In May 2015, it took me 3 loads to get my laundry rinsed and I used the HE soap...I am guessing the person before us did not. Ugh. Drying was also a challenge, but I just line dry-finished everything.
I have done laundry on each of our trips on the Dream and Fantasy. I bring an allergy-friendly liquid HE detergent from home and a measuring spoon and use one TEASOON of detergent with a load.
When I do laundry on board I do the following:
- put two pool towels in and run them through a full cycle with no detergent (they then go in the dryer I will use and get dried)
- do one cycle of our clothes with 1 teaspoon of HE liquid detergent
- do two or three additional cycles of water only to rinse out all the detergent
- repeat two steps if have to do another load of clothes (since the washers are TINY)
For the dryer I have been fortunate and I only recall once that one cycle wasn't enough. though there may be a couple items in a load that did not dry as well as the rest and get air dried.
At $2 each cycle, this rapidly gets pretty pricey; but still cheaper than a third checked bag to bring enough clothes that washing was not needed.
The first time I did laundry I used an HE "pod". WOW talk about suds... did not repeat that mistake
OP - I hope you find an answer. One thing I noticed during the hours of doing laundry is that many people filled the washer way too full - they fill it with what may be a normal load at home, but with those small washers is too much. I wonder if they dryers likewise, though they don't look AS small, if perhaps they are powered for the "proper" small loads and then have trouble with larger loads or double loads (two washerfuls in one dryer) ?
SW