High-tech has invaded the everyday. Lots of people need some guidance on how to use that new smartphone or tablet or to set the DVR to record “Game of Thrones.”
 
But there’s sophisticated technology elsewhere in one’s home that can prove tricky to operate too—the high-efficiency (HE) washing machine. In 2014, 70% of washers sold were HE models.
 
As more homeowners adopt these smart appliances, there have been issues. Consumers lament about odors, or their clothes not coming clean and too many suds that take too long to rinse out, just to name a few complaints.
 
Tide is taking on a tech support role in the laundry room. The P&G brand is out to “re-educate” owners of HE washing machines and how its new Tide HE Turbo is the best option.
 
According to P&G, many consumers don’t realize the wrong detergent can reduce energy and water savings, delivering a subpar clean and adding a significant time to the wash cycle.
 
The brand has enlisted smart home and lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch to talk up the new Tide SKU.
 
Knobloch—a regular contributor to HGTV, the Today Show, and CNN—addressed the trick of the eye that can occur with new HE washers.
 
“The HE machine has 40% bigger drum, and what happens is that normal wash load looks smaller and consumers put in less detergent,” Knoloch told Happi.
 
And with the added capacity that HE washers can accommodate, there’s often more soil, requiring more detergent to achieve a thorough clean.

According to P&G, while 81% of consumers agree that they can fit more laundry into every load, only 33% report that they follow detergent package labeling and measure their detergent dose accordingly. In fact, nearly one in five consumers admitted that they guess how much detergent to use based on the load size.

A remedy: P&G has fashioned a new cap with new dosing lines to see how much detergent they really need.
 
Further, homeowners have noted that their HE machines are taking longer than expected to complete a load. That’s because sensors detect excess suds after completing a first rinse cycle, and will add more rinse cycles, adding up 25 minutes to cycle time and wasting up to 10 gallons of water.
 
“Consumers are wondering why they bought this machine to save water,” said Knobloch, adding that there was more room for error with older machines, which used more water so excess soap was washed out.
 
Tide HE Turbo has been formulated with quick-dissolving Smart Suds technology, which helps prevent HE machines from running additional rinse cycles, according to P&G.

“If you compare this to previous generations of HE detergent, there are so many fewer bubbles and you don’t end up with endless bubbles that take forever to wash out, said Knobloch, calling Tide HE Turbo “better fuel” for laundry.