What’s Causing your Washing Machine to Sud?

If you have a front-loader, you know that there is a delicate balance to the amount of suds a washing machine can tolerate.

My washing machine seems to be extra-sensitive to the SUD cycle.  The last thing I want to do is ruin my washer because I’ve done something to make it SUD one to many times.

But what’s all of the fuss about a front-loader going in to the SUD cycle anyway?  Does it really matter in the life of your washer?

Yes.

If you chronically send your washer into the SUD cycle, it can cause permanent damage.  The pump continues to run trying to ‘wash’ out the suds, and thus can damage the pump.  It can also damage the sensor that determines how much water is in the machine.  That sensor is not cheap.  Ask  me how I know…

So what can you do to prevent your washer from going in to the SUD cycle?

• It’s the most obvious, and one suggestion that some of you don’t want to hear….but use only HE detergents.  I’ve heard the millions of stories about people that continue to use regular, non-HE detergent and they have never had the washer go into the SUD cycle.  How that happens? I have no idea.  But I can tell you that I paid $1000+ for our washer and I wouldn’t dare not follow the directions of using HE detergent.  And plus I’m just a follow-the-directions kind of girl.  Tis a blessing and a curse.

The HE detergents are formulated to have fewer suds.  And it makes sense: the washer uses only 14-18 gallons of water (instead of 40-44 gallons like a traditional top-loader).  So there is not as much available water to rinse the detergent out of the clothes.  So if you use the regular detergent and it is extra sudsy in the first place, there’s not as much water to rinse and the bubbles literally multiply.

• Don’t fill the detergent cap up to the fill line.  There’s really no need to use a whole capful of detergent, even on a very full load.  Especially if you have a front-loader that seems to be especially sensitive to the SUD cycle.  Save yourself some money in detergent and some wear and tear on your machine and use only 1/2 to 3/4 the recommended amount of detergent.  Your clothes will be just as clean.
• Rinse our your dishcloths.  I’ve had a problem with my machine going into the SUD cycle when I didn’t wash my dishcloths out well.  The dish soap that is still in the dishcloth is too much for the washer and it sends it straight to SUD.  So rinse your cloths well under running water before throwing in the machine.

Does your washer go in the SUD cycle often?  What do you do to prevent it?