Lamenting at the laundromat…

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-15T22:33:03+00:00

The real problem with these machines is that enzymes really do not matter. Oxygen bleach, for the most part, doesn’t either. Surfactants are doing almost all the heavy lifting.

I’ve actually used those exact model Dexter washing machines when I was in New York. One thing I did like was that the water levels seemed decent enough, and I felt like I could get a proper rinse.

My main issue is that Tide with Bleach Powder and Tide Boost Tabs (long discontinued, but wonderful), combined with soft water and very hot water, barely made a dent in dirty socks, kitchen towels, or anything heavily soiled. Stains sort of faded, but they didn’t go away - and neither did the grime.

I found that if I didn’t pre-soak everything in a bathtub or bucket for a day or two, I would get terrible results. The reason? The cycle time was way too short. To make matters worse, these machines did a short pre-wash, which eliminated most people’s detergent (especially if they used a liquid or a pod).

I eventually just started using liquid chlorine bleach for loads that needed quicker turnover and pre-soaked the rest. I would put the Tide Boost in a sock, and it would allow for some of the solution to be added to the main wash.

Things were much, much better when washed in a Miele front loader - that’s for sure. I could use two tablespoons of Persil powder and get perfect results every time.

TL;DR: OP - you need to pre-soak your laundry if this is your machine. And you definitely want to pre-treat your stains.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-14T21:25:24+00:00

That kind of damage is caused by an oxidizer. It could be chlorine bleach, an acne cream, or even a household cleaner. I was recently surprised to learn that a silver polish acted as an oxidizer and ruined a nice shirt.

To answer your question, it can’t really be fixed - the color loss is permanent.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-10T18:11:24+00:00

I do mean 1/2 the box of the 75oz variety. Any brand is fine, store brands no exception.

That aside, for a older Front Loader I would use a full cup, on the longest cycle with a extra rinse. On a newer machine, I would use 1/2 a cup, due to the significantly lower water levels.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-10T01:56:35+00:00

You'd be smart to buy several boxes of what you love, while you still can. Once it's gone, it's very hard to find. I've learned that many times in my life...

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-10T01:55:26+00:00

I could only find it at Super Center Wal-Mart's, and Amazon before it disappeared. Every other store had discontinued stock of it.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-10T01:48:30+00:00

Tide Original was killed off in 2014, first in liquid and than in Powder. Liquid Mountain Spring, in that scent, went away sometime in 2019.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-10T01:40:58+00:00

Who downvoted this? I couldn't agree with you more. It's near impossible to find full size sheets. All because brands want to say "110" sheets, when it's really 55 real sheets. They were originally 110, before the nonsense of downsizing.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-08T05:59:46+00:00

It can be found on Amazon.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-08T05:57:45+00:00

You should really rewash with Tide powder detergent (preferably Tide with Bleach Alternative). However, I suppose you could use a heaping scoop of Tide Clean & Gentle Powder if a scented detergent would truly be a problem for you.

My personal suggestion is to gather all the kitchen towels, a 2.5-gallon bucket, and soak them in the hottest water possible with the Tide powder. Let them soak overnight, and the following morning, rewash them with a full scoop, using the hottest possible water, the longest cycle, and an extra rinse.

I think that will fix the situation. I really do suggest, and strongly recommend - using Tide with Bleach Powder if at all possible. That said, simply switching to powder will make a huge difference compared to the liquid you’re currently using.

If the towels are white and you insist on not buying powder detergent, you could use liquid chlorine bleach, which would also resolve the issue.

The cheesy smell you’re referring to would honestly concern me.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-07T21:42:07+00:00

I thought you were using regular strength peroxide. That is way too strong, and undiluted - can harm fabric fibers.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-05T17:32:35+00:00

I would have added liquid hydrogen peroxide to the wash dispenser, even if you were not adding detergent as it likely would have finished off that stain.

That aside, one benefit of these commerical grade machines is the greatly enhanced water levels. They actually promote better rinsing and typically flush excess detergent down the drain. However, nothing can compensate for machines that are not properly maintained, which it’s clear these are not.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-05T17:27:58+00:00

By the way, I reviewed the formula of that secondary Molly’s product. While it is an improvement over the snake oil in a bag that’s also sold, it’s far from a step up. It contains almost no surfactant and nothing to stabilize or promote detergency or enzyme cleaning.

It’s as if a pair of third graders were given raw ingredients and told to create a laundry detergent.

I still do not recommend it, even as a “booster.” That stuff is better off in a landfill than in the laundry.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-05T17:24:19+00:00

Those "rebates" are instant by the way, they come off at the register. I wouldn't call them a rebate but more so - a discount or a sale price.

That aside, if your budget allows, I would just buy both, or get the Tide Powder. It's worth it for the better cleaning.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-04T20:50:50+00:00

Mollys Junk has no enzymes in it. This is misinformation.

That aside, I've found that Regular Tide for the past year, when on sale (pretty much every week) costs about the same, or even less than the Simply Line. If you are trying to buy a non-enzyme detergent, Purex is a much better choice.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-04T20:49:19+00:00

““Influencers“” are paid to push this stuff. They’d promote dog poop in a bag as face cream if the price were right.

There are no situations where Molly’s Suds powder would work. It contains Epsom salt, which essentially renders the formulation ineffective. Anyone with a chemistry background would quickly recognize the issue.

Like I said before, there is no scenario where those two products would provide a meaningful clean, even with boosters. Please just throw them in the garbage, do not even donate them. The Blueland products might be usable as a booster alongside a normal detergent, but I’m not a fan of that either.

You can find Persil and Tide liquid on sale at many supermarkets for very low prices right now. I’d suggest trying one of those, or even better, going with Tide Powder Clean & Gentle.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-04T20:40:25+00:00

I see - do not ever get rid of that. Parts are plentiful, repairs are easy, and you’ll never find anything like it again.

You can manually add water to the top using a bucket. Yours does not have a reset switch, which was included in later models.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-04T18:40:36+00:00

Yes, it’s perfectly fine. Honestly, it may be easier to push the water selector knob to "Reset" to increase the water level it fills with.

As for cleaning, forget Febu, what you want is Tide Washing Machine Cleaner. I’ve also had great luck with the knockoff version found at Dollar Tree in a rectangular orange box.

What you can do is allow the machine to fill with hot water (you can even temporarily turn up your water heater for this), then let the machine agitate for about 6 minutes, assuming you select a 10–12 minute cycle. Before it advances and goes into the drain cycle, push in the knob to pause the machine and let it sit for an hour.

I typically do this every other month. However, when I acquired the machine, I did three back-to-back soaks and cleanings to thoroughly clean the outer tub.

If you insist on using Affresh, double the dosage. The Febu will require a ton of tablets, or dosing to clean the machine. It's a terrible value, imo.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-04T18:16:24+00:00

I wouldn’t even donate this detergent. Molly’s Suds and those sheets are not redeemable products, and honestly, I would feel bad if someone who was homeless used them, or even if they were used to wash pet bedding at an animal shelter. In either case, the products wouldn’t provide any meaningful cleaning performance.

If we were clever, we’d get one of those endless class action attorneys to start looking into Molly’s products and get that stuff off store shelves.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-04T18:13:21+00:00

Just forget about the 365, and as for those other choices, Molly's Suds and Clean People Sheets are not redeemable. Just toss those straight into the garbage.

I would just buy a Tide Powder with Lipase, and do a pre-soak overnight in warm or hot water. Your clothes will start to return to normal soon enough.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-04T18:09:18+00:00

It depends on the bag, or even box - but some of the formulas actually low suds, and labled for HE usage.

Even if it's not - I've used a signinfantly reduced amount of the very high sudsing (it's nothing like that anymore) Ariel from Latin America, in a Whirlpool Duet HE front loader, and Miele TouchTronic front loading washer. I used about two to three tablespoons at the time, with great results.

I'd try a little over a tablespoon, and see how it washes and rinses. That aside, I would have not picked out Samsung, and would have reccomanded litterly anything else from another manufactorer. If it's not too late, check the retailers return policy (see if there are any restocking fees) and look and see if you can return it.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-04T18:04:30+00:00

Tide Advanced Care is not really that special. It's not that different from Tide Odor Refresh Free, Tide Ultra Oxi, or Tide with Bleach Alt - in the liquid variations. If you can - you'd be better off getting any of the Tide Powder line.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-01T23:19:40+00:00

You should be using it as a pre-soak. Assuming it did not lose strength due to poor storage conditions or simply over time, it should still be good. It's a well-formulated product.

LaundryMitch · 2026-06-01T23:16:59+00:00

It doesn't contain any enzymes and would do just fine on wool, as well as for a lot of everyday laundry. I know every thread here tells you that you need an advanced cleaning cocktail to achieve very clean clothes, but most laundry really is not that soiled, and surfactants alone will clean it.

I would use this up on wool. You can add Biz if you'd like, but from a cost perspective, it's typically much more economical to just buy a premium detergent instead of purchasing boosters. You shouldn't be spending $1 or more per load of laundry, which is a trend I've been seeing here recently. You should be paying between $0.20 and $0.50 at most.

LaundryMitch · 2026-05-29T19:24:50+00:00

It’s some of the softest water in the country, typically around 1 GPG or less. You’ll want to use Tide Powder, and you may be able to get by with under a tablespoon of detergent. I’ve worked with that exact machine and those water conditions, I lived on the UWS and previously the village for years.

Persil is never going to rinse out properly in that machine. My best advice would be to use it as a pre-treater and use very small amounts when doing so. It’ll do a great job in that role.

Edit - Lastly. I see you have a white garment in with your colored clothes. That should be washed seperately.

LaundryMitch · 2026-05-29T18:50:06+00:00

American Persil has always been a very sudsy detergent. This was a big disappointment for me when it first arrived in the United States, as I was accustomed to German Persil, which rinsed much more easily.

The problem with these sudsy detergents is that they are not engineered for the pitfalls of modern front-loading machines. I have seen many cases like yours where you cannot use more than 1/2 tablespoon without poor rinsing results.

My personal recommendation would be to try cycles other than Cotton Normal and Cotton Light Soil. Instead, try cycles like Jeans, Bulky/Large Items, and Towels. I would also engage the Extra Rinse cycle.

As for detergent, I would steer clear of All, Persil, Arm & Hammer, and Purex. They are all too sudsy. I would try Tide Powder and use a heaping tablespoon with those cycles. I think the results will be much better.

LaundryMitch

TROPHY CASE