High Efficiency Detergent
So you’ve got a fancy new high efficiency washing machine. Congratulations. Now it’s important to know the right kind of detergent to use to get great results from it.
Only high efficiency detergents should be used in high-efficiency washers. There is a good reason for using detergents that are specially formulated for these washers. High efficiency washers use 20-66% less water than traditional machines, saving valuable water and energy resources as there is less water to heat. However, even though there is less water you still have the same amount (or more, due to the large capacity) of dirty laundry. And, because of the reduction in water in a High Efficiency washer, there is a much higher concentration of soil to the amount of water. Due to this soil concentration, High Efficiency detergents are formulated with increased levels of ingredients that suspend this higher level of soil and help prevent it from re-depositing on the clothes during the wash cycle. This helps leave your whites looking white and helps prevent dinginess on all your clothes.
Many people associate the level of suds with cleaning performance; however, high efficiency detergents are designed to be low sudsing and get great cleaning performance. Too many suds in these machines can cause the machine to go into suds lock, lengthening the cycle time. When this happens, you won’t realize the full energy and water savings these machines are designed to provide. Too many suds can also cause residue at the end of the wash cycle to be re-desposited on clothing. With low sudsing products not only is your washer protected, but it leaves your clothes clean and well rinsed.
Looking for High Efficiency Detergents?
High efficiency detergents can now readily be found where regular laundry detergent is sold. Just be sure to look for the “HE” symbol on the bottle to avoid buying the wrong thing. There shouldn’t be any increase in price for high efficiency detergent in terms of loads per container. So if you notice the bottle is more expensive than your usual detergent, check the number of loads it cleans.
Using a high efficiency detergent for your high-efficiency washer will help it perform like it should, leaving you to sit back and enjoy the clean, fresh results.
Featured Videos
My Tide - Tide plus Bleach "White Jeans" Commercial
Tips & Tricks
Many stains are more likely to be removed entirely if soaked in cold water before it has had time to set.
If in doubt, test your color garment for colorfastness – apply warm water to an inconspicuous part (inside of the hem, for instance), then press this part with a warm iron between two pieces of white cloth.
To protect your favorite garments, try turning them inside out before washing.
Use a partitioned laundry basket to sort your laundry as you remove it.
Overloading your washing machine could mean that your clothes don’t properly get clean.
White streaks of powder left behind on your clothes due to undissolved detergent are usually caused by overloading your machine, and can be removed with an additional rinse cycle.
Washing much smaller loads on non-cotton cycles to give more freedom of movement in the drum and result in better cleaning.
Using too little detergent can cause whites to become dingy as there are insufficient ingredients to hold soils in the water so they don’t redeposit on the garments.
Overdosing in a soft-water area can lead to “oversudsing” which, in extreme cases, can mean suds come out of the machine.
Always check the fabric care label for the manufacturer’s washing recommendations.
Some dyes will bleed even in very cold water, so always sort your washing into light colors, dark colors, whites, and delicates.
To compensate for washing at lower temperatures, try using a Cotton (most agitation) or Synthetic cycle, if the garment care label allows. There are also detergents specially designed to work in cold water.
Whenever possible, dry your clothes outside on a line; you could see significant energy savings.
Make sure to close all zippers, fasteners, and hooks to prevent and reduce abrasion of fabric and consider placing delicate items into mesh laundry bags.
To pre-treat stains, apply undiluted laundry detergent directly onto stained areas. For best results, allow product to sit on stain for a few minutes, scrub product into stain, then wash.
When adding chlorine bleach, always use the bleach dispenser on your washer to ensure that it is added at the right time in the wash cycle. If your machine does not have a dispenser, add chlorine bleach at the end of the wash cycle.
Check garment care labels for recommended wash temperature.
For all HE washers, make sure to use a low-sudsing HE detergent.
Use the right amount of detergent. Follow package directions carefully. For heavily soiled and/or large loads, use more detergent.
If you do not have a detergent dispenser on your machine, add the detergent while the washer fills with water, ensure the detergent has dissolved, then add the clothes.
Keep your washing machine free of residues by running a monthly wash cycle with Tide Washing Machine Cleaner.
Related Content
How these modern marvels do the wonderful things they do.
