Laundry Woes

[fidgiegirl]

Ok, I know there is at least one person who will like to see this topic. ;)

I am not in love with the washer we bought for this house. It seems like it doesn't really clean things that are soiled. I am at a bit of a loss for what to do about this. I don't want to soak everything that is just a bit dirty, but visibly. Also, just plain old clothes don't seem to really come out gleaming. Maybe this is because I no longer use the kinds of detergent that reflect the light and all that nonsense, but it just seems like stuff is dingier in this machine. It is a top-loading HE machine. At our old house with our front loading HE, we could put anything in there and it would come out clean. Boo.

Ideas?

I have tried:
- "soak" mode with Borax. Exacerbates the issue if there is some kind of stainy substance on one garment - it seeps onto others it's in contact with.
- presoak in a bucket with Borax or washing soda. This seems to be the best so far, but of course is the biggest PITA.
- Powdered Oxiclean in washer. Disaster. Giving it to my MiL, this machine hates it, it never dissolves right and clumps up everywhere.

What I have not tried yet:
- reading the owners manual :|(
- experimentation with different temps

Soaps and all that jazz:
- Kirkland HE liquid detergent, using the recommended amount on the bottle. At the old house we used less and our clothes came out dingy as well, but when we started using the recommended amount, that got better.
- Vinegar in every load in bleach dispenser and fabric softener dispenser
- Occasional sprinkle of Borax in the load.

Bah. Feeling like a laundry dummy lately.

[Tussiemussies]

Try using Clorox 2 for colored clothes. I never had a problem with clothes coming out still dirty, but when I used this in my top loader my clothes seemed cleaner and brighter. Maybe you shouldn't use the HE detergent in a top loader? Just a thought...good luck.:)

[Rosemary]

Is your water the same in both houses -- is it possible you had a water softener in the other house and not the new one? We have a water softener and it really helps.
Is your water temp the same? Winter now, our cold water is *really* cold. No matter what the detergent bottle says, warm water cleans better.
My aunt does not have a water softener and uses a powdered additive made by Calgon that is supposed to soften the water. She says it makes a big difference.

[SteveinMN]

A few things to look at:

- If you are not already sending softened water to the washer, you could try adding some borax (more than a sprinkle) to the washer at loading time. Borax naturally softens water, which boosts the detergent's ability to clean (probably why you added it i the first place).
- As Rosemary mentioned, cold water in winter is much colder than in the summer. Some washers counteract that by adding a little warm water to the cold water to bring it up to a minimum temperature. On our old Whirlpool machines, the settings that did this were in italics, so there was Cold and Cold, with Cold indicating the warmer Cold. :~) I'm pretty sure our current Frigidaires do that, as well, with the same mechanism.
- (the one you don't want to see) consider selling this washer and getting a front-loader. Seriously, Energy Star requirements during the past few years have done a number on top-loader washers, which use about 2-1/2 to 3 times the water of a front loader. To meet Energy Star specs, most top-washer manufacturers have "dumbed down" Warm water temperatures by 10-20 degrees. Now Warm is not that different from Cold and more like Cold. Add agitators that treat clothes more carefully (and in the process do not beat up clothes so much) and you have washers which are much less effective than in the old days. :(

Good luck!

[Wildflower]

I read recently that all new washing machines, at least in the past year, only fill to the lowest level for the rinse cycle. Apparently, there's nothing you can do to override this feature, but I have heard alot of people complaining on another message board that they are really unhappy with it, and their clothes are coming out dingy. Maybe this is your problem?

I have an HE Whirlpool toploading washing machine that I got about 3 years ago. The clothes come out looking wonderful and spotlessly clean. I will say that I didn't get good results with homemade detergent because of the water conditions here. As long as I use ERA HE detergent - all is good!

[Miss Cellane]

First thing I'd do is read the manual. You might be using the wrong type of detergent. Or there's an additive you haven't considered yet that is recommended. Or you are using the wrong setting for the kind of clothing you are washing. This is a new type of washer for you, and there's a good chance you can't do laundry exactly the same way as you did with your old machine. Then experiment with the different temperature settings.

[Mrs-M]

Rosemary, touches on an important issue... that being, water-softeners, and hot/warm water washes. I have an o-l-d... top-loader washing machine, yet it still cleans efficiently, mind you, we don't have hard water (in the true sense), and I never wash in cold.

To add, I second Miss Cellane's suggestion, of reading the manual to help get the most out of your new machine.

[Rosemary]

Keep in mind that stain removal is basically a chemical reaction, so it is impacted by temperature and the things in the water more than the machine itself.

[IshbelRobertson]

I have afront loader Bosch washing machine with a separate tumble drier by the same manufacturer. As far as I know, most UK machines (even foreign makes like mine), use warm wash fill system as default although you can choose a cold water wash as one of the settings.

A knowledgeable friend told me that our clothes and detergents were manufactured for warm wash cycles. Whilst I have no proof that this is so, I do notice my clothes look dingy when I use a washing machine on holiday in Australia, using a top loading cold fill machine.

[Float On]

Kelli, my new top loader requires that I put the detergent in first and then the clothes on top. Completely opposit of how I've always done laundry.

[Mrs-M]

Yes, Float On, for as long as I can remember, I have ALWAYS added detergent to my top-loader, last... but that's using an old-fashioned machine.

[lmerullo]

My cold water temp in Florida is still not "cold" compared to most, so I can get away with it for most things. That said, if you insist on cold water washing I would buy the special detergent for that purpose.

Three weeks ago we got a commercial grade Maytag front loader set (my early Christmas present) and I find regular washing is great but stain removal is only blah. My granddaughter has long sleeved white tops and the cuffs were still dingy after a regular wash. Next time I sprayed with Oxygen and they were clean again.

Maybe a new detergent will help? Everyone has their favorites so that to me means they perform differently for different circumstances (machine, water type and temp) otherwise there would only be one fave.

[Mrs-M]

Fidgiegirl. Even though vinegar is more for pH balance and for helping eliminate soap-residue, how about giving a vinegar rinse a try in the days to come, just for fun. Maybe your new machine isn't efficiently flushing the clothes of spent wash-water.

[Mrs-M]

Additionally, are you overloading the machine?

[fidgiegirl]

Ok, much learned in reading the manual. :|(

First, we are not loading correctly. There is a washplate in the bottom which acts somewhat like the agitator in an old style machine. Turns out we are supposed to load the clothes AROUND this, as if it were an agitator, and not cover it up, like we have been doing for nine months. :0!

Secondly, there is a super helpful chart of which wash cycle to choose for what kinds of fabrics. I have never used some of the cycles and really should have been, especially for tough stains. Now I know.

I did add more Borax and that seemed to help. I bet with the right cycle and loading properly, things will start to look a lot better.

Well, sorry I wasted everyone's time, though I did get a few good ideas! And I also learned that whoever said that warm is still used on the cold/cool cycles is correct, according to the manual. And that hot/warm cycles are not as hot/warm as days of old, as someone else said. Much learned and thank you, friends!

[SteveinMN]

I'm happy to hear it was something simple!

[Mrs-M]

You are such a stinker, Fidgiegirl! :)

I was hoping this thread was going to be one that lasted several days, while you tried/tested all of our super-fabulous ideas and hints and tips and things...

Oh, well, glad to know all is well and laundry in home will again have the sparkle you fancy.