10/02/2026
Less detergent is better on any high efficiency washing machine.
More soap does not mean cleaner clothes. Not in these machines.
Samsung front loaders flash a code that reads Sud or 5ud when their sensors pick up too much foam in the drum. Instead of heading into a fast spin, the washer pauses and runs a suds removal routine that can stretch the cycle well past its countdown, and clothes can still come out dripping. Other brands handle it their own way, but the result looks the same: a sluggish drain, a weak spin, or no spin at all. Some owners see the code only once in a while, which makes it easy to blame the machine instead of the measuring cap.
The reason is water: an ENERGY STAR certified washer uses about 14 gallons per load, compared with roughly 20 gallons in a standard model, so pouring in the same capful you used in an old top loader leaves far less water to thin it out. Front loaders get hit hardest, because they tumble clothes through a shallow pool instead of soaking them in a full tub. The foam piles up fast, and it cushions the clothes so they stop dropping and scrubbing, drags on the drum as it tries to speed up, and fills the drain line with bubbles instead of liquid, because drain pumps are built to move water, not froth.
Regular detergent makes it worse, because formulas without the HE symbol are designed to make lots of lather, and they foam hard in a low water machine. Laundry pods already hold a full dose, so tossing in a pod plus a splash of liquid doubles the soap. Leftover residue also clings to fabric, which is why towels washed this way can feel stiff and smell sour even when they look clean.
Here's the fix: run a Rinse and Spin cycle with nothing added, and repeat it if you still see bubbles through the door glass. For the next load, fill the cap only to line 1 for a normal load, or use a single pod and nothing else. Then test your habit once: after a regular wash, run a second rinse with no soap at all and watch the water. If suds show up, you've been using too much, and cutting back will fix both the spin and the stiff towels. If a front loader has already stopped with water inside, drain it through the pump filter door at the bottom front, with a shallow pan and an old towel ready, and stick with HE-labeled detergent from now on. [Z4OAV]
