H.E. washer tips

[Russ]

We have one of those H.E. washers that locks once it starts washing.

Couple of questions...

Can you use the Homemade soaps in these washers?

The vinegar fabric softener tip says to put it in the rinse cycle and we can not open the washer. Our washer has a softener cup,soap cup and a bleach cup. Do we use the vinegar in the softener cup?

thanks

[mombottoo]

I would guess the answer to both questions would be yes...if you are using vinegar as a fabric softener then I would put it in that spot and I would put the soap in the soap spot.

[Pemberleyan]

There is a good thread on here somewhere about homemade soaps in which someone (I believe Grainlady) describes the differences between homemade soap and store-bought detergent. Your warranty would probably be broken if you use homemade soap in your HE washer. I used it for a while and found that things were not getting as clean and that they seemed to wear quicker or perhaps lose color, so I am now using a little of both.

[KatieInLa2]

I have a Bosch front loader. I put vinegar in the softener cup and it works ok. I tried homemade detergent and I got fading and my clothes didn't look as good so I use a small amount, maybe a Tbsp of tide 2x detergent and everything looks good. A bottle of tide lasts a long time.

[sabrelvssammy]

my HE washer locks too when turned on...

i put the det in the det cup (liquid ALL...regular...very tiny amount...like the size of a dime or less)...

bleach in the bleach cup if i am doing whites...

vinegar in the softner cup before each load....

i've done it this way for over a year and its been fine.....

[Mom2-3]

I figure I spent over $2000 on the washer and dryer, I'm using the HE!! I use whatever HE is on sale (we have a few faves) and Downey in the softner side. I figure the bottle last months! I just stock up when the stuff is on sale.

[MaryCarney]

Just use half the amount of regular instead of the pricey HE detergent - it is exactly the same detergent, but just with less water added - my appliance guy told me this. I've had a front loader for 15+years, and NEVER used the pricey stuff.

[Palooka]

I have an HE washer that locks when you start it and I can't stand the thing. Worst investment we ever did.

I feel limited with it and I don't feel like it gets my clothes as clean as the good old top loaders.

I pretty much do what Sabre does.

[pat in east texas]

I use half the amount of HE detergent since we live in a soft water area. And use the extra rinse. I use fabric softener (half the recommended amount) in the loads with synthetics since it does away with the static, and vinegar in the rinse cup for cottons.