Regular detergent shouldn't be used in HE washers because it produces too many suds in low water levels. This can potentially lengthen the wash cycle, affect the cleaning performance or overflow the machine. High-efficiency washers work at peak performance with HE detergent.
Use of any other kind of detergent in a high-efficiency washer, not only can confuse your washer cycle and stop the machine but can prevent it from washing properly or rinsing thoroughly.
High Efficiency (HE) laundry detergent is specially formulated for HE washing machines, which use less water than regular washers. You should never use regular detergent in an HE machine due to differences in how they suspend soils and dyes in water and the amount of suds generated.
Regular detergent is not designed for the small amounts of water used by HE machines. It is likely to produce excess suds that will not rinse out easily, causing the machine to add extra rinse cycles.
Overall, high efficiency washers are highly recommended, but there are a few drawbacks. For starters, they cost more than regular washers. They also take longer to wash, and in most cases, they're larger than traditional washing machines.
However, being able to hold up to 40% more clothes also means that there is 45% more soil to remove. For this reason, HE washers require more detergent to achieve a thorough clean, especially when it comes to large and extra-large HE loads.
HE Washers Use Less to Do More.
They spin faster to remove more water from clothes, so clothes need less time in the dryer. They produce less suds and keep clothes in constant motion as they wash, so experts say clothes get even cleaner.
But our tests of dozens of laundry detergents show there are significant differences from one formula to the next. Some detergents are effective at getting clothes clean while others barely clean better than running a wash cycle using nothing but water.
If you're shopping for an HE detergent for your high-efficiency washer, look for the blue and white oval with the letters “h” and “e” surrounded by a white swirl on the label. It should be the same symbol you saw on your washer.
Most HE machines can use regular detergent as well, but you should use even less detergent if doing so.
Lucky for you, many of Tide's detergents are HE compatible: In addition to lifting soils off from clothes and preventing them from redepositing on the garments, they're also formulated to control and reduce sudsing, saving you time, water, and energy.
Because Tide PODS® also act as an HE detergent, they work just as well when used in high-efficiency machines.
No. Regular detergent shouldn't be used in HE washers because it produces too many suds in low water levels. This can potentially lengthen the wash cycle, affect the cleaning performance or overflow the machine. High-efficiency washers work at peak performance with HE detergent.
This, in turn, can lead to mold and mildew growth on rubber gaskets and bad odors. At worst, using too much laundry soap in your washing machine can cause drainage issues and permanent damage to your washing machine.
Immediately cancel the wash cycle. Set the washer to a rinse/spin only cycle with cold water, to remove the suds from the washer. Proceed with a regular washing cycle (do not add HE detergent) and cold water, in case there is sudsing detergent remaining in the wash.
Using regular detergent in your HE washing machine will produce more suds and lead the machine to a longer rinse cycle that uses more water, therefore canceling the benefits of the HE washer. It can also lead to a smelly washer and dirty clothes from leftover suds residue.
If it is a powder detergent you and your machine are looking for, then Tide has you covered with options, such as the new and improved Tide High Efficiency Powder Laundry Detergent, which offers increased stain fighting power packed into a smaller box, allowing you to use less than you would other detergents.
Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of liquid detergent, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of powder detergent, or one pod for a medium load as a general guideline. The use of too much detergent, on the other hand, might result in sudsing, which can harm your washing machine and leave residue on your clothes.
Low-sudsing and quick dispersing, high-efficiency detergent is specially formulated to work in HE washers, which clean clothes with lower water levels. By producing fewer suds and dispersing dirt and dyes quickly, soils typically won't redeposit on clothes.
In a high-efficiency (HE) washer, load capacities are generally larger than with a traditional washer, partially because the agitator is gone (or much shorter). This means fewer washloads to process and less water, detergent, and energy to wash and dry.
Using too much detergent can leave residue on clothes, especially when it comes to high-efficiency (HE) washers. These washing machines use much less water than a standard washer during the wash and rinse cycles. Using more than 2 teaspoons—yes, 2 teaspoons—of HE detergent will leave residue on your clothes.
Compared to normal top load washers, these HE bad boys use far less water while also extracting more water (thanks to its faster spin mechanism) so it takes less dry time and provides more savings to your wallet. HE top load washers come without an agitator so there's room for more laundry per load.