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HE Washers Need HE Detergent

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When I got my new frontloading, high efficiency(HE) washer, I was told I could use a smaller amount of regular detergent or buy the more expensive high efficiency(HE) detergent.  It was up to me, there would be little difference other than a bit more sudsing with the regular soap.  I decided to start with the HE detergent and discovered that it sudses up too. In fact, I had to cut back to half the amount of HE detergent per load or the washer stopped, flashing an error code.  Now, by using half, the cost was equal too.

It seems that the sudsing is an issue for many people, some feel you need it, others don’t care, but the real concern should be- are the clothes clean?  I’ve been looking around and found that fixitnow.com has some great (although sometimes quirky) answers to the HE vs regular detergent question.

You have to start with the understanding that the tumble action of high-efficiency washers (i.e., front loaders) produce more suds than the agitator action in top loaders. Now most of people think, “Oooo, sudsy, that’s good!” No, not good. Suds do nothing to clean your clothes and are actually an undesirable by-product of the detergent’s chemical interaction with the water.
The main job of detergents is to remove soils and stains. They do this by breaking down the surface tension of water, in effect, making water “wetter.” The water is what actually does the cleaning by slipping in between the [dirt] and the fabric, separating them and suspending the [dirt] in solution.

Detergents are designed to freshen, remove odors, and brighten fabrics as they clean. Another key detergent function is to hold [dirt], and any dyes from colored fabrics, suspended in the wash water so they aren’t re-deposited back onto the cleaned clothes. Traditional detergents are designed to do this in high water volumes used by conventional, top-loading water hog washers.
If you think about it, using HE detergent in your front loader is really common sense. Because of the low-water wash and rinse cycles in HE washers, HE detergents must work differently from traditional laundry detergents in order to be effective. So, a bunch of them pointy-headed scientist types with all kinds of fancy degrees hung on their walls got together to design detergents that would be low-sudsing and quick-dispersing to get the best cleaning performance in front-loading washers.
Excessive sudsing can cause problems in HE washers by “cushioning” — or even preventing — the tumbling action. HE detergents also hold soils and dyes in suspension in low water volumes, so they don’t re-deposit onto cleaned clothes.
Excess suds can cause the washer’s pump to overheat causing premature failure of the pump. These excess suds also cause residue to build up inside the drum and hoses. After a while, your washer will start giving off a moldy funk and infecting your clothes with its faint, musky stink.
Low wash temperatures and/or use of regular detergent (which causes excess suds) may prevent some [dirt] from completely rinsing out of the front-loading washing machines. Oily soils and some dirt-type soils are especially sensitive to lower wash temperatures and medium to high suds levels. Over time, [dirt] will accumulate in the washer and lead to the growth of bacteria and mold, which we professional appliantologists refer to as bio-gookus. This bio-gookus will start stinking and may even impart odors to your clothes. To avoid all this unpleasantness, you should periodically run a maintenance cycle on your front-loader.

The Fix it now folks suggest the following to run a maintenance cycle:

1. Select the hot water setting. If there is no hot water setting, then select a “white” or a “stain” cycle setting. (Note: do not put laundry in the washer.)

2. Select the “extra rinse” option, if offered.

3. Add liquid chlorine bleach to the bleach dispenser. Fill to its maximum level.

4. Run the cycle through its completion.

5. If the washer does not have a second rinse option, manually select an additional rinse cycle to ensure that no chlorine bleach remains in your washer.

6. If your washer still has a funk, repeat steps 1 through 5 as necessary.

BTW, this is good to do periodically on top-loaders, too.

I switched to HE detergent from the start with my front loader, and after reading this, I’m glad I did. These washers are an expensive investment, and I want mine to last a long time.

Downsizing? Some Choice Advice for Baby-Boomers

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As the population ages, many people choose to move to smaller homes or condos for ease of maintenance.  Some Baby-Boomers are purchasing smaller, second homes that can become retirement homes in the future. 

Marriette Mifflin at about.com advises:

Take a serious look at your appliances, large and small, and consider their age, general condition, capacity, performance, and how likely you are to use them in the future. Consider the impact of moving certain appliances. Older refrigerators or freezers may not survive a physical relocation and would be best replaced for the new home.

Replacing older appliances for more efficient ones will save you energy dollars and the outlay to purchase now, will hopefully provide you with many years of trouble-free use. Replacing later on a limited budget may be more difficult.

We all have our favorite appliances and housewares, but most of us have items that we actually like, but seldom use for whatever reason. And, we often store appliances that aren’t working quite right, for disposal at some undetermined time – well now is the time. When you’re faced with moving, re-evaluating and de-cluttering is a must.

A second or retirement home may be smaller than the family home you’ve spent many years in new appliances should be evaluated accordingly.

Do you really need a high capacity washer and dryer, or would a compact set be sufficient? What size of refrigerator is adequate? Maximize counter space by choosing space-saving appliances and limiting counter presence by importance, and storing the rest.
Consider handling and ease of operation. Choose a vacuum that you can easily lift and maneuver, or consider an upright that may be easier to handle. When buying a new laundry set, the optional pedestal drawers do add to the cost, but may greatly increase the ease of transferring clothes and reducing back strain. An upright freezer may be more accessible for you than a chest model.

It is worth the investment of some careful planning now– it could pay off with some serious savings financially and emotionally, in the future.

You Probably Don’t Need That Extended Warranty

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Straight from PR Newswire: J.D. Power and Associates Reports: High Reliability of Major Home Appliances May Reduce Need for Extended Warranties

According to J.D. Powers and Associates 2007 Major Home Appliance Study, most major appliances these days are quite reliable, yet many consumers continue to purchase extended warranties.

The study measures customer satisfaction in nine segments of major home appliances: dishwashers; free-standing ranges; built-in cook-tops and wall ovens; freezer-on-top style refrigerators; side-by-side and French door-style refrigerators; clothes washers; clothes dryers; over-the-range microwave ovens; and counter-top microwave ovens. The study, now in its third year, examines customer satisfaction with microwave ovens for the first time. Customer satisfaction is measured based on performance in six factors: operational performance (including how well the appliance functions, noise level and energy efficiency); operational features (such as the number of settings available and appliance capacity); ease of use; styling and feel; price; and warranty.

The study finds that during the first two years of ownership, approximately one in 10 consumers report some kind of problem with their major appliance. However, many of these problems can be resolved by following instructions in the owner’s manual or on the manufacturer’s Web site. Relatively few problems actually require a service visit.

Despite this high degree of reliability, many consumers purchase an extended warranty for their appliances. Among owners of refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers and laundry appliances, approximately 25 percent report purchasing an extended warranty, while approximately 15 percent of microwave oven owners do so.

“Extended warranties certainly provide a degree of peace of mind,” said Dale Haines, senior director of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “With some appliances — particularly those with complex electronics and potentially high repair costs — purchasing an extended warranty may make sense. However, major appliances tend to be very reliable, and consumers should consider very carefully — depending upon their circumstances — whether an extended warranty is worth the additional cost.”

In satisfying customers with major kitchen and laundry appliances, Bosch, GE Appliances, Kenmore, LG, Maytag, Samsung, Whirlpool and Whirlpool Gold rank highest in various segments.

“Particularly strong performers include Bosch, LG and Samsung, which have achieved consistently high satisfaction levels in consecutive years,” said Dale Haines, senior director of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “For two consecutive years, Bosch has ranked highest in the dishwashers segment and LG has ranked highest among clothes washers, while Samsung has earned an award in a refrigerator segment for three consecutive years. This is especially impressive considering the high levels of quality and reliability that many appliance manufacturers attain.”

The 2007 Major Home Appliance Study is based on 22,637 responses from consumers who purchased one or more new major home appliances through a retail store, their new-home builder, or received one through other means (such as a gift) during the previous 24 months.

Laundry Trends Around the Globe

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Washer and dryer manufacturers around the world all recognise  that the demands of the consumer drive their designs.  The latest trends are for energy efficiency, quietness and, especially in North America, size.

In Globalizing Laundry, David Simpson of Appliance Magazine writes:

Consumers are more aware that efficient models are less costly to operate, their awareness advanced by public information programs and rankings of washers’ energy and water efficiency.
Quietness is another important multinational design goal. More homes have laundry appliances sited close to living areas than in the past, and washer and dryer noise is less tolerated by consumers.

“The trend toward moving the laundry closer to the living areas of the home seems to be happening in all our markets,” observes Scott Davies, product manager at Fisher & Paykel. “Our customers want good-looking products that are quiet enough to use at night without waking the family.”

Despite these near-universal laundry appliance design trends, regional preferences add variety to the market. In North America, larger capacity is more important than elsewhere. Different regions and countries have preferences on top-loading versus front-loading washers. Manufacturers also continue to cater to specialty appliance needs with products like nontumble dryer cabinets, combination washer/dryers, and even top-load tumble dryers.

Other interesting coming offerings are steam drying, which would help fight wrinkles and Silver ions that are used in SilverCare washers from Samsung Electronics America. The ion system is designed to kill bacteria and clean without the potential clothes damage that can result from immersion in hot water and bleach.

So, while the drudgery of laundry will remain, we may be able to get through it faster with larger more energy efficient, quieter machines.

Whirlpool Debuts Colorful Steam Laundry Pair

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Whirlpool is adding a new washer/dryer pair to their line-up with the Aspen Green Duet Steam pair. (Although the pair is available in white too.)  “Whirlpool brand is proud to introduce this new technology and help consumers use steam to get more done in the washer and dryer,” said John Alexander, VP and GM Brand Management, Whirlpool Corporation.

Here are some highlights of the new pair:

    The new Duet Steam washer effortlessly removes stains from grass to grease, even sanitizing towels and sheets without the need for bleach. To showcase how the new pair efficiently tackles the dirtiest duds, Whirlpool brand is steam cleaning Mike Rowe, host and creator of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” as he commemorates his 150th dirty job.
    Like Rowe, there are consumers who may require a more thorough cleaning. For that audience, the washer has a sanitation cycle designed to eliminate 99.9 percent of infectious bacteria.
    A special timed-release dispenser option – a first for Whirlpool brand – optimizes the delivery of OxiClean(R) stain fighters.
    The brand’s most energy efficient washer to date uses up to 73 percent less water and 77 percent less energy as compared to conventional top-loaders.The pair use immersive steam – a combination of mist and heat in the dryer – naturally steaming away tough odors and wrinkles without chemicals.
    In addition, consumers can now sanitize items such as stuffed animals, towels, bedding, and sleeping bags.

Steam has been showing up in more places with more uses lately, it’ll be interesting to see how this new pair performs.

New Release: Maytag’s Latest Washer/Dryer Pair

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Maytag has released it’s newest HE washer/dryer pair, the EPIC z. Maytag says:

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ — The legacy of Maytag(R) brand laundry continues with the new Maytag(R) EPIC z(TM) front-load washer and dryer. The versatile design of this space-saving, high-performance laundry system allows it to be installed virtually anywhere in the home.

The EPIC z laundry system features the quality and reliability expected from Maytag products. The front-load washer’s Rainfall Clean(TM) wash system offers exceptional cleaning performance to get clothes clean the first time, and its MaxExtract(TM) extended spin provides outstanding moisture removal.

The dryer’s GentleBreeze(TM) powerful drying system, combined with the washer’s water extraction, takes clothes from wet to dry in under 30 minutes.* The EPIC z units exceed basic ENERGY STAR(R) requirements and are some of the most energy efficient in the industry. According to recent Maytag brand research, the ENERGY STAR rating is the feature that most influences a laundry appliance purchase.**

“The EPIC z front-load washer and dryer provide solid, dependable features in a flexible design,” said Drew Fraser, vice president for North American laundry products. “They can be stacked, placed side-by-side, tucked under a countertop or set into a tighter-than-normal space. Yet, they still have enough capacity to handle a family’s laundry needs.”

The washer’s Rainfall Clean wash system has a three-baffle design that scoops up and showers water through 138 holes. This quick and thorough fabric saturation system gives detergent more time to work on stains and get clothes clean. In addition, the washer’s new NSF Certified Sanitary Cycle heats wash water up to 153 degrees Fahrenheit to remove at least 99.9 percent of test organisms. The washer’s space-saving dimensions are 36 in. (height) x 27 in. (width) x 30-1/2 in. (depth).

The Maytag EPIC z dryer includes two rear and two front premium drum rollers, part of the Smooth Balance(TM) Suspension System, that are permanently lubricated to help eliminate squeaks and noises for quiet operation and low vibration. The dryer offers an impressive 6.7 cu. ft. capacity with measurements for smaller spaces: 36 in. (height) x 27 in. (width) x 28-9/10 in. to 32-9/10 in. (depth).

Suggested retail prices are $799 to $949 for the washer, and $749 to $959 for the dryer. The Maytag EPIC z units are now available at home improvement stores and appliance retailers. Colors include Arctic Blue with Chrome, Black with Chrome, White with Chrome and White. For more information, visit www.maytag.com.

Washers Get a Musty Odor

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According to Katherine Salant of the Southwest Florida Herald Tribune, if your remodeling or home-building budget is so tight you can only afford to splurge on one appliance, make it a high-efficiency, front-loading washing machine. 

For starters, laundry chores will take less time. With a spin speed of 1,200 RPMs, my high-efficiency front-loader wrings out so much water that the drying time is shortened by as much as 50 percent. The washer holds more clothes than my old top loader, so I have fewer loads, and this shortens up the whole operation.

But, alas, these high-tech wonders are not perfect. After several months of use, front loaders can acquire a vexing, musty odor.

In a recent interview with Anthony Hardaway, a detergent chemist and washing-machine designer for the Whirlpool Corp., I learned that the musty odor problem occurs with every type of washer, though it can be worse with the front-loaders. Hardaway also explained the science behind the odor, which will surprise most consumers and likely change their laundry habits.

The source of the odor is a residue of water, detergent, and dirt that collects in the cavity that holds the washing drum.

The residue accumulates faster when all the laundry is washed in cold water, a practice followed in many households to save energy and because garment washing instructions frequently state “cold-water wash.” Unfortunately, Hardaway said, laundry detergents do not perform well in cold water. They only remove about 60 percent of the dirt on soiled laundry. The other 40 percent is redeposited on your clothes and in your washer, where it eventually turns into the odor-causing residue.

Sensing my reaction to this unnerving news, Hardaway hastened to add that most people are satisfied with the results of their cold-water washing because the dirt that remains on their laundered clothing is not obvious. Only a detergent chemist will know that the colored shirt you are wearing looks a bit faded because it is covered with layers of microscopic dirt particles deposited with each laundering. The dirt is only noticeable on white garments, where the dirt particles make them appear to be yellowing or graying.

When the household laundry is washed in warm water, the results improve dramatically because detergents perform significantly better in higher water temperatures, Hardaway said. Only 10 to 15 percent of the dirt remains on the laundered items or in the machine. The odor-causing residue accumulates much more slowly and laundered clothes are much cleaner. Colored garments will not look faded, and white ones will be only slightly discolored, or not at all.

With high-efficiency front-loaders, the type of detergent used will also affect washing results. When regular detergent is used, laundered items will be much more noticeably faded or yellowed and the odor-causing residue will accumulate quickly because this type of front loader requires a special detergent formulation that produces minimal suds (look for “he”, which stands for high-efficiency, on the detergent label). Continued use of the regular detergent will permanently damage the machine.

Using warm water and the correct detergent solves the dirt-on-laundered clothing problem, but not the odor-producing residue one, which is more pronounced in a front loader because the door seal that keeps water from sloshing out during the washing process creates a nearly air tight chamber — a set-up for mold and mildew to take hold.

Hardaway emphasized, however, that the mold and its odor are not health risks; they’re an aesthetic issue. This conclusion, he said, was reached after the testing of hundreds of washing machines in third-party laboratories confirmed that “it’s normal household mold, it’s not alarming, and it’s whatever is already in your house.”

The prevalence of the mold and odor problem depends on the climate where you live, Hardaway said. In hot and humid regions, such as Texas and the Southeast, the smell is a year-round issue that can be worse in the summer. In the North, the problem often starts in the humid summer months, as mine did, but once started, “you’ll see it all through the year,” Hardaway said.

In the dry Southwest, mold and mildew is far less likely, but the residue will still form and eventually produce odors.

Hardaway’s solution for the odor and residue problem is surprisingly low tech.

The musty odor will dissipate if you leave the door open when the machine is not in use. This works for some households, but Hardaway said many people object to this untidy look, or they have small kids and safety issues, or there is some other practical reason they can’t leave the door open.

You can eliminate both the musty odor and the residue by washing with hot water every four or five loads. In hot water, the detergent “optimally performs,” removing all the dirt from both your clothing and the machine. The only problem here is that most consumers are loathe to use hot water because they think it will cause their clothes to shrink or fade. Acknowledging their apprehension, Hardaway suggested designating bath towels as the “hot-water load.” If they are adversely affected, which he stressed was unlikely, their utility will not be compromised.

If the low-tech approach doesn’t appeal, you can resolve the odor and residue problem with chemistry. Whirlpool’s “Affresh,” a white tablet about the size of a small ice hockey puck, was developed for just this purpose and is quite effective when used once a month.

Did Hardaway’s tutorial change my own routine? I switched to washing with warm water; I wash bath towels in hot water; and I tried the Affresh treatment, which did eliminate the odor.

Thank you to the Southwest Florida Herald Tribune

Another Type of Appliance Recycling

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This is possibly another way to view appliance recycling and is definitely a way to save money.

Reverse logistics- this is the business of taking merchandise that has been returned by customers or overstocked by retailers or has been cosmetically damaged and finding a market for it.  Reverse logistics can keep appliances out of landfills.  What some people see as damaged (a slightly dented washer or fridge) becomes a bargain for someone else.  Reverse Logistics Executive Council can help you learn more about how the process is part of being “green.”

Appliancesmart.com is a subsidiary of Appliance Recycling Centers of America (ARCA), and has locations in five states.  ApplianceSmart sells factory overruns and manufacturer closeouts as well as those appliances with slight imperfections.  My neighbor bought a beautiful front loading washer and dryer from this type of outlet and got them for a fraction of the retail price.  Both the washer and dryer were new and worked perfectly, but they had slight scratches on their sides.  She planned for them to be in a closet and the scratches will never show. A great deal! 

Recycle Responsibly

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Reuse, recycle, save energy– These ideas are ones many of us try to do daily.  There is one way we may not have thought of before- disposing of an old appliance properly.  Appliance Recycling Centers of America estimates that 55 million appliances will be removed from service this year.  If yours is one of them, be aware that nearly 20 states ban appliances from being disposed of in landfills, and more than 15 other states require that landfills separate appliances for recycling. Some states, like Minnesota and California, require that a variety of hazardous materials be removed from appliances before the metals are recycled.

There are more than 11,000 appliance recycling locations throughout the United States. Unfortunately, many of these locations do not process appliances thoroughly before recycling the metals. Older appliances can contain environmentally harmful materials such as mercury and PCBs. These substances must be removed and managed properly before recycling an appliance. Ask your city, waste hauler or recycling location for a description of the hazardous materials they remove from appliances and how they dispose of them.

Another option is to donate your old washer, fridge or dishwasher to a local occupational school.  Many schools use these old appliances for instruction and practice.  When the students are  finished the appliance is recycled.  Or even better, it will have been refurbished and will go on to serve an underprivileged family or sold to help the school.

 Doing the right thing can take a bit if extra thought, but it can feel good too.