[kiddoc]

This seems strange to me. I just got a Kenmore Elite HE3(annd the matching dryer) a week or 2 ago. Since I've been washing/drying with the new machines my (er Kate's :LOL) dipes seem really stiff and even rough

: . Hemp fitteds, sherpa even the UBCPFs all are much stiffer than before. This was with regular tide at first and now tide he. The only real difference as far as products etc. is that I've had to stop using calgon in the wash as I'm using powder detergent and the calgon I have is liquid. I have used the calgon in the first rinse ( the liquid bleach dispenser dispenses at the beginning of the first rinse). Before I was using it in both the wash and the first rinse could it make that much difference? Does anyone else with a front loader just put the liquid in with the clothes instead of the dispenser? I haven't had a chance to look for the powder calgon yet and you can't use liquid detergent in the main wash if you are doing a prewash or soak as it will leak out during the prewash. What to do...what to do... Kate also has her first really red bottom since starting cloth

but I think she may have sat in a poopy one a bit long tonight bad mommy!

Hopefully that will be better by tomorrow, it will be really hard to keep DH sold on cloth (not to mention my mom) if she starts having a lot of rash problems. Anyway I need to figure this out with my machine as I really lobbied DH to get this new washer/dryer. Thanks for any ideas!

 

[Peppamint]

How much He are you using?

I think I've seen mommas mentioning using only a T. Just thought I'd mention it. I'm hoping to get a front loader someday!

 

[Wendi]

Well, the front loaders use MUCH less water than top loaders, so you may have to lighten your loads a bit. You may be using too much soap too... this is probably the case. I use 1-2 tablespoons of powdered soap. Do you do baking soda and vinegar? You could try changing your wash routine slightly to find out what works best for you. Also, my two frontloaders take WAY more water out of my laundry when they spin than any top loader I've ever used. Do you dry them in the dryer or hang them out? If I hang mine out they are SO STIFF!!! I thought that hanging them and then tossing them in the dryer to fluff them would work well, but actually the opposite is true, they come out much softer if I throw them in the dryer for a short time first and then hang them out to finish drying.

 

[UD_CHICK]

I just got the same washer about a week ago (Kenmore HE3t). I got the neptune dryer instead of the matching dryer. Someday you're going to read about me in the paper - I love sitting in front of the washer and watching it run - it is so cool!

Anyhow - I do a prewash separate from the wash cycle (the 21 minute cycle), because I remember reading if you do a prewash integrated into the wash cycle (I use sanitize with my dipes), the prewash will be the same temp as the wash cycle (160 for the sanitize cycle). If you do the prewash separate, it will be cold water. The only reason I like to do a cold prewash is because a lot of women here seem to like doing a cold prewash (I should note, I'm at day 12 of CDing my 15mo).

I'm going to try to add the liquid calgon in my next wash load - I'll put it in with the powdered tide and see what happens. The question for me is how much to use. We have moderately soft water - so I guess I'll just use a bit and work my way up.

I use 4T of tide he on a huge load (like a double comforter) and usually use 1T - 2T on dipes (in part because I don't fill up the machine - don't have that many yet!).

The crazy thing I noticed today - when I washed some hemp terry I just got to make liners - was that despite not using any soap, the fabric came out smelling like the tide he I've been using! I'm wondering if this means that there's build up in my machine.

[For you more experienced mammas: Does powdered calgon exist? If so, where can I get it in northern Virginia? (The liquid stuff was practically hidden at walmart) Any place to order it on line?]

Good Luck!
Jean

 

[UD_CHICK]

I forgot to add - I haven't had a problem with stiffness, I dry on the towel setting. I think the combination of the sanitize cycle and a good dryer quilted my UBCPFs in 2 wash/dry cycles!

Jean

 

[kiddoc]

Thanks for the responses

I'm using about 1/2 the smallest line on the tide he. I would hesitate to use less because we do have pretty hard water so I'm afraid things wouldn't get clean with less than that. I haven't wanted to mix the powdered tide and the liquid calgon in the dispenser because I'm afraid it will gunk up. They do make powdered calgon, I'm not sure who carries it though. I may start skipping the prewash altogether since it does do it with the same temp water as the main wash and I really don't want to do it as a seperate wash since part of the reason I wanted this washer was to just set everything and go. I'm really obsessive about rinsing the poo dipes (though DH is less so) so I probably won't get much staining without the prewash or with the hot prewash. The sanitize setting with prewash, extra rinse and longer spin takes like 3 hours

I'll probably try stripping them this weekend then if that doesn't help use a bit of downy advance on the ones without microfleece.