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Experts from Tide® and the Soap & Detergent Association
(SDA) provide answers about HE detergents and washers. |
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What Does HE Mean? |
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 HE Washers
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| • | What kind of energy savings do HE washers offer? |
| HE washers can use as little as 20% to 50% of the energy used by traditional agitator washers because there is less water to heat (from 20% to 66% less), according to the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA). |
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| • | If the washer uses a small amount of water, how are clothes cleaned well? |
In front-loading HE washers, the laundry tumbles back and forth in the water as the tub rotates, to move the water and detergent through each garment and to remove soils (SDA).
The tumbling action is intended to clean efficiently and be gentle on fabrics. |
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| • | Do HE machines rinse as well as regular machines? |
Yes. Even though HE washers use less water, they have two to four rinse cycles rather than one rinse in a traditional washer. According to the Soap and Detergent Association, multiple rinses are typically better than one deep rinse.
Tide HE helps to assure good rinsing because it's specially formulated for low-water washes and rinses. |
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| • | Are HE washers gentle on my fabrics? |
| Yes. Front-loading HE washers use a tumbling action instead of an agitator found in traditional washers. The tumbling action is gentle on fabrics. |
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| • | How do I keep my machine running well? |
According to the SDA, using regular detergent or low wash temperatures may prevent some soils from completely rinsing out of the HE washing machines. Over time, these soils may accumulate in the washer and cause mold to grow and odors to appear.
The Soap and Detergent Association recommends avoiding problems by using an HE detergent like Tide HE and by running a regular maintenance cycle, which means running a full wash cycle without any laundry in the machine. Check the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations for specific details.
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Detergent
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| • | What's the difference between regular detergent and HE detergent? |
All detergents are formulated to freshen, remove odors, and hold soils suspended in the water away from fabrics.
HE detergents create few suds and disperse quickly to help get the best cleaning performance with only 20% to 66% of the amount of water used in traditional machines.*
And HE detergents were actually developed by home appliance engineers and detergent scientists. The result: an effective cleaning system.
Traditional detergents are formulated to get the same cleaning power with high water washes; they aren't created to work well in low water.
* Source: SDA |
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| • | Can I just use a smaller amount of regular detergent in my HE washer? |
According to the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA), HE detergents are the "only choice" for HE washers.
Using less regular detergent than recommended for the load size (in an effort to control suds) may mean reduced cleaning.
Tide® HE and your HE washer work hand-in-hand to get you the results you expect. Using the wrong formula of detergent in your high efficiency washer means you may not get the cleaning results you've come to expect from Tide.
Using regular detergents can create too many suds, which can interfere with the washer's tumbling action by "cushioning" the laundry, and reducing soil and stain removal. These excess suds can also lead to residue buildup, because they are not as easily rinsed away. Over time, they could lead to machine malfunctions, according to the SDA. |
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| • | How much detergent should I use in my HE washer? |
Just as with a regular washer, you should use the recommended amount based on the size of your load.
Because Tide HE is formulated to be low-sudsing, you can use a full dose of Tide HE without having to worry about over-sudsing in your machine. |
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| • | Can I use non-HE fabric softeners in my HE washer? |
Yes, you can add liquid fabric softener like Ultra Downy® to the fabric softener dispenser.
Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for proper use of the dispenser. |
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| • | What's the problem with suds? |
According to the SDA, too many suds in an HE washer can reduce cleaning power. And excess suds may prevent some soils from completely rinsing out of an HE machine properly. This can cause soils to build up in the machine, resulting in odors or machine malfunctions.
Tide® HE can give you the cleaning power you expect from Tide and help keep your washer running well. |
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Don't see the topic you need? Send us your question and one of
our experts will provide an answer. |
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