Laundry is one of those necessary evils in life. No one really enjoys doing it, but you need clean clothes right? Ever think of all the chemicals in off-the-shelf laundry detergent? If you have sensitive skin, like my family, I bet you have.I'm excited about this since we just got a "new-to-us" HE front-loading washing machine and I used to use pods myself all the time. Since making the move to homemade products, I thought that using pods were a thing of the past, but not so!
I also had a customer ask "is homemade detergent safe for my HE washing machine", so I started doing some research.
It seems the #1 factor between a regular washing machine and an HE washing machine is suds.
HE washing machines are built to conserve water, so they use minimal water when running a cycle. They have sensors that detect the size of your load and adjust the amount of water used accordingly. Regular detergent (regardless of if it's powder, liquid or pods/tabs) creates a fair amount of suds. These suds can confuse the sensors in your HE washing machine and cause it to use more water than actually necessary to clean your clothes.
The good thing about homemade laundry detergents is that they already, by nature, produce minimal suds (most homemade household products produce much less suds than what you're used to with store bought products). There are no additional "sudsing agents" added to it. This means that our Homespun Detergents are perfectly safe for your HE washer, as well as your regular washer because they do not produce the extra suds that can affect your sensors.
Then, there's the #2 factor with detergents. Many of them, because of the chemicals added to them, can leave a film or residue on your washer. Homespun Detergents contain only the ingredients that clean and make your clothes smell fresh. No added chemicals to leave those nasty residues behind in your washer!
Keep in mind, especially with Front-loading HE washing machines, that keeping your machine clean is very important to it's overall "health". You should clean the inside of your machine about once a month to prevent mold and mildew, the things that usually result in stinky machines and clothes. These odor problems are usually caused by moisture, especially in the summer, building up inside your machine.
It's a good rule of thumb when you finish with the washing machine, especially in a front loader, to wipe the drum out with a dry cloth to prevent condensation between cleanings.
Just remember if you have a front-loading machine, to only use a liquid detergent that is free of clumps in your dispenser. If you find your detergent has clumps in it, which sometimes happens with homemade detergents, put it in the drum instead before adding clothes. You should always put powdered detergents (including pods and tablets) in the drum before adding clothes rather than in the detergent dispenser.
Don't forget, you can already purchase Homespun Liquid Laundry Detergent here!
I hope this helps shine some light on your laundry experience!
