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Need Eco Friendly Washer that WORKS  

post #1 of 35
9/6/07 at 10:20am
Thread Starter 
I researched forever and bought a Fisher & Paykel AquaSmart with matching AeroSmart dryer.
They are crap as far as I'm concerned. My clothes, mine personally, still stink after a wash cycle. All the other loads I've done I have had to wash 2 or 3 times as well and add 35 min rinse cycle to.
I'm using the He detergent and that stuff just stinks and is not coming out of my clothes, towels, sheets, blanets, everything has to be washed again and again.
There is not savings in this machine when 1 cycle does not do the job or even 2 and it seems that the He modes are the worse. The conventional isn't much better, it's probably equal to my old machine -- which is now gone, well sort of, it is sitting on FreeCycle b/c the people who picked it up only wanted the dryer. Well, I could have kept the washer, why did they take it??? Maybe I can get it back, but it was not working 100%.
post #2 of 35
9/6/07 at 1:04pm
Wow, that sounds like a huge bummer. Definitely post a review online, like on epinion or something similar.

We have a kenmore he2t (or something like that, can't remember the numbers exactly). It was a consumer reports best buy. I love it. Works great, clothes always smell good (only one cycle). I'm always fiddling with the diaper laundry, but I was always fiddling with it when I had a top-loader too, so it's not really any different.
post #3 of 35
9/6/07 at 1:30pm
I'm surprised to hear this isn't working out for you, since I've heard so many great reviews about F&P. I used a set at a friend's house once to wash diapers and I thought it was pretty cool and worked but it sucked waiting forever for it fill up with water using the auto sensor. What are you going to do? Have you called the company?
post #4 of 35
9/6/07 at 1:39pm
Do you want to try a different detergent?
We use Charlie's soap now for everything. In the beginning we only used it for diapers but then we figured we don't need any fragrance on our other clothes either. Charlies Soap it is.
We have a Bosch Nexxt FL washer and it's fab. I think it rates pretty well as far as energy and water consumption goes, too.
post #5 of 35
9/6/07 at 2:16pm
Thread Starter 
My Charlies soap arrived today.
The washer and dryer I purchased at Lowe's with a 7 day return no questioned asked policy - so I can return them.
My dad just did the money for me (I've done it too), he states quite simply the cost of water and electric isn't high enough to spend the $2000 I did for He machines that I bought and certainly not the $3000 for the He machines at Sears (He5t and LG steam w warranty).
I really like the top load dryer design, I really am in love with it.
The machine works fine in the Regular Full water mode with Full water rinse and if that is the case then I need to step down to the F&P Intuitive or the EcoSmart. It would save me about $200. And they are the only top loader machines that I know of that spin at 1000RMPs.
The saddest thing is my budget for buying a new machine would allow me to by the $3000 machines at Sears, if I wanted to. But I don't want to and should not have to spend that kind of money for a "washing" machine and dryer -- it just washes clothes for crying out loud.
I do not want a front loader -- too many bad reviews. I won't buy a Cabrio now either. I simply do not believe you can get clean clothes with less water.
I had my freezer repaired today and the tech wanted to see these machines -- admittedly they are really cool. He suggested less clothes in the HE mode, well less clothes in less water equals more clothes in a regular load of water. So I'm not saving anything, infact probably using more electric than just a large big full water load.
And saddly my old machine held more clothes and water than any regular old machine on the market.
post #6 of 35
9/6/07 at 2:19pm
We are having similar problems with our new Duet (another top rated machine). We have tried Charlie's and everyone broke out in rashes and the clothes didn't get clean at all. We can't do perfumes or dyes without rashes and apparently, can't do Charlie's either. We use Tide Free HE and so far that has worked the best although not nearly as well as our top loader. Each wash load takes 2 hours and sometimes that still isn't enough to get thigns clean. :
post #7 of 35
9/6/07 at 2:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electra375 View Post
I do not want a front loader -- too many bad reviews.
That's too bad. I didn't even realize that you could get a true He in top loader (seems like part of what allows it to use less water is the way it agitates, etc. in a FL).

I grew up in Europe so we always had FLs. Only for the last 10 years here in the US did I have a top loader. Now that I am back to FL I really feel it cleans as well or better than my top loader. I did choose the same brand my mom has used for the last 30 years. No bad reviews from her so far...

Gool,

how weird about the Charlie's soap giving you rashes! All the ingredients seem so basic that you'd think if Charlie's is a problem most others would be too. Good thing you found something that worked for you and your family!
post #8 of 35
9/6/07 at 2:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gool0005 View Post
We are having similar problems with our new Duet (another top rated machine). We have tried Charlie's and everyone broke out in rashes and the clothes didn't get clean at all. We can't do perfumes or dyes without rashes and apparently, can't do Charlie's either. We use Tide Free HE and so far that has worked the best although not nearly as well as our top loader. Each wash load takes 2 hours and sometimes that still isn't enough to get thigns clean. :
Thank you so much for posting that! I really do not want a Duet, the delivery truck had 3 on board for returns from customers who didn't want them!!! That tells me a lot, 3 in on morning.

I'm reading the manuals on-line for the F&P EcoSmart and Intuitive. The dryers are awesome, inpart to the fast 1000RPM spin cycle. I think that is worth paying for.

Whirlpool makes the Duet, the Kenmore He#t series, and the Epic. GE makes their own front loader and I am not sure who makes Frigidaire. However, as efficient as they are, I think the reviews I read that say low water sucks, are right, nothing is really clean, etc. And the time those machines take to wash clothes uses a lot of electric (not to mention I do not have 90 minutes to wash clothes, more in a load or not b/c frankly they won't hold more than my old machine and actually get them clean), Consumer Reports separate water and electric savings and some are not so good in the electric area. Sad as that is for the enviroment, clothes and diapers need to be in water to get clean.
post #9 of 35
9/6/07 at 5:27pm
Thread Starter 

I think I can fix the problem.

I think the main problem I'm having is our "clean" clothes from our old machine are full of detergent residue. I just put my dh's entire basket of clothes washed and dried and folded a month ago (he never puts anything away) into the machine on the Diaper Rinse cycle which is a triple rinse - SUDS!!!

The suds are not coming from the He detergent use, they are coming from our clothes to begin with. Maybe it isn't a bad machine, but rather really, really, really yucky clothes from a very run down washer.

I am washing those "clean" clothes in a standard wash cycle with vinegar in the rinse, no detergent (I've got enough suds and they are probably dirty suds at that. My dh's clothes, his underwear and t-shirst can stand to be washed and washed and washed -- our regular clothes are just going to have to suffer b/c that much washing is going to wear them out.

I know all too well about detergent residue and stinky diapers, why not make the assumption it can and does happen to clothes as well?
post #10 of 35
9/6/07 at 6:00pm
I once bought a product called RLR from Diapercuts.com (it's a diaper fabric supply store). It's supposed to strip fabric of residues. Perhaps a 1-time use of that would be less harsh on your clothes than washing over and over?

http://www.diapercuts.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=126
post #11 of 35
9/6/07 at 6:12pm
Thread Starter 
I would love to try it, the website says sorry closed to orders!!!

But I will bookmark it maybe call tomorrow or search for another dealer or wholesale b/c I would need a case. I have A LOT of laundry that is full of detergent.
post #12 of 35
9/6/07 at 7:12pm
Oops. Try this one. They have a quantity discount...
http://www.zannadu.com/shop/customer...cat=252&page=1
post #13 of 35
9/6/07 at 11:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electra375 View Post
and certainly not the $3000 for the He machines at Sears (He5t and LG steam w warranty).
But do you really need the $3000 machine? My Kenmore was under $800 and it works awesome, it's a real workhorse. The regular wash cycle is 54 minutes and the clothes come out great. There is even a short 27 minute cycle that works well too.

Just wanted to let you in case you do decide to give front-loaders another try. There are budget-friendly HE machines out there that work well, it's just the research can get overwhelming, sifting through the junk from the good stuff.
post #14 of 35
9/7/07 at 12:03am
Thread Starter 
I think the machines will work fine, once I have my clothes free of detergent build up. It is rediculously INSANE the amout of rinsing I'm doing and still getting suds and this is from clothes washed in my old machine and no detergent in the new machine.

When the load finished in the washer right now, it will have been through 7 water in and water out cycles. After 5 they were still too yuck to even begin to see about removing stains, odors, etc. I grabbed a load from our camping trip and my dh's shirt is very stinky.

I can't keep doing this. I'm going to look for a local source of the RLR or Calgon and see if that helps. Vinegar rinse is what I've used for just about everything in our old machine (the one that gave me detergentbuild up clothes to the point I can't get it out).

This is way worse than dealing with stinky diapers --- this is everything we own in the way of towels, sheets, blankets, pillow cases, clothes and diapers.
post #15 of 35
9/7/07 at 1:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electra375 View Post
This is way worse than dealing with stinky diapers --- this is everything we own in the way of towels, sheets, blankets, pillow cases, clothes and diapers.
Bless your heart. What a pain!
post #16 of 35
9/7/07 at 1:40am
Calgon powder has A LOT of heavy perfume in it. The liquid isn't as smelly. Just so ya know. Borox and washing soda are unscented and are still water softeners.

I paid less than $2500 when we bought the Duet washer, dryer and a chest freezer. I didn't get all the fancy accessories though, didn't think I would need them.

About detergent build-up, we don't add any detergent to our towel loads, they suds up plenty from the soap residue on the washcloths. We do small amount of detergent in the dirty clothes. The only things that consistently have build-up issues are my towels/washclothes. The rest, I do the extra rinse cycle and then another rinse cycle.

If you can, add extra water to the machines whiel you are stripping the clothes, we do this with our towels and it helps.
post #17 of 35
9/7/07 at 12:12pm
Thread Starter 
Not able to find local Calgon of liquid or powder, yet. I'm going to order some of the RLR stuff and then hit 2 other stores this afternoon.
post #18 of 35
9/9/07 at 5:29pm
Thread Starter 
Dryer went. It started making horrible noise and went. I'm getting a new one delivered Tuesday.
Charlie's Soap is not good for our water or for my build up situation. I will be passing it on to someone in our local FNL group. Smells nice, gets diapers clean, but the suds -- :
I found Calgon liquid locally in the grocery store and RLR in balls on the clearance shelf, but not on clearance.
I need to write up a "tips" page for Lowe's to give out new owners of He machines, especially in our area with our water!
post #19 of 35
9/9/07 at 6:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electra375 View Post
Charlie's Soap is not good for our water or for my build up situation. I will be passing it on to someone in our local FNL group. Smells nice, gets diapers clean, but the suds -- :
It doesn't smell though. That's the one thing to get used to: your clothes don't smell like anything when you wash in Charlie's soap. No mountain spring nothing. Completely odorless.

Have you considered not using any detergent (other than the RLR or water softener) until you get rid of the stuff you have in there? Like if your hair was icky because you had shampoo still in there you wouldn't put more shampoo on it. You'd just take another shower and rinse out what's in it, kwim?
post #20 of 35
9/9/07 at 7:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electra375 View Post
Dryer went. It started making horrible noise and went. I'm getting a new one delivered Tuesday.
Charlie's Soap is not good for our water or for my build up situation. I will be passing it on to someone in our local FNL group. Smells nice, gets diapers clean, but the suds -- :
if its sudsing it ISNT the Charlies. Charlies is a low/no sudsing detergent. i mean so low that in my average/softish water i can use a scoop and a half and get ZERO suds and stillg et very clean clothes.
if you are seeing suds its coming from either your clothing or your machine.
and i think the smell of clothes/diapers washed in Charlies smell fantastic too. it smells like NOTHING. just fresh clean fibers.
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