how to trick my he washer to use more water

High-efficiency washing machines have flooded the US laundry market. I have one and love it, but it is no secret that HE washing machines do have their drawbacks.

There are two big issues with my front loader that I battle on a regular basis:

1.) It doesn't use enough water with my cloth diapers, which can lead to smelly diapers.

2.) The washer can't sense how to spin out small loads well. As a result, I end up with a drenched load of clothes after the final spin. They're clean, but soaking wet.

How to trick your HE washing machine

Why I Need to Trick My Washing Machine

With both of my issues listed above, I need more bulk inside the machine.

The cloth diapers need more bulk so the machine will empty more water into the wash and rinse cycles.

The small load needs more bulk so the machine will be weighted evenly when it does the final spin.

I'm sure you know that high-efficiency washers use sensors to do their work: they sense how much laundry is in the drum to determine how much water is needed. So you have to trick the machine into sensing the load is bulkier and heavier.

When the load is heavier, both of my problems are eliminated. The cloth diapers get more water, which makes them rinse cleaner and prevents the stink. My small load of delicates spins out evenly because the machine senses more bulk in the drum.

How I Trick My Machine to Make It Do What I Want

Stacked Towels

The solution is very simple: old towels.

I have several old, thin, color-fast towels that I keep on top of my dryer for this very reason. These towels are so old and thin that they literally do not produce lint any longer. While they do have some color, these towels have been used and washed enough times that I know the color won't run onto my other laundry.

The towels add enough bulk and weight to make the washer do what I need it to. It's a simple fix and I didn't have to spend any money. Win-win.

Do you have this same problem with your front-loader? What do you do to solve it?