1) that does seem to make sense. These he washers use significantly less water than the top-load washers i used to use so i'd assume they don't rinse loads as well. What do you mean by running a machine cleaner?
The one I use is called
"Washer Magic". You can order it through Amazon and various other online stores, but I actually found it cheaper at Lowe's. Basically, it is just a solution that you pour into your detergent dispenser and then run through an empty load with the hottest water settings possible.
2) yeah i have pretty hard water here. Eastern washington and that area seems to always have hard water i'm not so sure about the rest of washington. I guess i did try to put more detergent but what would you consider to be a small load vs. A full load? I just kinda do whatever my gut tells me to heh but tend to err towards treating it as a large load.
This one is pretty subjective, as you already know. If I have a load that is roughly the size of a basketball when I pick it up to put in the washer, that is small to me. On the other hand, a load the size of, say, a beach ball is a large load.
As Setec Astronomy mentioned, adding more detergent will help overcome hard water, but it could leave more residue in the towels as well and compound your roughness problem. (A second rinse cycle never hurts in that case.) With an HE washer, you will have to be particularly careful. If you have already roughly doubled the amount called for without good results, I would stop adding detergent and rely more on the vinegar rinse or a method of softening the water.
Washing powder (a.k.a. soda ash, sodium carbonate) is a very effective water softener. Baking soda (a.k.a. sodium bicarbonate) is also somewhat effective, but to a noticeably lesser degree. You could try mixing either of these into your wash cycle, along with the MF detergent, and they should allow the detergent to work more effectively. Oxi-Clean is just sodium carbonate and dehydrated hydrogen peroxide, so you could even consider that an option as well.
Also, any of those three will have instructions on the box about how much to add depending upon the size of your load. You can even throw them directly into the drum with the towels to avoid having to mix them with the MF detergent in the dispenser.
As far as I know, none of these will harm your MF if used in recommended amounts. I have used them on mine in the past as well.
3) hmm maybe i can try that. I never really had a problem with static though i just worried that the dryer may be heating it past the point it's already dry and that heat could be what is causing the roughness?
You're right. It is possible to get the towels too hot and melt the tiny fibers, causing a rough feel. However, it is not likely to happen if using a short amount of time and on the lowest heat setting possible. IME, the static helps keep the fibers separated and fluffy. Plus, I also do this with the MF I use around the house and it significantly increases dust pickup.
Either way, the dryer is not essential and is not likely to be causing your issues with roughness.
my he washer likes to lock the door throughout the whole cycle even if it has drained all the water and i stopped the cycle. How do i add vinegar to the rinse cycle just pour it into the detergent container when it starts?
There should be a separate softener dispenser in the same drawer as your detergent dispenser. Mine is to the right of the detergent compartment and just in front of the bleach compartment. This makes it really easy as it will only dispense from that compartment during the rinse cycle. You don't have to "stand by" and try to catch it in time. Plus, the softener compartment is sort of pre-measured in that you can only pour a certain amount in. This will keep you from using too much.
thanks for the quick feedback though! This is what i really like about ag and makes me feel more inclined to help others. :xyxthumbs:
+1 -- I feel the exact same way about AG :dblthumb2:
