HE detergents create few suds and disperse quickly to help get the best cleaning performance with only 20% to 66% of the amount of water used in traditional machines.*
And HE detergents were actually developed by home appliance engineers and detergent scientists. The result: an effective cleaning system.

Traditional detergents are formulated to get great cleaning power with high water washes; they aren't created to work well in low water.

* Source: Soap and Detergent Association (SDA)

According to the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA), HE detergents are the "only choice" for HE washers.
Using less regular detergent than recommended for the load size (in an effort to control suds) may mean reduced cleaning.
Tide® Coldwater HE and your HE washer work hand-in-hand to get you the results you expect. Using the wrong formula of detergent in your high efficiency washer means you may not get the cleaning results you've come to expect from Tide.
Using regular detergents can create too many suds, which can interfere with the washer's tumbling action by "cushioning" the laundry, and reducing soil and stain removal. These excess suds can also lead to residue buildup, because they are not as easily rinsed away. Over time, they could lead to machine malfunctions, according to the SDA. 

Just as with a regular washer, you should use the recommended amount based on the size of your load.
Because Tide Coldwater HE is formulated to be low-sudsing, you can use a full dose of Tide Coldwater HE without having to worry about over-sudsing in your machine. 

Yes, you can add liquid fabric softener like Ultra Downy® to the fabric softener dispenser.
Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for proper use of the dispenser. 

According to the SDA, too many suds in an HE washer can reduce cleaning power. And excess suds may prevent some soils from completely rinsing out of an HE machine properly. This can cause soils to build up in the machine, resulting in odors or machine malfunctions.
Tide® Coldwater HE can give you great cleaning power and help keep your washer running well.

HE washers can use as little as 20% to 50% of the energy used by traditional agitator washers because there is less water to heat (from 20% to 66% less), according to the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA).

In front-loading HE washers, the laundry tumbles back and forth in the water as the tub rotates, to move the water and detergent through each garment and to help remove soils (SDA).
The tumbling action is intended to clean efficiently and be gentle on fabrics.

Yes. Even though HE washers use less water, they have two to four rinse cycles rather than one rinse in a traditional washer. According to the Soap and Detergent Association, multiple rinses are typically better than one deep rinse.
Tide Coldwater HE helps to assure good rinsing because it's specially formulated for low-water washes and rinses.

Yes. Front-loading HE washers use a tumbling action instead of an agitator found in traditional washers. The tumbling action is gentle on fabrics.

According to the SDA, using regular detergent may prevent some soils from completely rinsing out of the HE washing machines.
The Soap and Detergent Association recommends avoiding problems by using an HE detergent like Tide Coldwater HE and by running a regular maintenance cycle, which means running a full wash cycle without any laundry in the machine. Check the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations for specific details.  Also, keep your HE washer clean by running monthly washes with Tide Washing Machine Cleaner.