the accumulated detergent. If you have used the wrong detergent for more than a few weeks, or the problem persists, you may require a product called AFFRESH. It's added to an empty front load washer to help drive out accumulated detergent or grime. Additionally, a small amount of it should be added to the detergent dispenser drawer to remove any residue that has built up in this area. 

So if you think your front loader is not working as well as anticipated, look to your laundry detergent. If it does not say HE on the label -- stop using it immediately. Then go out and get yourself a box of the proper HE type laundry detergent. You may be pleasantly surprised how a simple thing like the correct detergent can turn your washing chores into a much more gratifying experience.

 

 

  By Donald Grummett 

Copyright © 2005 Donald Grummett. All rights reserved

 

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