HE washers?

[mariadm]

If you have an HE washer - how often do you purchase the detergent? I buy it once a month or so, but wanted to find out and if you think is worth it?

I don't do laundry everyday. I do it once a week, but if my lo had a mess in her pants then I wash that separate, but is not often.

I don't get why I need to buy an HE detergent, but the fabric softer can be regular...any thoughts? I hope I am not missing anything!

[Snow mom]

You have to get the HE detergent because it is designed to rinse out with less water. I buy HE detergent (Tide) at Costco. There are generic alternatives coming out too. I have no idea how often I buy but all the containers are marked with the number of loads so it is easy to do the math based on how many loads/week is typical in your house. One thing that is true about HE washers is there is no "small load" settings. I figure it still probably uses less water than a regular washer set on the small load setting, but the water use is the same whether you're washing a few items or a full load.

[Beckylove]

HE detergent makes less suds than regular detergent. If you use regular detergent it is soapier in the wash and harder to rinse out the extra bubbles created-- I've used regular and still had suds bubbles in my clothes and on the door after the cycle is over. So I do buy HE detergent. You can still use regular if you want, but use 1/2 to 1/4 of the amount indicated on the directions. If there are still suds in clothes or the door, or if clothes feel funny, you may have used too much and it didn't rinse properly.

I do 5 loads a week approximately and I buy a 64 load jug once every 3 months or so. I am careful to measure out what the instructions call for-- if I have a regular sized load I only fill it to the #2 on the measuring cap, never a dash extra. I have a bosch washer and have been thrilled with its cleaning ability. Other than the occasional baby blowout that I didn't rinse and pre-treat properly, it has been great at cleaning out stuff.

ETA: My washer says it has a sensor that determines the wetness of the clothes, so it only adds the water it needs to reach that level of wetness. So, it does add less water for a small load. I'm not sure if all HE washers do that. Or if I fell for the clever salespitch ;)
And the detergent is designed to be washed out, but the fabric softener is designed to stay in the clothes. So since it isn't rinsedout , there isn't an HE version. I think that is the difference.

[mariadm]

That is true about the load size and the water. Oh see, that makes sense on the fabric softener...I knew someone here would have some answers!! Yeah, that sounds about right...how many times I buy it. I do 5-6 loads a week depending on what I am washing! So, I guess mine goes a long way...since I buy the 32 oz or 64. The 64 lasted about 3 months! Thank you ladies!!