| Author | |
mathmama
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 07 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 771
|
| Posted: Sept 04 2007 at 8:06am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I scored a Whirlpool Duet Sport at Lowe's yesterday for only $350!! I am really psyched, but now I have to figure out how to use it. Here are the questions I have.
-Which detergent to use? I know I need to use HE, but which brand. I need something free and clear (for me) and something that isn't harsh as DD#1's bottom is sensitive. Right now I use All Free and Clear on our clothes, but DD#1's undies have get thrown in with the diapers which are washed in Biokleen.
-How much detergent to use? I have softish water, and right now I use have the recommended amt in my top loader. Those of you with soft water do you use less than the recommended amt of the HE detergent?
-Can I use vinegar in my rinse? Right now I put it in the fabirc softener cup.
-My whites get pretty stinky before I wash them (you know, wet towels and such festering in the summer heat  ), so I throw baking soda in. Without it, my clothes don't come out smelling fresh. Can I do this with the front loader? Or, will the whites cycle completely remove the need to do that?
-If you use cloth diapers what is your washing procedure for them? Right now, we do a cold prewash with baking soda, then we fill with hot water, soap and a little more bs and agitate for a few minutes and then soak for an hour, then go through the longest wash cycle with that soak water and vinegar in the final rinse and then one more rinse for good measure.
Thanks for reading and for any suggestions. I am excited about this washer, but right now a little intimidated 
Beth
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Matilda
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 17 2007
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1827
|
| Posted: Sept 04 2007 at 8:33am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I don't know about your other questions, but regarding the first one...we were told when we bought our front loader over 6 years ago that we had to use low suds detergent. We did for the first month and then stopped and went back to our regular detergent (All Free and Clear). I have never noticed a difference. Just my experience.
__________________
Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11 , 10 , 9 & 5 ) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
juststartn
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 17 2007
Location: Oklahoma
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1321
|
| Posted: Sept 04 2007 at 9:18am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well, I had stocked up on detergent before I had the boys--which was almost a month before I got the washer and dryer set--so I'm using my Arm and Hammer still (I've found Target has the best price). I've got 1/2 of a 5 gal container, and two boxes left, so it'll be a while yet til I run out.
I don't know about our water--I know its not hard, cause I don't have to use a water softener--but I use a small amount of detergent (keeping in mind that I would use less in a front loader than in a top loader anyway). Of course, I also end up adding some Clorox Oxy to almost every load, so that helps, too...
I don't know about the gentler detergents. Apparently, we all have skin like cast iron (kind of like our stomachs), so that has never been an issue for us. Sorry! 
Glad you scored such a deal, though!!!
Rachel
__________________
Married DH 4/1/95
Lily 3/11/00
Helena(Layna) 5/23/02
Sophia 4/19/04
John 5/7/07
David 5/7/07
Ava Maria, in the arms of Jesus, 9/5/08
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
LucyP
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 05 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 791
|
| Posted: Sept 04 2007 at 11:09am | IP Logged
|
|
|
We've only ever used front loaders. I do think you can use less detergent than recommended - I usually do. I find if I use as much as they say it never rinses properly. I don't know about US brands, sorry.
For nappies, I just used the intensive and soak programmes on my machine, 60 degrees. I'd suggest experimenting as to what suits you.
I use vinegar in the fabric conditioner dispensing part of the detergent drawer when I wash towels or nappies.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Carole N.
Forum All-Star
Joined: Oct 28 2006
Location: Wales
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4484
|
| Posted: Sept 04 2007 at 7:43pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have my front loader for five years, and I love it. But I find it hard to find the HE detergents, so I went back to the regular soap. I just use less. I use liquid detergent, Downy Fabric softner and bleach on my whites. I have never heard of using vinegar in the rinse, but I suspose that you could put it in the fabric softner container withoug a problem. Does it make your towels smell fresher?
__________________
Carole ... in Wales
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mathmama
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 07 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 771
|
| Posted: Sept 04 2007 at 8:20pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Carole N. wrote:
| I have my front loader for five years, and I love it. But I find it hard to find the HE detergents, so I went back to the regular soap. I just use less. I use liquid detergent, Downy Fabric softner and bleach on my whites. I have never heard of using vinegar in the rinse, but I suspose that you could put it in the fabric softner container withoug a problem. Does it make your towels smell fresher? |
|
|
Thanks for the replies...and keep them coming 
The vinegar does 2 things. It acts as a fabric softener and it also helps rinse out the soap. Actually, I think that getting out all the soap is what softens the clothes.
Beth
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
ann@home
Forum Pro
Joined: April 26 2007
Location: Iowa
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 169
|
| Posted: Sept 07 2007 at 12:19am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I've had a duet for about 5 yrs and love it.
I also skipped the HE detergents and use All Free/Clear-I just fill the detergent holder about 1/3 below the fill line. Never had any issues wtih oversudsing (sp?)
I also used vinegar once in a while with dipes-I put it into the bleach section and it seemed to work just fine. But you could use it in the softener cup too I think. I still use it with towels sometimes too.
For dipes I washed them like regular heavy loads but with an extra rinse. About once a month or so I'd wash with hot water, NO detergent and vinegar to be sure there was no soap build up.
I never did a cold rinse or soak and I never had problems with stains or stinky dipes. i also used the dry pail method with some baking soda tossed in and that's it. I found the simple method to work fine for us and I used a wide variety of dipes from pockets to fleece to flannel to cotton/hemp fitteds.
I think you could throw the baking soda in with the clothes with no problem, just start with a small amt to see how it works.
I'm not sure about the biokleen, I thought I remembered reading somewhere on Mothering.com that biokleen didn't work well over time in front loaders but I have no idea why that would be?? I think using it in small amts would be just fine.
__________________
Ann, Full-time Mama of a 10yr old Lego master, 7yr old DIVA, 4yr old King of the Mountain and one more in June '09!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Patty
Forum Pro
Joined: March 27 2005
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 170
|
| Posted: Sept 07 2007 at 9:47pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I've had my Whirlpool front loader for over a year and love it! We got some of that special detergent because they gave us coupons for a bunch of free bottles, but the guy at Lowe's told me I could use regular detergent, just use about half the usual amount. So that's what I do now. Sorry, I don't know about the vinegar and baking soda questions. Sounds like it would work okay though.
I was intimidated when we first bought ours, too, but got over it quickly as I got used to the controls. I wasn't too sure about the front loader getting out stains as well, either, but it got chocolate ice cream out of a white t-shirt so well I couldn't even see the stain.
You got a good deal, BTW!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: new front loader, now what?
