Laundry Detergent Pods??

[kristenrice]

My mother asked me today if you can use Tide pods in the washing machine in the 2BR villa at BWV. I told her "yup"...but now I'm not sure. I have always just used liquid detergent that I bring from home. Was I correct??

 

[BillPA]

They have those small stackable washer/dryer units. Not front load H.E. units. You'll be okay with pods.

 

[DenLo]

I just check the Tide Pods in my laundry room and the can be used in He machines as well. So even the He machines in the laundry room can use pods.

 

[kristenrice]

Ok, here's a stupid question...

I have always used regular liquid detergent in my regular washing machine. When we got our new washer last year, I just continued to use liquid laundry detergent (HE). I was thinking about trying the pods, but the washer is one of those without the center "tower". It's designed to use less water (which it does!) but I don't know how to use the pods. Do I just throw it in with the laundry? It seems like it wouldn't disperse very well since the machine doesn't actually fill with water. Do the pods even work OK in the "towerless" washers? I'm sure the answer is simple...I'm just having a blonde moment.

 

[Dean]

My mother asked me today if you can use Tide pods in the washing machine in the 2BR villa at BWV. I told her "yup"...but now I'm not sure. I have always just used liquid detergent that I bring from home. Was I correct??

We use them at times. The thing we find about the pods is they don't work well for smaller loads. Given that most of the washers at WDW are smaller anyway, that means we need a full load to use them. We normally carry a few and use them for full loads then use powder packs we accumulate from timeshare stays or the 3 in 1 pads. Even for the 3 in 1 pads, we normally cut them into half or thirds for the same reason.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We use them at times. The thing we find about the pods is they don't work well for smaller loads. Given that most of the washers at WDW are smaller anyway, that means we need a full load to use them. We normally carry a few and use them for full loads then use powder packs we accumulate from timeshare stays or the 3 in 1 pads. Even for the 3 in 1 pads, we normally cut them into half or thirds for the same reason.

We find the same thing too!

 

[cvjw]

Yep, just throw them in your washer with your dirty clothes. We use the pods with our front loader at home, and with the old style washers at Disney.

 

[Starwind]

Ok, here's a stupid question...

I have always used regular liquid detergent in my regular washing machine. When we got our new washer last year, I just continued to use liquid laundry detergent (HE). I was thinking about trying the pods, but the washer is one of those without the center "tower". It's designed to use less water (which it does!) but I don't know how to use the pods. Do I just throw it in with the laundry? It seems like it wouldn't disperse very well since the machine doesn't actually fill with water. Do the pods even work OK in the "towerless" washers? I'm sure the answer is simple...I'm just having a blonde moment.

FYI, the "tower" in old-style washers is called an agitator.

We have discovered that the pods are actually way too much detergent for any size load. If you read online you will discover that the amount of liquid detergent needed for HE machines is measured in teaspoons, usually no more than a tablespoon. The pods are multiple tablespoons.

We used pods for a while but were having to do at least one extra full cycle with extra rinses to get all the detergent out, so we stopped. I now use HE liquid detergent and measure it with a measuring spoon (I have one that has lines to measure 1 tsp and 1 tbsp). In addition to using the proper amount, I can adjust the amount if I need to according to the load I am about to do -- not possible with a pod.

If you do use pods: follow the pod manufacturer instructions about where to place the pod (and only use 1 until you know what it will do suds and rinsing-wise). e.g. for the pods we used, the manufacturer said in a front load machine to put the pod into the empty washer on the drum then the clothes on top of the pod. I am guessing the instructions would be similar for a top load HE machine, but always check. Also, the washer manufacturer may have info too.

SW

 

[schoen]

I have used pods there with no issues. My laundry never smells as good in FL as it does at home. Sad trombone.

 

[puffkin]

We use pods in Disney all the time. We do a load every night and typically it is about 3/4 full (5 people's worth of sweaty clothes) and we don't have any issues. Much easier to pack a handful of pods in a Ziploc bag than the alternatives.

 

[Anal Annie]

In a front loading machine the pods go in first. In a regular top loading HE machine just drop 1 or 2 (if a LARGE) load in the center after stacking the clothes in.

Funny pod story (sorta). I sent pods to college with my son last year when he started his freshman year of college - thought was that way he wouldn't have to do any pouring or measuring & wouldn't have to carry the big jug of detergent, right? Just grab a couple pods & go off to the laundry room. I bought some pods for home for him to use last summer as I started teaching him how to do laundry prior to going away and he got along fine. Once he went away to school he would RARELY call me UNLESS he was doing laundry. He ALWAYS "forgot" which setting etc. But he also always had a problem with the pods "exploding" as he called it onto his clothes. "They don't work in these machines" he would say. After he'd been at school about 2 1/2 months or so he calls in frustration to ask for liquid detergent and says "this has happened all 3 times that I've done laundry". Hummmm I say. All THREE times? I suddenly knew what his problem was. He was procrastinating on doing his laundry until he'd exhausted everything clean that he owned and was overstuffing the machines to the point that there wasn't even room for any water!! The pods dissolve in water so of course they were "exploding" in one spot and getting all over his clothes that happened to be "the spot". They didn't have any water to dissolve in!

 

[Deb & Bill]

And skip the pods or liquid or powder with Febreze. That stuff is nasty.