What’s the right detergent for your washing machine?

Some days it seems like the laundry detergent aisle at your local store is only getting longer. So how do you decide what to buy? We’ve gathered a few common questions to help your decision making. Happy washing!

Do high-efficiency (HE) machines really need special detergent?

You’ve noticed the HE symbol on the rows of detergents at the store. High-efficiency washing machines use less water to clean clothes, and they need specially formulated detergents that clean clothes with less suds and rinse out quickly. The American Cleaning Institute has a great explanation on how HE washers and detergents work together. 

It’s a lot easier to find HE detergents these days, but what happens if you use regular detergent in an HE washer? The main issue is that regular detergents create too many suds, which won’t wash out fully—defeating the purpose of washing your clothes in the first place. In worse-case scenarios, the washer can overflow and even develop mechanical problems. So the HE label is more than marketing talk.

Are detergent packs safe?

Those detergent packs—brightly colored, single-use, and self-contained—are awfully convenient. If you wash your clothes in a laundry facility, they’re certainly a lot easier to carry, and a lot harder to spill, than a bottle or box.

Unfortunately, the same qualities that make them appealing to adults—their size and bright colors—can lead children to mistake them for candy. In early 2017 alone, U.S. poison centers received over 6,000 reports of children five and younger eating or inhaling the packets.

If you use the packets, and especially if you have little ones in the house, the American Association of Poison Control Centers recommends you keep the detergent sealed up and stored somewhere up high where little hands can’t reach.

Does green detergent make a difference?

Environmentally “friendly” dishwasher detergents get the headlines, since many states have banned products with high levels of phosphates. Laundry detergents haven’t gotten the same attention, though they contain enzymes that can spread into water supplies.

Consumer Reports recent tests find that environmentally sensitive detergents are generally not as effective as traditional formulas, but offer “decent results.” If you’re looking to reduce your home’s impact on the environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers an interactive guide to products that meet its Safer Choice Standard.

Fabric softener? That’s a whole ‘nother issue.

Need a new washing machine for your home? Find out what Appliance Warehouse can do for you!