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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