Detergent, fabric sanitizer, bleach, oxiclean and scent beads. I only use scent beads on my bedding. I love the smell when I get in.

Detergent and sanitizer. I don't use the sanitizer all the time, just when needed. I have a cat who has an infectious disease so I use the sanitizer for her laundry. Sometimes, I will get the oxiclean powder to brighten. I don't use fabric softener because I don't need it and it isn't good for anyone, let alone my pets.

Don't use fabric softener, it will leave residue inside your machine. You can use vinegar as a fabric softener. Personally I use arm and hammer oxiclean odor blast detergent, 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup oxiclean powder. I don't use dryer sheets. Never used scent beads but I have read they do the same as fabric softener.

Please don't use fabric softener. It just COATS your clothing.

Must haves

• gentle detergent (we use Ecos from Costco but I hear tide free and clear is great)
• vinegar (no there is no odor)
• baking soda (not to use at the same time as vinegar because it just neutralizes it)
• oxi clean
• spot cleaner, we got dawn or spray and wash
• wool dryer balls (add a few drops of essential oil if you need a little of a scent)

My luxurious product is bath and body works detergent and scent beads. I also use laundry sanitizer and the color catching cloths.

Tide Clean & Gentle powder, dosed carefully. Honorable mentions to Tide Free & Gentle Odor Refresh, Persil Free & Sensitive and Kirkland Signature Free liquids. Follow the dosing instructions carefully - you have a lot of water in there and your cycles are shorter so you tend to need a little more detergent.

The most important thing for sensitive skin is good rinsing. If you have a softener dispenser on top of the agitator, add a teaspoon or so of citric acid crystals and water to the fill line. Or get a Downy Ball and use the same mixture.

Avoid All Free & Clear in all forms. It’s a crap detergent for the price charged and there is zero magic in it.

Powder detergent is usually the best for old school washing machines

It does not matter what you use. Those washers are work horses!

thank you so much for the tips <3

Just avoid All detergent like Kismai mentioned. It has no enzymes (enzymes are really important for removing stains and smells) and the surfactant sodium cocoate has a tendency to cause build-up.

Try a small box of powder Tide detergent. Just use 2 tablespoons per load and warm water always. It gets stains out and doesn’t leave that much of a heavy scent. Biz Stain remover is better than Oxi Clean in my experience. I’ll add 1 tablespoon to every load. I know you asked for liquid but powder detergent works extremely well.

Charlie's Soap!

https://www.charliesoap.com/

It's not really a soap, but it is the finest laundry detergent that I've ever used. It's excellent at cleaning. It doesn't leave any residue behind, and it even removes buildups of residue in your clothes and washer (it's the buildup of residue that can lead to the smelly washer problem). It's safe for the most sensitive skin. Plus, it's scent free.

As you can tell, I love Charlie's! I've been using it for about two decades, and I wouldn't consider using anything else.

For me it's Tide Free & Gentle but you can check this post https://www.reddit.com/r/Reviews/comments/1cazv72/all_the_laundry_detergents_that_you_need/ for more options

Consumer Reports says Tide Stain Release Plus is the best laundry detergent out right now. They do make a free and clear version if you have sensitive skin. But I find if you use the correct amount there isn’t a scent at all after the wash. Also you shouldn’t use a full scoop of oxiclean in the washer. HE machines are only supposed to get up to the 2 line on the scoop.

tide costco kirkland and persil are some of the best choice imo

Tide is the best. It does smell amazing.

I can only use original scent Gain due to skin allergies...

Many years ago when I was in college I started using Dynamo and used it for years until disappeared. I loved it.

Tide Pods, They're just the right balance between sweet and sour. The after taste is yet to be desired.....

Persil Deep Clean or Intense Fresh. I also add Lysol Sanitizer to some loads.

Detergent sheets are often actually ineffective “soap,” not detergent. I’ve not had great luck with them.

Start with a clean machine (run a cleaning cycle with a cleanser). Clean monthly to avoid buildup on the drum.

Pre-treat stains by thoroughly wetting the item, then applying a paste of Tide powder, or a bit of liquid detergent, or a stain stick of your choice.

A lot of folks use way too much detergent; experiment with scaling back. Clothes will be clean, but smell like virtually nothing coming out of the machine. If you’re still getting a lot of detergent smell, do an extra rinse.

NO SOFTENERS, NO DRYER SHEETS. These eventually cause buildup on items and the machine.

I’ve had the best luck with Tide + Oxy (I use powder for environmental and budget reasons).

Make sure not to machine-dry items that were stained, until you are 100% sure the stain is gone. Heat drying will bake them in for good.

Might have been way more than you asked for, but I hope this helps!

It's not cheap, but I'm a big fan of Tide. It's better on stains and smells than pretty much anything else I've tried. The original formula has a "fresh" scent but to me, it's not that strong. Stay away from the other varieties if you're scent-averse as those scents are stronger. I believe they also make a "free and clear" option.

Also, Dawn (I like the plain blue kind the best) or liquid dish detergent is amazing on stubborn stains, especially stains/oils from food. I use more of it on my laundry than I do on my dishes 😆.

i use All free and clear with oxy and i spot treat any stains with a tide stain remover pre wash

I had the same issue with unscented detergent making the clothes not smell fresh enough. Two things I recommend: 1) run a clean cycle through your washer with an oxyclean washing machine packet. 2) whatever detergent you use, run an extra rinse cycle on every load. I use Tide pods but the extra rinse takes the edge off the scent.

I have a small container of that, but the instructions say to use it together with normal detergents. I'm trying to find a detergents that works on its own.

Purex Free and Clear

Arm and Hammer Free and Clear Sensitive skin.

I pretty much use anything "free and clear" or "free and gentle". I also make sure everything is unscented.

Molly suds

Free and clear Tide works well for me

I've used powder with any kind of washing machine including front loader.

I can't advise you on the detergent, but I will tell you that you don't have to wash clothing after every single wear. Underwear, yes please wash those. But the shirt you put on to go to the store for 30 min can go right back on the rack. I have a certain space in my closet for items like this. After a few wears, I'll put them in the laundry and get a new shirt in the rotation.

We use Tide, like someone else said, don’t go by the markings on the cup. I use a max of a couple of tablespoons in my front loader for big loads, less for smaller loads. We found that using too much soap made clothes stiff because it didn’t rinse out well.

I think the detergent companies make the marks on the cups to get you to use more so they sell more!

I got a 64 oz bottle of Tide for about $9 the other day, had coupons and it was on sale. That will last spouse and me 6 months. We don’t wash everything after each wear. Pants, jeans and shorts get many days wear unless we get them dirty. Shirts don’t last as long in summer…most only get one wear, but some get more.

Powders last longer and clean better. Tire and Tide free and clear consistently win the awards for being the best in class. Like others have said, use less than they ask for.

This powder info is true for dishwashers too- cleans better, and you can use less.

This is also my answer, but I like both the free and clear and scented. Consumer Reports rates it just slightly below Tide. I’m very happy with it. When it goes on sale you can get the 146 load jug for about $14-$15.

I use powder Gain in my front loader, too. Was wondering why OP believes they can’t use powdered detergent in a front loader?

Edit: should also state I don’t use more than 2 tbsp per load. A big box of this stuff from Costco lasts me foreverrrrrr (when they sell the powder).

Tide, although Persil is also good. I prefer the free&clear varieties. Being frugal does not mean buying the cheapest option and detergent is one item where it pays to spend more for better quality.

Do you need to be using something specific with a front load machine? I use Kirkland powdered detergent and like it just fine.

Greetings from Europe where fronties are the usual - I recommend powder (any) and white vinegar instead of fabric softener. Your machine will live longer =)

I use tide

I use pods with my front loader.. just throw it in the drum. I use Dropps brand and I like them a lot.

I use Tide HE and have for over a decade.

Causes no problems, gets clothes clean, and you can have scented or unscented.

I know this thread is a bit dated, but I came across it while doing some research and thought I'd share what I went with.

As far as detergents go, I always buy scent free and I live alone, so don't have as much laundry to clean, so laundry sheets work really well for me. They are like dryer sheets but they fully dissolve in the wash.

Easier to find more of these that are better for the intangibles, like eco and animal friendly, don't take up as much space, etc. Just my preference!

Tide and Persil are the 2 top rated detergents. Those 2 are considered the best for stain removal and cleaning power. Gain is typically the next in line but it’s geared towards scent. Kirkland (Costco) rates up there too but I haven’t found it to be as effective as Tide. It works well though and especially if you don’t have heavily stained laundry it’s a good one to choose for a balance of efficacy and cost.

I saw another person recommending Mollys suds off of Amazon and I want to say they are great. Very good product.

I only use mollys suds, which are cheaper than tide pods and only have 4 non toxic ingredients. A bunch of papers from 2022 came out about normal detergent with SDS causing allergies, so I decided to move away from standard detergent.

Check out this list of the best laundry detergents. There's probably one that suits your needs. I personally use Tide.